Digital Pathology Patent Affirmed

Hamamatsu Photonics KK was awarded Reissue Patent No. 42,220, confirming the patentability of its original patent No. 6,847,729 for slide scanning with remote viewing. Affirmed by the US Patent and Trademark Office, the patent is for the essential mechanism whereby a microscope slide is scanned and then digitized for remote viewing. It covers the basic operation of the company’s line of NanoZoomer digital pathology instruments. The NanoZoomer instruments have been widely accepted in the digital pathology market, and the strong patent position should encourage software manufacturers to develop programs to support the technology platform. Based in Hamamatsu City, Japan, the company manufactures devices for the generation and measurement of infrared, visible and ultraviolet light.