Pathology Image Management System Integrating WSI and LIS
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing systems for pathological diagnosis using whole slide images (WSI) are inefficient due to the lack of integration between the WSI management system and the laboratory information system (LIS), leading to issues such as specimen mixing and increased workload for pathologists, as they need to manually input pathology numbers and manage data across separate systems.
Innovation Solution
A pathology image management system that integrates the scanner, WSI management system, and LIS, allowing for automatic association of pathology numbers with WSI data, notification of scan completion, and storage of images in dedicated folders for efficient management and access, reducing the risk of specimen mixing and improving workflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the WSI management system and LIS are operated as independent systems, then each system can function autonomously, but specimen information is not integrated causing mixing up specimens and reduced work efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the WSI management system and LIS into an integrated system where specimen information is automatically shared between the two systems. The WSI management system receives specimen information from the LIS and automatically associates WSI data with the correct specimen, eliminating manual input and preventing specimen mixing while maintaining autonomous functionality of each subsystem.
2Ease of operation
If pathologists manually input pathology numbers to search for WSI files, then the system can locate specific specimens, but input errors occur causing specimen mixing and increased workload
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service functionality where the WSI management system automatically receives specimen information from the LIS and performs automatic association of WSI data with specimen identifiers. This eliminates the need for pathologists to manually input pathology numbers, thereby preventing input errors while maintaining easy access to WSI files through the integrated system.
3Productivity
If the WSI management system is not linked with LIS, then system setup is simpler, but pathologists cannot efficiently access specimen information and must switch between systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the WSI management system and LIS into an integrated architecture where specimen information flows automatically between systems. The WSI management system receives specimen information from the LIS and maintains automatic association, allowing pathologists to access both WSI data and specimen information within a unified interface, thereby improving diagnosis workflow efficiency while managing system complexity through standardized integration protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
A laboratory information system (LIS) is linked with a whole slide image (WSI) management system to build a pathology image management system that can efficiently manage and utilize a digitized pathology image. A scan notification notifying that an image of a glass slide is scanned by a scanner is delivered to the LIS from the WSI management system to form a WSI link in the LIS, so that the LIS is linked with the WSI management system. By linking two systems with each other can eliminate the problem of mixing up specimens, for example, and hence, a pathologist can easily grasp the status of a pathology sample for which the pathologist is responsible.