The partnership will bring the laboratory quality control technology to Epredia pathology slides, aiming to improve staining consistency for digital pathology and AI-assisted diagnostics.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Trust has secured a commercial agreement with Epredia to internationally deploy TANGO, a technology designed to improve consistency and efficiency in laboratory slide staining.
TANGO is a laboratory quality tool that uses a designed reference slide as a quality control measure during staining. The technology aims to reduce variation in diagnostic tests, which can affect result interpretation and the effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in cancer diagnostics, according to a press release.
Under the agreement, Epredia will develop new pathology slide products featuring the TANGO technology. The company plans to begin integrating TANGO into these slides starting in late 2026.
“TANGO was developed to offer a powerful solution in digital pathology to support clinical practice and this shows how ideas developed on the frontline in the NHS can grow into innovations with global impact,” says David Brettle, chief scientific officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, in a release.
The technology was developed by clinicians and researchers at the National Pathology Imaging Co-operative (NPIC) who identified that variations in staining techniques often limit the utility of digital pathology. The tool has already been evaluated through international research regarding its role in quality assurance across pathology workflows, according to the press release.
“Digital pathology and AI have the potential to help accelerate cancer diagnostics speed and quality and ultimately improve patient care,” says Steven Lynum, CEO at Epredia, in a release. “By adding this powerful innovation to our world-class portfolio of precision cancer diagnostics products, we are investing in technologies that can help make that future a reality.”
Antony Kildare, chair of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, notes that the partnership between the NHS and industry helps accelerate health technology and life sciences. This collaboration demonstrates how these partnerships can “transform healthcare,” says Kildare, chair of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, in a release.
The agreement is expected to create specialist roles supporting product development, validation, and commercialization, while driving investment back into the NHS to fund future research, according to the release. TANGO joins Epredia’s portfolio of cancer diagnostics solutions, which includes the E1000 Dx Digital Pathology Solution and the SlideMate Laser printer.
Photo caption: Professor David Brettle, Chief Scientific Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust with a pathology slide showing the TANGO technology.
Photo credit: NHS Leeds Teaching Hospitals
