Digital Slide Storage in PACS via DICOM Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The DICOM standard is inadequate for storing and managing large digital pathology images due to limitations in pixel dimensions, compressed image size, and lack of support for subregions and varying resolutions, which restricts the ability to facilitate rapid panning and zooming and integration with existing PACS systems.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that acquire and store digital slides using DICOM-standard messaging, allowing images to be logically divided into subregions and stored as multiple DICOM series, enabling efficient storage and retrieval of large images within commercially available PACS systems, and allowing pathologists to view and manage these images alongside other medical modalities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If DICOM standard is used to store digital slides, then integration with existing PACS systems is enabled, but the standard cannot accommodate large image dimensions and sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the large digital slide image into multiple smaller subregion images, each of which can be stored as separate DICOM files. This segmentation allows the system to work within DICOM's size limitations while still representing the complete large image through multiple smaller tiles that can be reassembled or displayed individually.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical resolution structure with multiple image levels (e.g., full-resolution images and lower-resolution thumbnails) stored at different dimensional scales. This allows the system to store complete high-resolution images while also maintaining compressed lower-resolution versions that fit within DICOM limitations, enabling both integration and large image capacity.
2Loss of information
If digital slides are stored as single large images, then complete image data is preserved, but rapid panning and zooming cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large digital slide into multiple subregion images at different resolutions. When a pathologist needs to pan or zoom, the system can quickly retrieve and display only the relevant subregion tiles rather than processing the entire large image, enabling rapid interaction while preserving complete image data in the stored subregions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates multiple copies of the image at different resolutions and scales, including oversampled high-resolution tiles and undersampled low-resolution thumbnails. This partial action approach allows the system to serve different viewing needs efficiently - high-resolution tiles for detailed examination and low-resolution thumbnails for rapid overview - without requiring processing of the complete original image for all operations.
3Speed
If multiple images at varying resolutions are stored, then rapid panning and zooming is enabled, but the DICOM standard does not provide native support for this functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image management task into storing multiple resolution variants as separate DICOM files, each representing a specific zoom level or region. This segmentation allows the system to achieve rapid panning and zooming by serving appropriate resolution levels from pre-stored tiles, while managing complexity through systematic organization of these segmented components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary software layer that manages the collection of multi-resolution images and handles the complexity of retrieving and displaying appropriate images based on user actions. This intermediary layer abstracts the complexity of managing multiple resolution variants from the user and the DICOM standard, enabling rapid interaction without requiring changes to the standard itself.
4Quantity of substance
If compressed image size is limited to 2GB, then memory management becomes feasible, but very large digital slides cannot be stored
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments large digital slides into multiple smaller subregion images, each well within the 2GB compressed size limit. This segmentation enables the system to store complete large slides by assembling multiple smaller DICOM files, making storage feasible within memory constraints while accommodating the full quantity of image data needed.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods that acquire digital slides and other large images and store these images into commercially available PACS systems using DICOM-standard messaging are provided. A digital slide or other large two-dimensional image is acquired and each separate resolution level of the digital slide or large image is divided into a series of regions that are each identified as a DICOM image. All of the regions at the same resolution in the digital slide or other large image are collectively identified as a DICOM series. A plurality of DICOM series, representing multiple resolution levels in a digital slide are collectively identified and stored as a DICOM study.