Danjier Pioneers Whole-Slide Digital Pathology Solutions, Leading China into the Golden Age of Digital Pathology Adoption
“Compared with developed countries abroad, pathological reports in China consist of only a single page, featuring 2–4 images and brief textual descriptions. In contrast, pathological reports in developed nations comprise multiple pages, containing extensive data, quantitative indicators, and detailed descriptions.”
Why Are There Such Discrepancies Between Pathology Reports in China and Abroad? Fan Yujun, Founder of Danjier, Told VCBeat: “This Is Due to the Significant Shortage of Pathologists in China.” Data Show That There Are Currently Fewer Than 20,000 Licensed Pathologists in China. Based on the National Health Commission’s Requirement of One to Two Pathologists per 100 Hospital Beds, the Shortfall Exceeds 90,000 Pathologists. Uneven Distribution of Pathology Resources, Lengthy Diagnosis Times, Low Efficiency, and Overwork Are Among the Major Pain Points Facing the Pathology Diagnosis Industry.
Digital pathology serves as a breakthrough solution to address numerous pain points in pathological diagnosis. By applying computer software and network technologies to the field of pathology, digital pathology leverages techniques such as computer-controlled mechanical movement, optical imaging, and software analysis to rapidly generate high-resolution, high-definition, panoramic holographic composite digital images (Whole Slide Images, WSI) from tissue specimens. Specialized software is then used to automatically perform high-precision, multi-field, seamless stitching and processing of these images, yielding high-quality visual data. This significantly enhances the efficiency of pathological diagnosis, saving physicians’ time. The time saved can be redirected toward in-depth diagnosis of complex cases, thereby reducing the rate of misdiagnosis.
Danjier is a leading brand in China’s digital pathology industry, dedicated to providing comprehensive all-digital pathology solutions for domestic healthcare institutions. These solutions encompass fully digital diagnostic workflows for pathology departments, AI-based quantitative analysis, end-to-end process management, routine specimen processing, teaching platforms, and Tencent Cloud storage. The company has successfully introduced globally renowned brands in the digital pathology field, including Hungary’s 3DHISTECH, a pioneer in digital pathology; Denmark’s Visiopharm, a prominent provider of digital pathology image analysis software; and Italy’s Diapath, known for its high-quality routine pathology products. To date, Danjier has delivered professional sales and technical services to more than 2,000 users across China.
In 1999, Fan Yujun founded Danjier, which primarily focused on health industry products and services. In 2004, Danjier recognized the market opportunities in the digital pathology sector, believing that digitization would be the main direction for pathology departments in the future. Consequently, it developed a digital medical image analysis system, which was successfully deployed in the pathology departments of over a thousand hospitals across China. The system provided point-to-point technical support for remote consultations. Despite limitations in development technology and broadband transmission speeds at the time, this point-to-point remote consultation model resolved many complex diagnostic challenges for basic-level pathology departments, marking the advent of the first generation of digital pathology in China.
By 2009, digital pathology technologies and products based on whole-slide imaging principles had already emerged abroad, prompting Jinan Danjier Electronics Co., Ltd. to seek their immediate introduction into China. “We first identified 3DHISTECH, headquartered in Hungary, through an online search. Following a technical comparison, Fan Yujun found that 3DHISTECH’s product portfolio was more diverse and competitive.”
3DHISTECH was founded in 1996 by Professor Dr. Bela Molnár and is the world’s first original manufacturer of digital pathology scanners. As a senior pathologist himself, Professor Molnár has opened up a digital realm of infinite possibilities for pathologists and researchers worldwide, earning him the title of “Father of Digital Pathology.”
In the decade following the successful development of the world’s first Marix machine in 1999, 3DHISTECH launched more than ten models of digital slide scanners in its Pannoramic series, with slide-loading capacities ranging from 1 to 1,200 slides, as well as two fully automated tissue microarray (TMA) systems. The company also developed numerous analysis software packages and applications, secured over one hundred patents in the United States and the European Union, and was honored with the Hungarian National Innovation Award.
