Getting a cancer diagnosis can be a nerve-wracking wait for patients. Now, a $2.83 million is helping speed up that process using artificial intelligence and digital technology.
The provincial government announced the funding on July 9, backing four local tech companies that are working to transform how doctors analyze tissue samples and diagnose diseases like cancer across BC's health system.
The companies getting funding—Quartech Systems, Affinity, Novatone Consulting, and Daric Clouding Solutions—are all BC-based firms that will partner with Provincial Laboratory Medicine Services and health authorities around the province.
Here's what they're working on: testing how AI can improve the way doctors analyze prostate and endometrial cancer samples at Vancouver Coastal Health, connecting local labs through a shared cloud system, and figuring out how much digital pathology systems actually cost compared to traditional methods. They're also creating a step-by-step guide to help Fraser Health Authority join the provincial digital pathology network.
"This initiative is a made-in-BC success story—uniting health organizations and local companies to build innovative, AI-enabled solutions that will modernize pathology across the province," said Craig Ivany, Chief Provincial Diagnostic Officer at the Provincial Health Services Authority.
This builds on work that started last year when the province first launched its digital pathology testbed with three pilot projects. Those early efforts focused on using high-tech scanners to create digital versions of tissue slides, making it possible for doctors to diagnose cancer and kidney diseases using computer-based tools instead of traditional microscopes.
The Vancouver area is well-represented in this expansion, with Vancouver Coastal Health, BC Cancer's Vancouver Centre, and St. Paul's Hospital all participating alongside Northern Health Authority.
The real benefit, according to program officials, is that these digital tools will make it easier for individual hospitals and health authorities to adopt new technologies. That's especially important for rural and remote communities where getting access to specialized diagnostic services can be a challenge.
"This initiative is a made-in-BC success story—uniting health organizations and local companies to build innovative, AI-enabled solutions that will modernize pathology across the province," said Craig Ivany, Chief Provincial Diagnostic Officer at the Provincial Health Services Authority.
Peter Cowan, President and CEO of Innovate BC, sees it as a win-win situation. "Through the Integrated Marketplace, local innovators are helping transform pathology services across the province and, at the same time, working to earn a valuable reference customer that can help their businesses grow," he said.
The investment is part of a much larger commitment to innovation in BC, with the provincial government putting $11.5 million initially into the Integrated Marketplace program, plus another $30 million over the next three years. The federal government has also committed $9.9 million through PacifiCan.