Digital, AI-supported full-field blood count diagnostics at the Center for Laboratory Medicine (ZLM)

The implementation at the ZLM by Joyce Richardson Etokwu and the team of the hematology department (headed by Dr. Lukas Graf) has transformed classic blood count diagnostics using smears. The relevance of blood count diagnostics at the ZLM St.Gallen lies in the ability to identify and monitor a wide range of benign and malignant blood count changes. It helps to diagnose infections, inflammations, anemias, leukemias and other blood diseases and to monitor their progression. It can also provide indications of allergic reactions, autoimmune diseases and certain drug effects. As the differential blood count can quickly and cost-effectively reveal changes in the course of a disease or during treatment and detect possible complications at an early stage, the automated and AI-supported differential blood count in St.Gallen is rapidly becoming an indispensable part of laboratory diagnostics and contributes to the comprehensive assessment of a patient's state of health.

Manual blood count differentiation is generally labor-intensive and time-consuming. At the ZLM St.Gallen, there was also a relevant variability between the results of the optical assessment by the various biomedical analysts as well as difficulties in accessing expert consultations outside of regular working hours. The need for highly qualified laboratory staff and the increasing complexity of traceability were also issues that needed to be addressed. These challenges were successfully overcome by installing AI-supported full-field blood count diagnostic devices at various ZLM sites. In particular, our St.Gallen and Grabs sites have fully integrated the devices into routine operations just 2 months after final installation (since spring 2023), including integration into ZLM's own laboratory information system (LIS).

The advantages of the AI-supported full-field blood count diagnostic devices (Scopio Labs) are impressive. The full-field view enables a comprehensive and conclusive examination of the digital blood images, usually without the need for subsequent re-assessment using a light microscope. Remote access enables the hematologist on duty to work in real time from any location. This speeds up diagnosis and treatment, which ultimately improves the quality of patient care. Another major advantage is the standardization and consistency of the assessment of the differential blood count at all ZLM sites. Last but not least, a reduction in turnaround time (TAT) and improved utilization of human resources has also been achieved.

Conclusion:

With the support of highly qualified and dedicated employees, the ZLM management (chaired by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Korte) has once again taken on a pioneering role throughout Europe, here in the implementation of digital AI-supported full-field blood count diagnostics. This transformative change underlines ZLM St.Gallen's commitment to advanced medical diagnostics and the use of new technologies to improve patient care.

Contribution Center for Laboratory Medicine