---
title: 'Episode 215: Dr Michael Topf And Dr Alexander Perez - Reimagining Pathology Specimen Documentation With 3D Scanning'
type: 'episode'
url: 'https://doc.social/episodes/episode-215-dr-michael-topf-and-dr-alexander-perez-reimagining-pathology-specimen-documentation-with-3d-scanning'
show: 'People of Pathology Podcast'
show_url: 'https://doc.social/podcasts/people-of-pathology-podcast'
published: '2025-09-08'
audio: 'https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/cpfvhi2x64e3ra4e/Dr_Michael_Topf_and_Dr_Alexander_Perez6z4js.mp3'
---

# Episode 215: Dr Michael Topf And Dr Alexander Perez - Reimagining Pathology Specimen Documentation With 3D Scanning

Today my guests are Dr Alexander Perez and Dr Michael Topf. What we discuss with Dr Perez and Dr Topf: The challenge of documenting surgical specimens with traditional text and photos How 3D scanning improves accuracy and communication in p…

## Summary

Today my guests are Dr Alexander Perez and Dr Michael Topf.

What we discuss with Dr Perez and Dr Topf:

- The challenge of documenting surgical specimens with traditional text and photos

- How 3D scanning improves accuracy and communication in pathology

- Integration into the gross room workflow with minimal time impact

- Clinical applications: tumor boards, surgical navigation, and radiation therapy planning

- Educational value: training residents, 3D printing, and virtual/augmented reality

- Patient-facing benefits, including education and visualization

- Cost accessibility: high-quality scanners for around $2,000

- Collaboration and sharing of protocols to encourage wider adoption

- Future outlook: from long-term digital storage to medicolegal uses and beyond

Links for this episode:

[The Path to PathA](http://www.thepathtopatha.com/)

[Pathologists' Assistant Shadowing Network](https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14605997/)

[Health Podcast Network](https://healthpodcastnetwork.com/)

[ LabVine Learning](http://bit.ly/labvine)

[Dress A Med scrubs](https://dressamed.com/?rfsn=5044297.cb03eb&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=5044297.cb03eb)

[Digital Pathology Club](https://digitalpathology.club/digital-pathology-beginners-guide-notification?am_id=dennis985)

[_Ex vivo 3D scanning and specimen mapping in anatomic pathology_](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36687529/)

[_Augmented-Reality Surgery to Guide Head and Neck Cancer Re-resection: A Feasibility and Accuracy Study_](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1245/s10434-023-13532-1)

[_Visual pathology reports for improved collaboration at multidisciplinary head and neck tumor board_](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hed.27926)

People of Pathology Podcast:

[Twitter](https://twitter.com/peopleofpath)

[Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/peopleofpath/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=87f3e0df-5864-418e-a5b3-5fdd260ba05b)