Fan Yujun remarked, “The diversity of 3DHISTECH’s products, along with the breadth and sophistication of its software and hardware applications, are unparalleled worldwide. This was a key reason why Danjier chose to introduce 3DHISTECH.” Looking back a decade later, this decision proved to be the most significant business choice Fan Yujun ever made.
However, Fan Yujun also admitted, “The journey after introducing 3DHISTECH was not smooth sailing. The period from 2009 to 2012 was a challenging time for Jinan Danjier Electronics Co., Ltd. in promoting its digital pathology systems. On one hand, the domestic industry had little awareness of digital pathology at that time; on the other hand, the market required long-term cultivation. We were uncertain whether the distribution agreement with 3DHISTECH could be renewed upon expiration, and the partnership might be terminated at any time. Therefore, we adopted a conservative approach to investment.”
The turning point came in 2013. That year, Fan Yujun and three colleagues traveled to Hungary to attend the 3DHISTECH Global Partners Conference. “At the conference, we met with more than 40 companies from around the world and engaged in in-depth exchanges with our partners in Taiwan, China, and other parts of Asia. This collaboration broadened our horizons. Digital pathology provides pathologists with an entirely new approach to slide interpretation and is undoubtedly the future trend. It strengthened our confidence in vigorously expanding and investing in the Chinese market, and reinforced our resolve and determination to deepen our partnership with 3DHISTECH.”
In 2013, Jinan Danjier Electronics Co., Ltd. began to promote the 3DHISTECH digital pathology system with the full strength of the company. "We spared no expense and invested a large amount of financial resources, manpower, and other resources. At that time, we thought that even if the cooperation lasted only two years and the agency rights were taken back in the third year, we would have no regrets. At least we did not fail the mission entrusted to us by the times."
Fan Yujun stated, “In retrospect, the decision made at that time was entirely correct.” Currently, 3DHISTECH has become the leading brand in Europe, with over 3,500 digital slide scanning systems installed worldwide, serving users in 165 countries and regions. Driven by Jinan Danjier Electronics Co., Ltd., 3DHISTECH’s market share in China has continued to rise, establishing it as one of the dominant brands in digital pathology in the country. It has opened a door to digitalization for Chinese pathologists and researchers, significantly accelerating the rapid development of the domestic digital pathology sector.
In 2019, Danjier Won the 3DHISTECH Global Top Performance Award
Danjier’s collaboration with 3DHISTECH has continued to deepen. In 2020, Danjier and 3DHISTECH established a joint venture in China—Shandong Siruidi Medical Technology Co., Ltd.—to localize production and provide more cost-effective market options for primary-care hospitals.
Furthermore, in April 2021, 3DHISTECH obtained the import product registration certificate for its pathological slide scanner from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). This marks the world’s first digital pathology product with fluorescence scanning capabilities approved by a national-level regulatory authority (NMPA). It enables integrated brightfield and fluorescence scanning, addressing the digital scanning and review needs for all slide types in pathology departments, thereby demonstrating significant application potential and practical value. Moving forward, Jinan Danjier Electronics Co., Ltd. will continue to deepen its collaborative layout with 3DHISTECH in China.
According to Fan Yujun, fully digital pathology diagnosis has undergone three stages of development. The first stage is partial digitization; the second involves comprehensive digital slide review across all pathology subspecialties, achieving routine digital diagnosis through end-to-end digitization; and the final stage entails fully digital diagnosis, gradually replacing microscopes and enabling intelligent pathological diagnosis.
Currently, China has the necessary conditions and timing to develop full digital diagnosis in pathology. Standardization is a crucial step toward achieving fully digital pathology. “Without standardization, the efficiency of quality control processes will be reduced. Only by standardizing the entire workflow—from tissue sampling, sectioning, staining, and mounting to slide reading and report issuance—can the value of digital pathology be fully realized.”
Consequently, in 2018, Danjier introduced DIAPATH from Italy. Headquartered in Milan, DIAPATH is a leading company specializing in the production of equipment and reagents for histopathology and cytology. It focuses on achieving automation, standardization, and precision throughout the entire pathological diagnosis workflow—including tissue processing, embedding, sectioning, staining, and mounting—thereby facilitating quality control management. The company has launched a range of products, including tissue dehydrators and automated stainers.
