Pathology Slide Registration Using Multi-Piece Candidate Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image registration methods in digital pathology are prone to high inter- and intra-observer variability due to the subjective nature of diagnostic tasks and complications arising from non-trivial slide compositions, dislocated tissue sections, and the presence of control pieces, making robust registration challenging.
Innovation Solution
A semi-automated image registration process that utilizes a database of candidate registrations, user interaction, and keypoint clustering to align medical images, allowing user navigation and automatic selection of optimal registration based on viewport proximity and quality measures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated image registration is applied to align multiple pathology slides, then alignment efficiency is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to non-trivial slide compositions, dislocated tissue sections, and control pieces that confuse the registration algorithm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image registration task into multiple candidate registrations, each corresponding to a specific tissue section pairing between slides. Instead of attempting a single global registration, the system segments the problem by identifying multiple possible alignments and presenting them as discrete candidates to the user, who can then select the appropriate one based on visual inspection of the displayed candidates.
2Reliability
If multiple candidate registrations are generated to handle complex slide compositions, then reliability is improved by providing options, but device complexity increases due to the need for user interaction and candidate selection interface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary step where the system generates multiple candidate registrations and presents them to the user through a specialized interface. This intermediary presentation layer allows the system to maintain high reliability by offering multiple possibilities while managing complexity by providing a simple user interaction model: the user views candidates and selects the correct one, without needing to understand the complex algorithms behind candidate generation.
3Reliability
If manual registration methods are used to ensure accuracy in complex cases, then reliability is improved, but productivity decreases due to time-consuming manual alignment processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing multiple candidate registrations automatically before user review. The system performs the computationally intensive image matching and candidate generation in advance, creating a shortlist of plausible alignments. This preliminary automated work reduces the user's task from performing full manual registration to simply reviewing pre-prepared candidates and selecting the correct one, thereby maintaining high reliability while significantly improving productivity.
4Reliability
If control pieces are included on slides for quality checking, then diagnostic reliability is improved, but image registration becomes more difficult as algorithms cannot distinguish control pieces from diagnostic tissue sections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different regions of the slide to serve different functions. Control pieces and diagnostic tissue sections can coexist on the same slide without interfering with registration, because the system evaluates multiple candidate registrations based on local tissue section matching. The registration process focuses on aligning diagnostic regions of interest while treating control pieces as separate entities that do not need to be aligned, thus maintaining both staining quality verification and registration accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Viewer systems and related methods with user interactive user interfaces that provide a viewport with first and second digital images that allow a user to navigate an active one of the digital images which drives a viewing window over the other digital image to provide a view that moves in response to navigation of the active slide to allow a user to compare and select one of several candidate registrations to register the first and second slides for pathology or other medical review. The user can interact with the user interface to switch which image is the active images (e.g., a WSI or slide image), select an object in the digital image and direct the system to provide other digital images.