Tokyo, Nov 13, 2003 - (JCN Newswire) - LifeSpan BioSciences, NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) and NEC Soft (TSE: 4774) have entered into a collaboration to develop a cancer diagnosis support system to meet the needs of pathologists, oncologists and cancer patients for rapid and accurate detection and diagnosis assistance.
The diagnostic assistant uses enhanced image capture and computer analysis to detect cancer cells in pathology specimens and distinguish them from non-cancerous cells. It will assist pathologists, increasing their accuracy and productivity, and
provide information crucial for the clinical management of individual cancer patients.
Through the partnership, LifeSpan, NEC, and NEC Soft plan to provide clinicians with a first generation system that offers sophisticated image analysis and advanced diagnostic techniques. The cancer diagnosis support system will function as a stand-alone unit serving a single hospital and/or at a centralized core facility serving pathologists and clinicians regardless of their location.
Cancer, with its high prevalence and mortality rate, continues to rank among the world's deadliest and most costly diseases. Thanks to advances in the fields of genetics and molecular biology during the 20th century, we can look forward to continued progress in the 21st century in our understanding the disease in its various forms as well as in prevention, detection, diagnosis, and clinical management of cancer that can both improve the quality of life and extend the
life of cancer patients. To achieve this, it will be necessary to obtainas much key information as possible from all sources, including tissue biopsy, and make efficient use of that information. The cancer diagnostic decision support system will help address those needs.
To achieve the goals of the collaboration, each member of the joint development team brings unique technologies to the program. LifeSpan's proprietary Automated Image Analysis System (ALIAS) will be further enhanced and integrated with NEC and NEC Soft's proprietary advanced machine learning and image detection technologies developed at NEC's Fundamental Research Laboratories.
The diagnostic assistant is based on both existing and new technologies that will be developed by the development team. It will be capable of acquiring and analyzing cell and tissue images using current techniques, as well as utilizing advances in molecular and cellular diagnostic techniques. In addition, the end-users will be provided with up to date information that can help them assess the significance of the data captured by the System.
The diagnostic assistant will first be developed as a tool to allow researchers to expand their knowledge of the disease, to develop new detection methods and identify new diagnostic features of cancer. The joint development effort will move within about two years of start-up to provide an automated clinical diagnostic system for use by pathologists to assist them in providing clinically useful information. In addition, integration of the cancer diagnostic system with other
elements that contribute to clinical management including providing expert decision support to pathologists and clinicians at locations distant from a core facility is included in the program roadmap.
The joint development program will be greatly aided by the advice and guidance of Drs Kiyoshi Mukai and Masahiko Kuroda of Tokyo Medical University and Drs Bruce Kulander, Ronald Tickman, and Nan Ping Wang associated with Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. A panel of experts in the fields of pathology and oncology will join them to help the Joint Program satisfy clinical decision support needs that in turn can make detection and diagnosis even more accurate and timely.
About LifeSpan BioSciences
LifeSpan BioSciences is a privately held molecular pathology service and development support company located in Seattle, Washington. LifeSpan, through its advanced imaging technologies, ALIAS, and its expertise in pathology provides key information used by the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to select and advance promising therapeutic candidates through the drug development process.
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.
Contact:
David A. Anderson
LifeSpan BioSciences
206-374-1175
davida@lsbio.com
Yasuhito Jochi
NEC Corporation
+81-3-3798-6511
y-jochi@bp.jp.nec.com
Nov 13, 2003
Source: NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) (FTSE: NEC.IL) (U.S: NIPNY)
From the Japan Corporate News Network
http://www.japancorp.net
Topic: Research and development
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