Meso-Dissection Annotation Registration for Precise Tissue Milling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing meso-dissection systems lack flexibility and accuracy in specifying and constructing annotations for milling, relying on manual interactive image alignment and lower magnification, leading to corrupted tissue data and limited ability to extract specific biological regions.
Innovation Solution
A digital pathology imaging system is used to generate high-resolution milling annotations through automated inter-marker registration, allowing for precise mapping of annotations from reference to milling slides, enabling batch processing and accurate tissue extraction across multiple slides.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual interactive image alignment is used for annotation mapping, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to lower magnification and manual limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment operations with automated computational image registration algorithms. The system uses software-based inter-marker and same-marker registration to automatically map annotations between reference and milling slides, eliminating the need for manual interactive alignment while achieving superior precision through algorithmic image matching and coordinate transformation.
2Ease of operation
If lower magnification (5x) is used for annotation, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to inability to accurately define region margins
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the magnification limitation by operating in the digital image space rather than being constrained by optical magnification. The system captures high-resolution images, then performs annotation mapping in the digital domain using coordinate transformations and image registration algorithms, effectively adding a computational dimension that bypasses optical magnification constraints.
3Manufacturing precision
If automated inter-marker registration is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple images and registration operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal annotation mapping framework that handles multiple image types (reference slides, milling slides, live images) and multiple registration methods (inter-marker, same-marker) through a single integrated system. The software platform provides multi-functional capabilities for image acquisition, processing, registration, and annotation transfer, reducing operational complexity despite handling multiple images.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a software-based intermediary layer (the annotation mapping system) that mediates between the reference images and milling operations. This intermediary performs automated image registration and coordinate transformation, simplifying the interaction between different components while achieving high precision through computational algorithms.
4Ease of operation
If manual dissection is used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to lack of process traceability and documentation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated feedback mechanisms where the system digitally records and tracks the entire annotation and dissection process. Image registration results, annotation coordinates, and dissection parameters are automatically captured and stored, providing complete process traceability and documentation without requiring manual record-keeping, thereby enhancing reliability while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
The subject disclosure provides systems, computer-implemented methods, and clinical workflows for meso-dissection of biological specimens and tissue slides by incorporating annotation and inter-marker registration modules within digital pathology imaging and meso-dissection (or milling) systems. Images of a reference slide a milling slide may be acquired using the same imaging system, with the annotations on the image associated with the milling slide being based on the inter-marker registration. Each image along with its respective annotations and meta-data may be associated with a project or a case and stored in an image management system. A same-marker registration may be used to map annotations from the annotated image of the milling slide to a live image of the milling slide. The milling slide may be milled based on the annotations, with milled tissue output into a contained that is labeled in association with the labeled input slides.