Digital Pathology Slide Interface for Ergonomic Image Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital pathology technologies for reviewing digital slides are inefficient and cumbersome, leading to repetitive motion injuries and suboptimal workflow due to the lack of specialized input devices designed for digital pathology navigation.
Innovation Solution
The development of specialized input devices, such as a smart physical slide and a surface configured to support it, which mimic traditional microscope interactions, allowing for efficient navigation of digital whole slide images through gestures and movements that replicate traditional glass slide review.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional computer input devices (mouse, keyboard) are used to navigate digital pathology images, then digital pathology functionality is achieved, but ergonomic efficiency deteriorates and repetitive motion injuries occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a physical copy of the traditional microscope stage and slide manipulation interface in the form of a touchscreen device. The touchscreen displays a virtual representation of the microscope stage with directional controls that mirror the physical movements a pathologist would make with a real microscope, allowing intuitive navigation without requiring adaptation to computer input devices
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical microscope stage and physical slide handling with an electronic touchscreen interface that responds to touch gestures. The touchscreen detects finger movements and translates them into navigation commands for the digital pathology images, eliminating the need for manual mouse operations while preserving the intuitive spatial manipulation experience
2Productivity
If standard computer interfaces are used for digital pathology review, then digital image access is enabled, but workflow efficiency deteriorates compared to traditional microscopy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic zooming and panning capabilities that respond to the user's touch movements in real-time. As the user drags their finger across the touchscreen, the displayed region of the digital pathology image dynamically adjusts to match the expected field of view changes, providing a seamless and efficient navigation experience that adapts to user intent
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replicates the familiar spatial relationships and navigation patterns of traditional microscope operation in the digital interface. The virtual stage orientation, directional controls, and magnification transitions mirror the physical microscope experience, allowing pathologists to maintain their existing workflow patterns without relearning interface operations
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method of reviewing digital pathology data may include receiving a digital pathology image into a digital storage device, the digital pathology image being associated with a patient, providing for display the digital pathology image on a display, pairing the digital pathology image with a physical token of the digital pathology image in an interactive system, receiving one or more commands from the interactive system, determining one or more manipulations or modifications to the displayed digital pathology image based on the one or more commands, and providing for display a modified digital pathology image on the display according to the determined one or more manipulations or modifications.