Background
Developments in high-throughput slide scanning and data storage have revolutionised the Pathology field by enabling whole slide imaging (WSI) of histopathological specimens. Combined with the unprecedented possibilities of recent artificial intelligence (AI) techniques such as deep learning (DL) and hardware, we are now on the verge of accelerating “AI Pathology” and spur the use thereof across the entire value chain – from drug discovery towards clinical diagnostics. However, there are clearly several challenges that need to be overcome regarding large-scale development, validation and adoption of AI in Pathology.
Aim
BIGPICTURE’s vision is to become the catalyst in the digital transformation of pathology by creating and continuously enhancing the leading European repository, where both high-quality, annotated pathology data and AI algorithms will co-exist. The use of artificial intelligence in pathology will play a major role in:
- Refining our knowledge of diseases
- Finding better treatments
- Improving diagnostic accuracy and efficiency
- Helping to replace, reduce and refine animal research
BIGPICTURE’s repository will make pathology data and AI tools widely available through an international, inclusive community of experts in all relevant fields. This will pave the way for computational pathology.
Funding
BIGPICTURE is a public-private partnership funded by the EU Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) bringing together academic institutions, small- and medium-sized enterprises, public organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and a large network of partners.