Viewing Digital Slides

Abstract

Virtual slide image data and corresponding information are stored in a data storage area on a virtual slide image server. A client viewer requests image data at a particular resolution. The image server obtains corresponding image data from the data storage area at a resolution nearest to the requested resolution. The image data is then sent to the client viewer. The client viewer receives the image data and scales the image data to the requested resolution prior to displaying the image data.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 787,773 filed 26 Feb. 2004, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 563,437 filed 3 May 2000 and a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 371,586 filed 21 Feb. 2003, where U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 787,773 claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 451,079 filed 28 Feb. 2003 and U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 485,873 filed 9 Jul. 2003, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention generally relates to computer facilitated viewing of large images and more specifically relates to computer facilitated viewing of virtual microscope slides.[0004]2. Related Art[0005]In the growing field virtual microscopy, the first challenges to be overcome were related to the digital imaging of microscope slide...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The present invention provides a virtual slide image file format that facilitates the viewing of large amounts of visual image data on a standalone device or over a local or wide area network. Virtual slide image data and corresponding information are stored in a data storage area on a virtual slide image server that provides high performance access to virtual slide image data and corresponding information. A client viewer configured to efficiently display and manipulate virtual slide image data requests image data at a particular resolution. The image server obtains corresponding image data from the data storage area at a resolution nearest to the requested resolution. The image data is then sent to the client viewer. The virtual slide client viewer receives virtual slide image data at the stored resolution and subsequently scales the image data to the appropriate resolution for viewing. Accordingly, a virtual slide image that was scanned at a baseline resolution can be viewed at any higher resolution without loss of image fidelity. A web based system is also provided.

[0012]Additionally, the virtual slide image server facilitates simultaneous collaborative viewing of virtual slides by a leader client viewer and several participating client viewers. The participating client viewers are restricted from manipulating the virtual slide being viewed, although the leader of the collaborative session may turn over the leader role to a participating client viewer, after which the new leader has viewing control and the prior leader is demoted to a participating client.

[0013]The present invention also provides for three dimensional viewing of virtual slides. A specimen on a microscope slide is scanned at a plurality of vertical levels and a separate virtual slide image is created for each vertical level. When a view of the composite virtual slide image is requested and the requested level falls between the two scanned levels, the immediate upper level and immediate lower level are interpolated to produce the requested viewing level without a loss of image fidelity. Additionally, three dimensional views can be provided by shifting image pixels in the immediate upper level image in a first direction and shifting image pixels in the immediate lower level image the opposite direction to provide a skewed image of the requested level allow three dimensional viewing of the composite image.

Problems solved by technology

Although slow and cumbersome, conventional image tiling solutions did succeed in scanning microscope slides to create a virtual slide.

Accordingly, the viewing aspect of virtual microscopy was not very challenging for conventional image tiling solutions.

However, the creation of a single image file for a virtual slide, while much more efficient and less time consuming, creates new challenges for the viewing of these virtual slides.

Images