Industry Insights
The Rise and Fall of CoPath LIS: A Legacy Casualty of the Modern Lab Information System Era
November 26, 2025
At LigoLab, we recently published a white paper entitled “What To Do When Your Laboratory Information System Is Sunsetting.” As one might suspect, the paper and its overarching message about the impact of the sunsetting CoPath LIS System, a leading LIS software for decades, garnered much attention.
As the sunset of this widely known laboratory information system approaches, labs nationwide face the pressing need to transition to modern, cloud-compatible medical LIS solutions, creating both challenges and opportunities for lab directors and pathologists accustomed to their legacy LIS systems.
For those who will soon need to transition to a new modern pathology lab software and are looking for a CoPath LIS alternative, here’s a guide that can help kick-start that process:
Discover More: What You Need to Know Before Contracting with a Modern Laboratory Information System (LIS) Company
Here also is the most recent LIS Systems Guide from CAP Today (see link below):
Discover More: Laboratory Information Systems Guide
Moreover, here’s another article that you should be familiar with. It compares advanced LIS laboratory information system solutions to their legacy LIS system counterparts.
Discover More: Comparing LigoLab Informatics Platform with Legacy Laboratory Information System Software
We also thought it might be interesting to take a closer look at the rise and fall of CoPath’s LIS system because it will shed light on how far modern laboratory information system software has come since those early days when it dominated the anatomic pathology software market.
CoPath LIS: How It Became a Foundational Force in the Laboratory Information System Industry
The CoPath LIS system was built decades ago to streamline workflows and improve pathology lab management. It gained traction as a robust solution for pathology groups worldwide soon after its release. However, as anatomic pathology LIS technology has rapidly evolved, CoPath’s legacy infrastructure has struggled to keep pace, leading to its eventual decline.
This blog post explores the history, rise, and ultimate sunset of CoPath’s LIS system and what it signifies for modern laboratories in their pursuit of LIS pathology management software that drives growth and innovation.
The Early Days of CoPath LIS
CoPath LIS was originally designed in the 1990s as a specialized medical LIS for anatomic pathology laboratories. It quickly became a trusted LIS pathology platform for specimen tracking, case management, and results reporting. As it was developed during a time when laboratories sought to digitize their processes, CoPath addressed key challenges, such as:
- Labeling and Specimen Tracking: Ensuring traceability from collection to diagnosis.
- Report Generation and Distribution: Producing pathology lab reports with accuracy and speed.
- Data Storage and Pathology Lab Management: Organizing and retrieving patient and diagnostic information.
CoPath’s structured LIS lab database and configurable design enabled laboratories to adapt workflows to their specific operational needs. Over time, hospitals and reference laboratories widely adopted CoPath as their primary LIS software platform, solidifying its reputation as a market leader.
CoPath’s Strengths and Limitations
The CoPath reputation as a stable and feature-rich laboratory information system software carried through the 2000s and into the 2010s. However, as healthcare regulations and technologies evolved, CoPath LIS began to reveal limitations that were difficult to address without a major overhaul:
- Outdated Pathology LIS Technology Stack: Built on older programming languages and LIS software database structures, CoPath struggled to integrate with modern technologies, cloud systems, and APIs.
- Lack of LIS System Automation and Scalability: Modern operations demanded faster processes with LIS lab automation and scalability, especially as testing volumes grew. CoPath’s architecture was not optimized for these needs.
- Limited LIS System in Lab Interoperability: The rise of electronic health records (EHRs) and interoperability standards like HL7 exposed gaps in CoPath’s ability to connect seamlessly with external software systems.
- User Interface Challenges: Labs wanted modern, user-friendly medical laboratory information system designs, but CoPath’s interface remained dated, reducing efficiency and satisfaction for new users.
Despite ongoing updates from its parent companies, including Cerner Corporation (which later merged with Oracle), CoPath LIS could not fully adapt to the industry’s changing needs.
The Turning Point: Cloud Adoption and AI Integration
In the mid-2010s, the pathology LIS market experienced a transformation driven by cloud computing, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI). Forward-thinking laboratory information system companies began offering platforms that:
- Delivered real-time data insights and reporting.
- Supported remote access and scalability via the cloud.
- Integrated AI tools for enhanced diagnostics and laboratory workflow management optimization.
- Provided seamless laboratory billing/lab revenue cycle management (lab RCM) integration.
CoPath, rooted in legacy LIS software architecture, faced mounting pressure from more agile lab vendors such as LigoLab, which built its LIS system methodology with modern technologies to support growth-minded labs.
Discover More: The Best Laboratory Information System Companies and the Advantages They Offer to Their Laboratory Clients
The Finished Future of CoPath LIS
By the early 2020s, many labs began migrating away from CoPath LIS in favor of laboratory LIS solutions designed for today’s regulatory, technical, and operational demands. Oracle’s acquisition of Cerner in 2022 further underscored this shift, as Oracle’s focus moved toward larger enterprise systems, leaving many CoPath users uncertain about long-term support.
Today, CoPath is widely regarded as an end-of-life LIS software, with many labs transitioning to cloud-native LIS systems like the all-in-one medical LIS and lab RCM platform offered by LigoLab, which emphasizes:
- Automation and AI Integration: Reducing manual tasks and LIS staffing needs while enabling predictive analytics.
- Scalable Solutions: Supporting growth without requiring a complete overhaul of the lab information system because of that growth.
- Interoperability: Seamlessly connecting with EHRs, lab billing/laboratory revenue cycle management platforms, and diagnostic tools.
- Compliance and Security: Meeting modern regulatory requirements, including HIPAA and CLIA standards.
Discover More: A Detailed Look at How Modern Laboratory Information Systems Fully Support Quality Control
Key LIS Pathology Takeaways for Labs Moving Forward
The rise and decline of CoPath’s LIS system offers valuable lessons for today’s labs:
- Adopt Future-Proof LIS System Technology: Investing in a cloud-based LIS lab solution ensures adaptability to industry changes.
- Focus on Scalability: Select laboratory information system platforms that grow with your lab’s operations and test volumes.
- Prioritize Automation and AI: Modern laboratory information systems save time and improve accuracy.
- Evaluate Total Cost of Ownership: Legacy LIS systems often carry hidden costs for maintenance, upgrades, and downtime.
Pathology labs that embrace new LIS medical technologies can reduce operational bottlenecks, improve efficiency, and enhance patient care, all while staying competitive in a rapidly evolving market.
Discover More: What to Look Out for and Avoid When Shopping for a New LIS System
Conclusion: A New Era for LIS Pathology Platforms
While CoPath LIS served its purpose for decades, its time has passed. The laboratories of today and tomorrow require LIS pathology platforms that offer enhanced agility, automation, and connectivity to meet increasing demands and other challenging market factors. Modern laboratory information systems are leading this move forward, empowering labs to operate efficiently and scale effortlessly.
For labs still running legacy laboratory information systems, now is the time to evaluate modern LIS lab options to ensure the next chapter in their journey is defined by growth and innovation backed by the best LIS software rather than outdated technology.
Ready to Move Beyond Legacy LIS System Constraints?
If your lab is still relying on outdated LIS system technology, now is the time to explore a platform built for the future.
Talk with a LigoLab product specialist and discover how a modern LIS lab solution can transform operations, eliminate bottlenecks, and open the door to sustainable growth and innovation.
