Digital pathology in the AI era starts with the scanner...Vieworks’ vision

Securing high-quality images is crucial before conducting AI analysis…the importance of hardware is rising

Embedding AI into three-camera focusing technolog…automation of the scanning process

Has increased interoperability · responding to requests by proprietary development…aims at global market entry

As competition in digital pathology rapidly shifts toward artificial intelligence (AI) analysis software, slide scanners that integrate such software are becoming increasingly important.

​This is because pathology AI must first convert glass slides into digital images of precise, consistent quality.

The company Vieworks is focusing on slide scanners, the first step in digital pathology. The company is advancing its scanning technology based on proprietary developments while seeking differentiation by embedding AI directly into hardware.  

​Digital pathology begins with capturing glass slides containing tissue specimens using a scanner to generate digital data in the form of Whole Slide Images (WSI). The resulting images are then analyzed by AI or integrated with hospital information systems for diagnostic interpretation, archiving, and sharing.  

​Academia also considers the slide scanner as the starting point of digital pathology, as downstream diagnosis and AI utilization depend on a scanner's image quality, optical performance, throughput speed, and data format. Ultimately, digital pathology succeeds only when scanners, image analysis software, and storage systems are integrated well.

​A Vieworks official said, "The first step of digital pathology requires

image acquisition, thus making the scanner the most fundamental piece of equipment," adding, "Once the scanner acquires images, they are either analyzed by AI or linked to hospital networks, resulting in an integrated digital pathology system."

​In hospitals, because scanners from multiple manufacturers are used, aligning imaging and data across different devices has become a key operational challenge.

​A digital pathology platform industry insider interviewed at KHF 2026 explained that while scanners from different manufacturers offer distinct strengths, utilizing outputs across diverse devices remains difficult without an integrated platform. Concerns have risen that scanning bottlenecks during high-volume slide processing could adversely affect the entire downstream pathology workflow.

​Ultimately, in digital pathology, hardware that consistently generates stable images and connectivity that unifies operations into a cohesive workflow are just as vital as software.

​Using three-camera to focus...Embedding AI directly into scanners

​Vieworks' core technology for the VISQUE DPS focuses on image acquisition.

​Vieworks VISQUE DPS lineup  

​VISQUE DPS applies proprietary 'Realtime Extended Focus (Realtime EF) technology,' which simultaneously captures different focal planes using three cameras and fuses the images in real time. This technology is designed to minimize image loss that can occur when tracking a single focal plane and to secure optimal focus even across tissue sections with uneven surfaces or varying thicknesses.  

The company has filed and registered approximately 20 patents related to this technology across South Korea, the United States, Europe, and Japan.

​Recently, Vieworks has also integrated AI directly into the scanning process. Its proprietary Scan Area Setting AI distinguishes tissue areas on slides from non-tissue artifacts such as pen markings, dust particles, and air bubbles.

​The objective is to stabilize the baseline quality of images fed into AI analysis by mitigating issues such as focusing on irrelevant areas or the need for rescans.

​The company is also developing predictive maintenance AI to detect anomalies during robotic-arm slide transfer. This technology aims to minimize scanning interruptions and increase automation in digital pathology environments processing large slide volumes over extended hours.

Beyond domestic development to system interoperability...Differentiating from global companies

Vieworks highlights ​that its domestic scanner's competitive edge is not merely price.

​Multinational companies already occupy the global digital pathology market with long-standing scanner development histories. Accordingly, rather than claiming superior technology over legacy incumbents, Vieworks emphasizes proprietary technology and rapid response times enabled by its in-house development and manufacturing framework as its core differentiators.  

​In particular, the company believes that as AI and image management platforms proliferate rapidly, scanner manufacturers' ability to quickly accommodate the specific image and data parameters required by each software solution will become increasingly critical.

​A Vieworks official said, "Domestically developed means not only local manufacturing, but also the ability to respond quickly to technology integration, technical support, and market shifts," adding, "A key strength is the ability to quickly incorporate customer requirements and the specific data formats needed for collaboration with AI and platform companies directly into product development."

​Such interoperability is expected to be a key competitive factor in the future expansion of digital pathology. Indeed, industry experts say that achieving digital transformation across the entire pathology workflow, rather than digitizing select individual assays, is necessary to maximize synergies among scanners, AI algorithms, and diagnostic solutions.

Yujung Kang Kang, Head of the Bio Business Group at Vieworks, is presenting at the event.

​VISQUE DPS is currently deployed in international markets, including the United States and Turkey, with efforts underway to expand European distribution through local partner networks. Moving forward, Vieworks plans to broaden its product lineup to include compact fluorescence scanners and multichannel fluorescence systems targeting research sectors such as spatial biology.  

​Based on these initiatives, Vieworks has set a target of capturing 8% or more of the global digital pathology market share within five years. The key challenge is not merely increasing sales of a single domestically produced scanner, but securing the image quality, standardization, and interoperability that AI and software platforms demand.

​Yujung Kang, Head of the Bio Business Group at Vieworks, said, "As the clinical application of AI expands in pathology diagnostics, scanners play roles beyond simple image acquisition to generate precise, standardized datasets that AI algorithms can reliably interpret," and added, "Vieworks aims to establish new benchmarks for precision imaging in the global digital pathology market through its core proprietary technologies for slide scanner development and commercialization."