Hematoscope Lab

Research

In hematology, there is an acute unmet need for automated machine vision to speed up routine diagnostics due to persistant shortage of trained laboratory physicians and increasing number of analyzed samples per year. Our recent results suggest that peripheral blood and bone marrow samples have an unexplored potential in disease subclassification, with direct possibilities of translation to patient prognostication (Brück et al, 2021).

The automated slide scanner
The automated slide scanner


We have set up a digital slide scanner in the Helsinki University Hospital laboratory (HUSLAB). By 2024, we have already digitized 150 000 standard cytomorphological samples making it the world’s largest hematocytological digital image archive. The second aim of the project is to develop image analysis algorithms to decode cell morphologies present in the hematocytological samples. Our software will replicate cytopathological examination of bone marrow and blood samples by detecting and classifying cells into 17 different types, inform of signs of dysplasia, and notify on the sample’s general composition. In addition, the software can identify novel biomarkers of treatment.

Computer-assisted diagnostics will reduce time required for slide examination, provide deeper information on risk and treatment stratification, and help us to better understand the biology of various disease phenotypes. The extensive image archive will serve both in terms of quality control of bone marrow products, standardize the training of specializing physicians, and improve future collaboration with hospitals, research groups, and companies. In summary, we will build a globally unique image dataset of hematological patients with the ultimate aim to develop and integrate severely needed algorithms into clinical practice.

Selected publications

2024

Jun Ma, Ronald Xie, Shamini Ayyadhury, Cheng Ge, Anubha Gupta, Ritu Gupta, Song Gu, Yao Zhang, Gihun Lee, Joonkee Kim, Wei Lou, Haofeng Li, Eric Upschulte, Timo Dickscheid, José Guilherme de Almeida, Yixin Wang, Lin Han, Xin Yang, Marco Labagnara, Vojislav Gligorovski, Maxime Scheder, Sahand Jamal Rahi, Carly Kempster, Alice Pollitt, Leon Espinosa, Tâm Mignot, Jan Moritz Middeke, Jan-Niklas Eckardt, Wangkai Li, Zhaoyang Li, Xiaochen Cai, Bizhe Bai, Noah F. Greenwald, David Van Valen, Erin Weisbart, Beth A. Cimini, Trevor Cheung, Oscar Brück, Gary D. Bader, Bo Wang
Nature Methods  ·  26 Mar 2024

2023

Johanna Vikkula, Kristiina Uusi-Rauva, Tuuli Ranki, Iiro Toppila, Maria Aalto-Setälä, Katariina Pousar, Lotta Vassilev, Kimmo Porkka, Raija Silvennoinen, Oscar Brück
Future Oncology  ·  01 Sep 2023

2022

Weikaixin Kong, Liye He, Jie Zhu, Oscar Brück, Kimmo Porkka, Caroline A. Heckman, Sujie Zhu, Tero Aittokallio
Leukemia  ·  09 Aug 2022
Shady Adnan Awad, Oscar Brück, Naranie Shanmuganathan, Timo Jarvinen, Hanna Lähteenmäki, Jay Klievink, Hazem Ibrahim, Soili Kytölä, Perttu Koskenvesa, Timothy P. Hughes, Susan Branford, Matti Kankainen, Satu Mustjoki
Blood Cancer Journal  ·  20 Apr 2022

2021

Matias Autio, Suvi-Katri Leivonen, Oscar Brück, Marja-Liisa Karjalainen-Lindsberg, Teijo Pellinen, Sirpa Leppä
Clinical Cancer Research  ·  14 Dec 2021
Disha Malani, Ashwini Kumar, Oscar Bruck, Mika Kontro, Bhagwan Yadav, Monica Hellesoy, Heikki Kuusanmaki, Olli Dufva, Matti Kankainen, Samuli Eldfors, Swapnil Potdar, Jani Saarela, Laura Turunen, Alun Parsons, Imre Vastrik, Katja Kivinen, Janna Saarela, Riikka Raty, Minna Lehto, Maija Wolf, Bjorn Tore Gjertsen, Satu Mustjoki, Tero Aittokallio, Krister Wennerberg, Caroline A Heckman, Olli Kallioniemi, Kimmo Porkka
Cancer Discovery  ·  17 Nov 2021
Oscar Brück, Moon Hee Lee, Riku Turkki, Ilona Uski, Patrick Penttilä, Lassi Paavolainen, Panu Kovanen, Petrus Järvinen, Petri Bono, Teijo Pellinen, Satu Mustjoki, Anna Kreutzman
Modern Pathology  ·  02 Jul 2021
Oscar E. Brück, Susanna E. Lallukka-Brück, Helena R. Hohtari, Aleksandr Ianevski, Freja T. Ebeling, Panu E. Kovanen, Soili I. Kytölä, Tero A. Aittokallio, Pedro M. Ramos, Kimmo V. Porkka, Satu M. Mustjoki
Blood Cancer Discovery  ·  01 May 2021

2020

Olli Dufva, Petri Pölönen, Oscar Brück, Mikko A.I. Keränen, Jay Klievink, Juha Mehtonen, Jani Huuhtanen, Ashwini Kumar, Disha Malani, Sanna Siitonen, Matti Kankainen, Bishwa Ghimire, Jenni Lahtela, Pirkko Mattila, Markus Vähä-Koskela, Krister Wennerberg, Kirsi Granberg, Suvi-Katri Leivonen, Leo Meriranta, Caroline Heckman, Sirpa Leppä, Matti Nykter, Olli Lohi, Merja Heinäniemi, Satu Mustjoki
Cancer Cell  ·  01 Sep 2020
Oscar Brück, Olli Dufva, Helena Hohtari, Sami Blom, Riku Turkki, Mette Ilander, Panu Kovanen, Celine Pallaud, Pedro Marques Ramos, Hanna Lähteenmäki, Katja Välimäki, Mohamed El Missiry, Antonio Ribeiro, Olli Kallioniemi, Kimmo Porkka, Teijo Pellinen, Satu Mustjoki
Blood Advances  ·  28 Jan 2020

2019

Helena Hohtari, Oscar Brück, Sami Blom, Riku Turkki, Marjatta Sinisalo, Panu E. Kovanen, Olli Kallioniemi, Teijo Pellinen, Kimmo Porkka, Satu Mustjoki
Leukemia  ·  11 Jan 2019

2018

Oscar Brück, Sami Blom, Olli Dufva, Riku Turkki, Himanshu Chheda, Antonio Ribeiro, Panu Kovanen, Tero Aittokallio, Perttu Koskenvesa, Olli Kallioniemi, Kimmo Porkka, Teijo Pellinen, Satu Mustjoki
Leukemia  ·  20 Jun 2018