In cancer diagnostics, the decision as to whether a cancer is benign or malignant lies in the hands of the pathology department, where the tissue is examined manually using a microscope. However, increasing numbers of cases and a lack of specialist staff are leading to a fatal bottleneck, which the Dresden-based start-up Katana Labs wants to solve with its PAIKON platform: a digital microscope that uses artificial intelligence to analyze millions of tumor cells in a tissue sample in just a few moments. The innovation was awarded the Life Sciences Cluster Prize of the 20th IQ Innovation Award Central Germany at the award ceremony in Merseburg Cathedral on Thursday evening.
“This innovation is a perfect example of how artificial intelligence can help us tackle the major challenges of our time. Staff shortages are not only a problem in the healthcare system, but here they can have dramatic consequences. The Katana Labs platform can process much more information than a human being, relieving the pressure on tight pathology workflows and providing a much broader basis for decision-making in seconds. The founding team is convincing in its claim to revolutionize the diagnosis of the number one widespread disease and also to open up completely new possibilities in research,” said Jörn-Heinrich Tobaben, Managing Director of Metropolregion Mitteldeutschland Management GmbH, explaining the jury’s decision. Endowed with 7,500 euros, the cluster prize was donated by IDT Biologika GmbH.
Official Press Release (in German)
Article on 20th IQ Innovation Award (in German)