Cor-LAB: precise digital pathology for modern medicine

For over 16 years, I have been implementing innovative equipment in Ukrainian medicine. During this time, I have realized that medicine today needs not only modern equipment but also comprehensive solutions that will make processes faster, more accurate, and more convenient for doctors. The Cor-LAB hardware and software complex is such a solution. What it is, why I initiated its implementation, and what problems we plan to solve with the help of Cor-LAB — I tell in the blog.

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Cor-LAB is a hardware-software complex created by the COR-Medical team to implement the concept of digital pathology in Ukraine. It consists of specialized equipment and software that allows you to label, identify, recognize materials for pathological morphology, as well as use the data for subsequent diagnostics and transfer to a “second opinion”. Our team is working on the development, and the system is currently being tested in two pathomorphological laboratories in Kyiv.

What problems does Cor-LAB solve?

One of the most significant problems in modern medicine is access to medical data. Often, a doctor cannot obtain a complete patient history quickly, even if the patient has previously been examined or treated in the same hospital. Cor-LAB creates a single database that combines all the necessary examinations, from pathology to blood tests, X-rays, and cardiograms.

Key Benefits of Cor-LAB

For Medical Professionals:

• Acceleration of laboratory processes by 70–80%. Automated labeling of materials by QR codes from the moment of referral creation allows doctors to scan samples and obtain the necessary information quickly.
• Saving doctors’ time. Thanks to digital data entry, doctors spend less time on routine paperwork.
• Fast remote data transfer capabilities. Cor-LAB allows you to instantly transfer digital images of slides for a “second opinion” from colleagues, even from other regions or countries.

For patients:

• Minimization of errors due to the human factor when entering data and processing results, thanks to digitalizing all data.
• Reduction of patient waiting time for results. Cor-LAB makes it possible to receive accurate diagnostic results much faster, which is especially important in complex cases when a consultation or “second opinion” is required.

Who will be a user of Cor-LAB?

The main users of Cor-LAB will be doctors, especially those who consult patients and provide second opinions. The accuracy of the diagnosis depends not only on the doctor’s professionalism but also on the availability and quality of medical data. Cor-LAB provides clear labeling, scanning, and storage of information, ensuring that the data belongs to this particular patient, significantly increasing diagnostics’ efficiency.

Middle medical staff also play an essential role in the implementation of the system because the automation of processes simplifies their work. However, the most tangible effect of Cor-LAB will be on the work of doctors.

How much time is required for training?

Learning to work with Cor-LAB is very easy. A doctor or laboratory technician can master the system in just one hour. It only converts familiar processes into a digital format: instead of paper records — electronic ones, instead of inscriptions on glass — laser printing.

Is it possible to integrate Cor-LAB with existing systems?

Cor-LAB is a multi-platform solution that can transfer data to and from any information system. At the same time, we understand that most medical information systems in Ukraine are outdated and require modernization for such integration.

Thanks to its flexible architecture, Cor-LAB can transfer data to patients, hospitals, and other doctors, creating a single information space for effective interaction of medical professionals.

Are there any analogs of Cor-LAB?

There are cloud solutions for pathological anatomy in the world, but there are no local platforms that work autonomously inside hospitals yet. Many medical institutions simply do not have the opportunity to use cloud services due to a lack of Internet access, regulatory restrictions, or power outages.

Imagine a laboratory as a house with “switches” and “sockets” — equipment and processes. As a “smart home, “Cor-LAB centrally controls everything, from labeling to data transmission. It makes processes coherent and efficient, turning the laboratory into a “smart” system ready for modern medical challenges.

How is patient data protected?

My team and I have implemented a fundamental architectural feature: as developers, we do not know names, surnames, addresses, emails, or phone numbers. This information is simply unknown to us. All we see is the patient’s ID, birth year, and gender.

The system is designed to eliminate any possibility of data leakage. Only a doctor, having entered his personal password — which, by the way, is also unknown to us — can access the patient’s personal data.

We have done everything possible to prevent ourselves from having access to this information. Why? Because the best way to protect yourself from theft is not to have anything that can be stolen.

How to implement Cor-LAB in a laboratory?

Currently, there is an opportunity to install the system in test mode. To achieve this, the laboratory must become digital: this means a complete transition from paper processes to digital ones — just as we already make payments from our phones, each process in the laboratory must be digitized and recorded in the software. Digitizing laboratories is one of the main stages of implementing the Cor-LAB hardware and software complex, without which digitizing pathology and scanning preparations will remain inaccessible. By the way, if my blog is read by managers or owners of laboratories, then we are open to cooperation and are ready to help implement modern technologies in your work. If you want to test Cor-LAB in your laboratory, leave a request in the form.

From the editors: as we reported earlier, Cor-Medical specialists are currently testing the innovative Cor-LAB software and hardware complex in two leading pathomorphological laboratories in Kyiv.