Imaging file management to support international telepathology
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Updated: Apr 15, 2026
Introduction of an Integrated Pathology Image Management, Artificial Intelligence, and Reporting System
Published on: July 11, 2025
Liron Pantanowitz1, Jeffrey McHugh2, William Cable2
1Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Background:
Telepathology practice across international borders has become increasingly popular. Our telepathology consultation service with a laboratory in China was hampered by latency issues when viewing whole slide images.
Objective:
The aim was to explore data transfer solutions to improve the viewing experience of digital consult cases.
Methods:
Whole slide image files residing on a server in China were transferred to our data center in the USA using an open source product (Fast Data Transfer). A faster more automated commercial high speed file transfer software solution (Aspera) was also tested.
Results:
Transferring files with the open source product provided transfer speeds of 2-3 Mbps, but suffered from intermittent dropped connections. Employing commercial software permitted more reliable transmission of digital files with 75-100 Mbps transfer speeds.
Conclusions:
Successful global telepathology requires dedicated image management. Transfer of files to local servers by employing high speed data transfer tools helped overcome network latency issues, improved the overall turn-around time of digital consultations, and enhanced the viewing experience for end-user digital consultants.
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