As multiplexed imaging continues to push the boundaries of discovery in pre-clinical research, research teams face an overwhelming challenge: managing, storing, and collaborating on ever-expanding datasets. Traditional methods of image storage and sharing, whether through local servers, network-attached storage (NAS), or cloud services like AWS, have proven to be inefficient, costly, or generally ill-suited for the demands of high-volume image analysis.
In our recent webinar, Scalable Image Management System in Spatial Biology, Pathcore’s CEO Dan Hosseinzadeh explored these technical challenges and then introduced PathcoreFlow 4.0, a next-generation cloud-based image management system designed to revolutionize how pathologists and research teams handle spatial biology files.
The industry challenge: Storage, cost, and performance trade-offs
Pathologists and research teams working with multiplexed immunofluorescence (mIF) and spatial biology imaging face a familiar set of frustrations involving image files. As you explore digital pathology solutions and image management systems (IMS), here are some of the challenges and decisions you may encounter.
Unmanageable file sizes
Imaging datasets regularly exceed 50-100GB per file, making storage, sharing, and analysis inefficient.
Multiple (imperfect) storage options
DIY storage solutions require time and effort, and/or preclude web-based collaboration:
Personal storage (USB, HDD, PC): Just not suitable for teams
Corporate network storage (NAS, SAN): Must deal with your IT department, limits remote access (VPN), and low performance (with respect to local disks)
Corporate file store (Dropbox, Box, Teams, SharePoint): Limited performance (slow), will have upload challenges, and not image centric (low value)
Cloud storage (AWS S3, Azure, etc.): Infrastructure management overhead, need IT and development resources
Rising cost of storage
While the raw cost of storage has decreased over time, the total cost—including infrastructure, maintenance, security, and cloud service overhead—remains significant. General-purpose cloud storage often charges a premium for high-performance access, creating long-term financial burdens.
Performance trade-offs in storage systems
According to the "CAP" (Brewster’s) Theorem, a data infrastructure maxim, storage systems must balance consistency, availability, and partition (fault) tolerance. It is generally accepted that achieving all three is impossible, leading to compromises. The New "CAP" Theorem, as popularized by Uber's engineering team, introduces an important requirement for most organizations today: cost.
Many traditional storage setups prioritize availability (meaning, the system is always online) but suffer from either high costs or reduced performance and efficiency in data retrieval and collaboration. You may also have experienced this with certain digital pathology specific solutions, where they haven't been able to deliver the system speeds necessary to actually make it an essential tool in your research.
Collaboration barriers
Traditional storage systems lack seamless collaboration tools, requiring cumbersome file transfers, VPN access, or software installations that hinder real-time data sharing. Consider whether your digital pathology solution:
Requires software downloads, user tokens, and upkeep rather than being browser-based (accessible from most devices and any location)
Makes it unnecessarily challenging for external pathologists to jump in as needed
Is built to suit a specific vendor's software stack, without:
Viewers to visualize all formats
Multiple, flexible image analysis options
APIs for automations and integrations
Bottom line: your image file storage platform is key and dictates your options for collaboration and software stack!
The PathcoreFlow advantage: engineered for scalability and performance
PathcoreFlow was designed from the ground up to solve these pain points. Unlike general-purpose cloud storage solutions that impose cost and performance trade-offs, PathcoreFlow’s Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) system uses intelligent auto-tiering to balance cost, availability, and speed. This ensures that frequently accessed data remains highly performant while archived data is stored cost-effectively—without the long retrieval delays common in cloud-based systems like AWS Glacier.
With PathcoreFlow 4.0, users benefit from:
Cost-efficient, high-performance storage: Up to 73% cheaper than standard cloud storage, with real-time accessibility.
Seamless, browser-based access: No software installation required—users can instantly view, analyze, and collaborate on images in a web-based environment.
Advanced multiplexed image viewing: A robust interface built for high-plex (35+ channels) datasets, enabling pathologists to compare multiple images side-by-side and adjust render settings with intuitive histogram tools.
Vendor-agnostic compatibility: Works with all major whole-slide imaging formats, allowing users to analyze images from multiple platforms without proprietary software lock-in.
Effortless collaboration and security: Secure, instant sharing via link-based access, complete with permission controls and ISO-certified data security measures.
See PathcoreFlow in action
PathcoreFlow’s potential is best experienced live, where researchers can see how truly powerful the system is. With virtually no system delays, users can manipulate and analyze multiplexed images without the constraints of traditional desktop software. Users can save and share images and image render settings, ensuring consistent image interpretation across studies—a crucial feature for peer collaboration and regulatory compliance.
Moving beyond the status quo
The future of digital pathology isn’t just about storage—it’s about making data truly accessible, shareable, and actionable. While other platforms look promising initially but fail in practice, PathcoreFlow is engineered to meet the actual technical demands of modern spatial biology workflows.
Pathologists and IT professionals looking to streamline their imaging workflows, reduce storage costs, and enhance collaboration should explore what PathcoreFlow has to offer. See how our platform can transform your research—book a demo today.