Fan Yujun, Founder of Danjier
Particularly in the mounting process, DIAPATH has spent over seven years revolutionizing traditional mounting methods by developing a liquid mounting technology (Liquid Coverslipper, LC). This technique involves briefly immersing stained sections to form a smooth, uniform thin layer on the slide surface. It achieves light transmittance comparable to that of glass coverslips and tape-mounted slides, while offering numerous advantages such as low cost, no need for specialized instruments or additional maintenance, time savings, and prevention of coverslip lifting and tissue fading during long-term storage.
“DIAPATH’s standardized end-to-end solution for pathological diagnosis is a key component of our comprehensive digital pathology product portfolio. With the introduction of DIAPATH, complementing 3DHISTECH’s diverse range of digital pathology scanners, Jinan Danjier Electronics Co., Ltd. has truly established a comprehensive digital pathology solution.”
Fan Yujun stated that implementing the concept of comprehensive digital pathology, normalizing digital slide reading, promoting cloud storage and intelligent pathology, and gradually replacing microscopes to achieve a transformation in pathology is a lengthy process. Particularly in the broader county-level market, high costs have become an obstacle to the deployment of comprehensive digital pathology solutions.
To accelerate its coverage of the county-level market and align China’s digital pathology sector with global standards, Danjier began focusing on domestic brands and introduced Zhiying Medical’s products in 2020.
Winmedic is an original Chinese brand in digital pathology, developing a range of digital pathology scanners along with corresponding teleconsultation platforms and information management software. Winmedic’s whole slide imaging systems offer excellent scanning quality, user-friendly operation, robust durability, and a cost-performance ratio superior to that of imported products. “Depending on throughput capacity, Winmedic’s digital pathology scanners are available in four models—Win180, Win60, Win20, and Science—to meet the varying workload demands of hospitals. With a continued focus on county-level hospitals as its primary market, Winmedic is poised to stand out in this segment by leveraging its strong cost-performance advantage.”
In addition, in June 2021, Jinan Danjier Electronics Co., Ltd. newly introduced the full suite of Visiopharm’s AI-powered digital pathology quantitative analysis software, a Danish brand under Microvision Smart. Its software platform features the Author module, which leverages deep learning-based artificial intelligence to train and create personalized analysis APP modules, enabling users to independently develop customized functional modules. Meanwhile, it includes over 120 ready-to-use, AI-pretrained APP modules. Categorized by disease type, these encompass more than 150 analytical modules, capable of meeting the personalized analysis needs across various fields in biology and medicine.
Notably, Visiopharm focuses on the high-end scientific research market, with 19 of the global Top 20 pharmaceutical companies being its deep-strategic partners.
By leveraging 3DHISTECH’s digital pathology slide scanners, Visiopharm’s comprehensive suite of AI-powered quantitative digital pathology analysis software, and Zhiying Medical’s domestically produced digital pathology scanners, Danjier has not only established a comprehensive digital pathology solution covering all subspecialties, but also achieved full market coverage across high-end research institutions, large and medium-sized hospitals and laboratory outsourcing service providers, as well as county-level hospitals.
As of 2020, Jinan Danjier Electronics Co., Ltd.’s customers spanned 27 provinces and municipalities across China, with cumulative sales and services provided to more than 2,000 medical and research institutions. Among these, over 600 units (sets) of its digital pathology systems were installed in China. Since 2016, 3DHISTECH has maintained a leading position in the imported subcategory for five consecutive years, ranking first in market share.
"Digitalization Makes Pathology More Vibrant!"—This has been the mission of the Danjier team for many years. On June 26, 2021, at Danjier’s National Key Partners Conference, Fan Yujun called on industry entrepreneurs to jointly promote the digitalization of comprehensive pathology services, advance the concept of fully digital diagnostics, lead the development of smart digital pathology, foster a new ecosystem for the pathology industry, revitalize the pathology profession, and benefit public welfare. The time has come for the transition from traditional to modern pathology. Over the next decade, Danjier is committed to driving the digital transformation and upgrading of the pathology sector.