The digital pathology market is expected to grow from US$ 952.62 million in 2022 to US$ 1,892.40 million by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.1% from 2022 to 2028.

The technological advancements in digital pathology systems, growing preference for telepathology in remote areas, and the use of digital pathology for cancer diagnosis are the major factors boosting the market.

The dearth of pathology experts and shortage of infrastructure required to run a pathology lab without any interruption are the major issues faced in remote areas. With a digitized workflow, a pathologist can receive the slides of a patient in minutes instead of weeks; frozen section samples can be read and controlled remotely in real time, thereby cutting travel time for the pathologist. In October 2019, Motic China Group Co, Ltd launched its new digital scanning solution named FS-Live for regular use in hospitals. It is an image streaming system with a real-time control software suite that instantly connects pathologists to a MoticEasyScan Pro or a networked MoticEasyScan One for remote diagnosis. It brings an operating room and a lab to the pathologist, enhancing caseload efficiency by eliminating travel hours and onsite time for experts, and enabling large hospitals to consult with specialists present anywhere at any time.

People living in remote regions need to travel to urban areas for disease diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up, which is a primary concern that develops reluctance among them. Digital pathology helps bridge the gap between patients and diagnosing centers, as it provides the people staying in remote areas with effective access to healthcare organizations; it also helps save time and money for patients. The setup required for digital pathology can be easily adopted in rural labs and hospitals. Further, telepathology, which is described as a remote telecommunications consultation, primarily, for the diagnosis or treatment, helps bridge the gap between two or more geographically distant healthcare providers by eliminating geographic and functional barriers. Several hospitals, primary care providers, private clinics, and other medical institutions offer telepathology services, which benefit them through cost reduction and patient satisfaction. Thus, the growing acceptance of telepathology is fueling the digital pathology market growth.

Product Insights

Based on product, the digital pathology market is segmented into scanner, software, storage, and communication system. The scanner segment is further bifurcated into integrated and standalone. The scanner segment held the largest market share in 2022. However, the software segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Digital pathology software solutions are used for image analysis and data restoring. Companies such as Visiopharm and Indica Labs provide software and solutions for digital pathology.

Type Insights

Based on type, the digital pathology market is bifurcated into human pathology and veterinary pathology. The human pathology segment is likely to hold a larger market share in 2022. Furthermore, the same segment is expected to record a faster CAGR during 2022-2028. The market for the human pathology segment is driven by the increasing number of cancer research projects and a rising number of collaborations among research institutes, universities, and pathology laboratories.

Application Insights

Based on application, the digital pathology market is segmented into disease diagnosis, drug discovery, teleconsultation, and training & education. The drug discovery segment is likely to hold the largest market share in 2022. Furthermore, the same segment is expected to record the highest CAGR during 2022-2028. The central benefit of digital pathology in pharmaceutical research is the ability to apply image analysis algorithms to reduce time and efforts required for subject interpretations. This is critically important to automate dull tasks such as counting cells of interest or estimating protein expression in immunohistochemical assays.

End User Insights

Based on end user, the digital pathology market is segmented into pharma & biotech companies, hospitals, and academics. In 2022, the pharma & biotech companies segment is likely to hold the largest share of the market. Furthermore, the same segment is expected to register the highest CAGR from 2022 to 2028. The increasing use of digital pathology in drug discovery studies and drug toxicology testing is the major factor driving the market for the pharma & biotech companies segment. Biotechnology companies also use digital pathology in biobanking, biopharmaceutical studies, molecular assays, and individualized medicine development.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), American Cancer Society (ACS), Association of Clinical Pathologists, Global Cancer Observatory, and American Cancer Society (ACS) are among the primary and secondary sources referred to while preparing the report on the digital pathology market.