Case Study: How Zhejiang University First Affiliated Hospital Built a Fully Digital Pathology Ecosystem | KFBIO

Background

Founded in 1947, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (FAHZU) is one of China’s top-ranked comprehensive hospitals, with more than 13,000 employees and an annual outpatient volume exceeding 3.5 million.
To promote its digital transformation and enhance diagnostic efficiency, FAHZU partnered with KFBIO to construct a large-scale, intelligent pathology digitization platform that integrates slide scanning, data management, AI-assisted diagnosis, and digital teaching.

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Project Overview

By February 2025, FAHZU had completed the digitization of over 4.3 million pathology slides, supported by a robust KFBIO digital pathology infrastructure. This milestone marks one of the largest and most comprehensive digital pathology deployments in China’s tertiary hospitals.

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Key Achievements

1. Full Digital Infrastructure Deployment

FAHZU deployed 40 units of KFBIO high-throughput digital slide scanners, including models customized for tissue microarrays and large-format glass slides.
A 6PB/year storage framework was established to support massive WSI data archiving and high-speed access, providing the foundation for a fully digital pathology workflow.

2. Big Data Management & OmniPT AI Training

A comprehensive pathology big data platform was developed to cover the full data lifecycle—slide monitoring, data acquisition, storage, and application.
This system enables standardized data production, annotation, and governance, supplying continuous data support for Zhejiang University’s OmniPT AI model training and optimization.

3. Digital Education & Research Integration

A centralized Digital Pathology Education Center was launched, integrating slide management with teaching resources.
It houses 10,000+ high-quality cancer cases and diverse pathology databases for online learning, training, and examinations—enhancing both teaching efficiency and research collaboration.

4. AI-Driven Quality Control and Smart Management

Leveraging KFBIO’s AI algorithms and data analytics, FAHZU implemented real-time QC for digital slides, achieving:

• 100% traceability of pathology data
• < 1s response time for data retrieval
• 65% improvement in digital resource utilization efficiency

The platform now supports precise diagnosis, intelligent teaching, and collaborative clinical decision-making.

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Outcome

Through its collaboration with KFBIO, FAHZU has built a fully digital, intelligent, and scalable pathology ecosystem that connects clinical diagnosis, AI research, and education.
The project showcases how KFBIO’s integrated digital pathology solutions empower leading hospitals to advance precision medicine and AI-assisted healthcare.

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Keywords

Digital Pathology · Whole-Slide Imaging · Big Data Platform · AI Model Training · Education Integration · Smart Hospital