Healthcare · Custom Software · 2018
Custom histopathology laboratory system with bidirectional MIS integration
A purpose-built histopathology Laboratory Information System (LIS) for the hospital pathology department — designed and developed from scratch in C#. The system manages the full biopsy and autopsy workflow: receiving patient referrals from the main MIS, recording histological analysis results and microscopy images, printing signed protocols, and sending completed diagnoses back to the MIS. Statistical reporting covers nosology, diagnosis comparison, and mortality analytics.
- CustomBuilt from scratch
- 2-wayMIS integration
- WCFService architecture
- FullBiopsy & autopsy workflow
Context
The pathology department had no dedicated system — results were managed on paper
The hospital's main MIS handled patient registration and clinical records, but had no module for histopathology lab workflows. The pathology department managed biopsy and autopsy protocols on paper, with no digital record of histological results, microscopy images, or statistical outcomes. Results were manually transcribed back into the MIS — slow, error-prone, and creating a gap in the patient record.
Challenge
A full LIS from scratch, tightly coupled to an existing enterprise MIS
The system needed to integrate bidirectionally with the hospital MIS — receiving patient referrals automatically when the clinician ordered a histological test, and pushing completed protocols back without manual steps. The integration had to be reliable enough for medical use: communication errors logged, MIS availability monitored, and the histology system usable even when the MIS was temporarily unavailable. The UI had to support pathologists' workflows directly — protocol entry, image attachment, journal search, and print-ready output.
Solution
A WinForms LIS with WCF integration layer and full pathology workflow
We designed and built the full histopathology LIS in C# .NET, structured as a WinForms client application with a WCF service layer for MIS integration and an MS SQL Server database for all pathology data.
Bidirectional MIS integration
WCF service layer with two interfaces: an external proxy that receives patient referral claims from the hospital MIS, and an internal client that sends completed histological protocols back. All MIS communications optionally logged for audit. A separate availability tester utility monitors MIS connectivity.
Full pathology workflow
The WinForms client covers the complete pathologist workflow: receiving referrals from the MIS, recording analysis results and macroscopic/microscopic descriptions, attaching microscopy images, validating the protocol, and marking it as signed and complete. Separate flows for biopsy analysis and autopsy cases.
Protocol printing
DevExpress-powered print forms for all document types: histological analysis protocols (with and without microscopy images), autopsy reports, and patient claim forms. Print preview built into the application for review before signing.
Statistical reporting
DXReports module with a full set of pathology department reports: histological research report, nosology classification, diagnosis comparison (clinician vs histological), deceased patient registration, deaths in hospital, distribution by department and by age group, and monthly death statistics.
Engineering approach
How it was built
Integration design
Designed the WCF service contracts with the hospital MIS — defining the AddClaim (inbound) and AddProtocol (outbound) interfaces. Built the availability tester and communication logging from the start to ensure operational reliability.
Data model
Designed the MS SQL Server schema for all histology entities: claims, protocols, analysis results, images, autopsy records. Mapped bidirectional data exchange between the MIS entity model and the local histology schema.
Client application
Built the WinForms UI with DevExpress components following MVP pattern — presenters, views, and editable entity objects with rollback support. Implemented protocol journal, search panels, and image attachment workflow.
Reports & printing
Built the full DXReports suite — analysis protocols, autopsy forms, and all statistical reports. Implemented print preview with DevExpress report viewer and export capabilities.
Results
Measured impact
- 0Paper-based protocols
- 2-wayAutomatic MIS sync
- FullBiopsy & autopsy coverage
- 8Statistical report types
Technology
Stack & capabilities
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