Microscope Slide Image Processing for Section Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face challenges in efficiently handling and associating images of multiple sections on a glass slide, either when they are imaged together or individually, leading to reduced user convenience.
Innovation Solution
An information processing system that includes an acquisition unit to capture image data of sections on a slide, a detector to identify specimen areas, a storage unit to store position information, and a controller to switch displays based on metadata, allowing efficient switching between specimen areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple sections are placed on a single glass slide for efficient imaging, then imaging efficiency and glass slide savings are improved, but the ability to separately handle and associate individual section images deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the entire slide image into multiple individual section images by detecting section positions and boundaries. This allows the integrated slide image to be divided into separate manageable units, each representing an individual section, thereby enabling separate handling while maintaining the efficiency of imaging multiple sections on one slide
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces metadata as an intermediary element that stores position information about each section within the slide. This metadata acts as a bridge between the integrated slide image and individual section images, enabling the system to associate and manage individual sections efficiently without requiring separate physical slides
2Ease of operation
If individual sections are imaged separately, then the ability to handle individual section images is improved, but the efficiency of fabrication and glass slide usage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of section positions and boundaries from the integrated slide image before individual section processing. By pre-identifying section locations and storing position metadata, the system prepares the data structure in advance, enabling efficient subsequent processing of individual sections without requiring re-imaging or separate fabrication steps
3Productivity
If the entire glass slide is imaged, then imaging efficiency is improved, but the ability to obtain and handle individual section images separately deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts individual section images from the integrated slide image by detecting section boundaries and positions. This extraction process separates the information contained in the entire slide image into individual section components, preserving all original information while enabling separate handling and processing of each section
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
[Object] To provide an information processing apparatus and an information processing method more excellent in convenience for the user. [Solving Means] An information processing system according to a first aspect of the present technology includes: an acquisition unit to acquire image data obtained by capturing a slide on which a plurality of sections obtained by cutting a single specimen in the same direction are discretely placed; a detector to detect a plurality of specimen areas in the acquired image data and to calculate position information relatively indicating positions of the individual specimen areas in a coordinate space of the image data, the plurality of specimen areas having the same shape and including the individual sections; a first storage unit to store the calculated position information; and a controller to switch display between the specimen areas based on the stored position information.