Digital
Microscopy: New Paradigm's for Teaching Microscopic Anatomy and
Pathology
Michael Feldman, John Stinson, Jack Glaser, Dirk G. Soenksen, David Urbanic
University of Pennsylvania
ABSTRACT:
The last several years
has seen enormous growth and transformation of digital microscopy. From it's earliest days of static digital
microscope images (2-3 megapixels), the technology has progressed so that
the ability to digitally acquire entire histologic or pathologic slides at
submicron level resolution to form images 70,000 x 70,000 pixels on edge
are now possible. This new
technology is appropriately termed digital microscopy as we have now moved
beyond single images to the acquisition of the entire glass slide into a
digital format. The software to create,
compress, store, manipulate, annotate, and display these digital slides is
evolving rapidly as this new industry takes shape.
This workshop will
provide participants with an opportunity to learn about the different
scanning modalities used to acquire and create a digital slide including
manual XY tiling of static microscope images, robotic XY tiling of
microscope images as well as the use of dedicated slide scanners for high
speed acquisition of entire histologic/pathologic slides (>2 cm2). The technology behind these approaches will
be discussed and the limitation of each defined. Future directions for scanning technology will also be
discussed
Slide acquisition is
only the initiating event in the creation of a digital slide. Once acquired, the slides must be stored,
annotated, and integrated into an educational experience. The compression technologies and color space
issues associated with these very large files differ from standard digital
imaging modalities. These gigabyte size
slides are stored in a variety of different formats (Flashpix, JPEG2000,
Zoomify, Aurora format), all of which share in common the ability to offer
pixel on demand distribution of the slide using slide viewers which
deliver the slide to the computer using a hierarchical image display. The hierarchical formats and viewing
technologies will be discussed as well as the slide server software
necessary to deliver the digital slide to a variety of formats including
PC, Macintosh, and PDA's.
In addition to basic
slide viewing, the integration of digital slides into an educational
structure is considered critical to maximizing the educational benefit
derived from this novel tool. How are
these slides best viewed, annotated, searched and used for education. Web based tools (Java, Flash, XML/RPC)
to integrate digital slides within a web based educational environment
will be presented and discussed. How
can digital slides extend our ability to teach students microscopic
anatomy and pathology? What types
of learning environments can be created using a digital slide that cannot
be done with ordinary glass? Finally, in addition to discussion by
the presenters, several of the companies involved in digital microscopy
will be demonstrating their hardware and software for participants to get
a better understanding of this rapidly evolving
industry.
BENEFIT TO PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING SESSION:
Develop
understanding of Digital Microscopy Hardware and Software Learn about the
different hardware and software solutions in this nascent
industry Learn how schools are already integrating this into their
medical school curriculum
|
Michael Feldman,
MD, PhD 3400 Spruce Street University of
Pennsylvania Pathology Dept Philadelphia, PA 19104 Phone:
215-662-6503 Fax: 215-349-5910 Email: feldmanm@mail.med.upenn.edu CO-AUTHORS: Jack
Glaser Microbrightfield Inc. 74 Hegeman Avenue Colchester, VT
05446 USA Jack Glaser (802) 655-9360 David
Urbanic Zoomify Inc. |
Dirk
Sorenson Aperio Technologies Inc 1430 Vantage CT, Suite
106 Vista CA 92083 Dirk Sorenson (760) 539-1100 http://www.aperio.com/home.asp John Stinson Aurora
Interactive 75 Kennedy St
west Aurora, Ontario Canada
L4G 2L6 Phone: (905)
841-2515 Email: john.stinson@sympatico.ca |