The Cost of Accessibility: Considerations for Adopting Microscope Camera-Derived Images for Digital and Computational Pathology

The digital transformation of pathology has accelerated over the past decade1-5, driven by advances in whole-slide imaging (WSI) and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled solutions for biomarker assessment6-8. WSI represents the gold standard for digital pathology (DP), providing comprehensive tissue digitization with established and validated regulatory frameworks. However, capital costs and substantial infrastructures requirements currently limit broad global adoption9, with approximately 20% of pathology laboratories having access to whole-slide scanners, and as few as 5% of laboratories employing digital workflows for routine diagnostic reporting10,11.