The Pennsylvania-based laboratory will integrate Ibex’s AI solution for prostate biopsies and TURP specimens into its existing digital pathology infrastructure.

HNL Lab Medicine has announced a collaboration with Ibex Medical Analytics to deploy artificial intelligence (AI)-powered pathology solutions for prostate cancer diagnostics, marking a significant step in the Allentown, Pennsylvania-based laboratory’s digital transformation.

Through the partnership, HNL Lab Medicine will integrate Ibex Prostate—an AI solution designed for core needle biopsies and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) specimens—into its existing digital pathology infrastructure. The deployment builds on a digital foundation that HNL Lab Medicine has operated since 2023, which combines Proscia’s Concentriq platform with Leica Biosystems’ high-throughput imaging hardware.

From Digital to AI-Powered Pathology

The addition of Ibex’s AI layer represents a transition from a digital pathology practice to a fully AI-powered one, according to the companies. Ibex Prostate assists pathologists in detecting and grading cancer and other clinically relevant findings, functioning as a diagnostic aid and safety net during a pathologist’s final review to help ensure no suspicious lesion is overlooked.

The solution will be deployed as part of HNL Lab Medicine’s Laboratory Developed Test (LDT) workflow for prostate cancer. Ibex notes that this initial validation and deployment establishes a foundation for an evolving partnership aimed at advancing AI-powered diagnostics more broadly.

“HNL Lab Medicine’s ability to operate as a high-volume independent lab while maintaining the clinical rigor of a health system makes them an ideal partner for our technology,” says Yair Heller, chief executive officer of Ibex Medical Analytics, in a release. “By integrating Ibex’s AI into their established digital workflow, HNL Lab Medicine is ensuring that their pathologists have advanced tools available to provide timely, high-confidence results for every patient.”

A Model Built on Health System Collaboration

HNL Lab Medicine, which has operated as a high-volume independent lab for more than 25 years, serves physician offices, hospitals, long-term care facilities, employers, and industrial accounts across more than 50 patient service centers in Pennsylvania. The organization also maintains 33 acute care laboratories within partner hospital sites and employs more than 2,200 staff, including over 109 board-certified pathologists and scientific directors.

That embedded health system model, according to HNL Lab Medicine’s chief medical officer, is what makes AI adoption particularly impactful for the organization.

“HNL Lab Medicine is unique because we partner closely with health systems, embedding members of our team within their organizations while operating at the scale of a full-service clinical laboratory,” says Dr Jordan Olson, chief medical officer at HNL Lab Medicine, in a release. “That collaboration gives us insight into where innovation can make the biggest difference, which is why integrating Ibex’s AI is such a powerful step forward for our pathologists.”

Ibex’s US Presence

The partnership signals continued momentum for Ibex Medical Analytics in the US market. The company, which describes itself as the industry’s most widely deployed AI pathology platform, holds a CE-IVD certification and regulatory registrations with multiple international bodies. In the US, the company offers a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared solution, as well as Research Use Only offerings. The Ibex suite used by HNL Lab Medicine, however, is deployed under an LDT framework and has not been cleared or approved by the FDA.

The collaboration positions both organizations at what they characterize as the forefront of AI-driven cancer diagnostics, with potential to expand the use of Ibex’s solutions across additional specimen types and diagnostic workflows over time.

ID 255405677 © Yuri Arcurs | Dreamstime.com

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