This is a question everyone asks and the answer depends on what tier (way of doing) of digital pathology are you planning to use. The different tiers include:

1) Simple microscope camera + imaging software for image capture (from a few hundred to few thousand USD)

2) Microscope camera with a network port allowing for live streaming

3) Live remote control telepathology system.

4) Whole slide scanners (single slide scanners from few tens of thousands USD to large high throughput scanners costing few hundred thousand USD)

You can find a more detailed breakdown in this podcast episode: 

- “A simple microscope camera, whole slide scanner and everything in between. The different tiers of digital pathology w/ Mike Miller, I.Miller Microscopes.”

And this video:

- “What is the cost of digital pathology?”

Digital Pathology is a game-changer in the field of pathology, offering several key benefits: Efficiency: By digitizing the workflow, processes become more efficient and faster, enabling quicker diagnosis and treatment. Organization: With Digital Pathology, all tissue sections, staining, and reports are consolidated in one place. This reduces the risk of accidental exchanges or losses, ensuring the integrity of your data. Collaboration: One of the standout benefits of Digital Pathology is the ease of collaboration it offers. It enables pathologists to engage, evaluate, and collaborate rapidly, regardless of geographical boundaries. By embracing Digital Pathology, you’re not just investing in a tool, but a comprehensive solution that enhances the quality, speed, and collaboration of diagnostic services.

Digital Pathology, while transformative, does present certain challenges. One of the main challenges is the lack of standardization in the process of digital imaging. This process involves several steps, from the acquisition to the sharing of images, and currently, these steps lack standardization for routine clinical work. Additionally, the technology itself has some limitations. For digital pathology to be fully integrated into a clinical setting, the scanning process needs to be both rapid and stable.

Digital Pathology can benefit patients in several ways. It allows for consultation from off-site pathologists with a shorter turnaround time, telepathology for frozen section to benefit patients undergoing operative procedures, improved organization, reduced possibility of missing slides, and digital images as part of a patient’s medical record.

It is recommended by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), a CLIA accredited organization, that all institutions or practices considering the implementation of digital pathology for clinical diagnostic purposes must carry out their own validation.

Whole-slide imaging is a part of Digital Pathology where high-throughput, automated digital pathology scanners capture an entire glass slide, under bright field or fluorescent conditions, at a magnification comparable to a microscope. Digital slides can be shared over networks using specialized digital pathology software applications.