Variable-Resolution Slide Imaging for Real-Time Pathology Mosaics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional digital pathology systems face inefficiencies in scanning and digitizing pathology slides, resulting in overly large image files with irrelevant data, which hinders the adoption of digital pathology and limits the creation of sufficient data sets for identifying imaging biomarkers.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for real-time imaging and variable resolution mosaic creation, using multiple objective lenses and a digital camera to capture images at varying magnifications, combining them into seamless mosaic images that focus on areas of interest, optimizing data size and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional digital whole slide scanners digitize entire slides at a single high resolution, then diagnostic quality is maintained, but data storage requirements become excessively large and scanning time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by capturing images at multiple resolutions tailored to different regions of the slide. High-resolution imaging is applied only to diagnostically relevant areas identified by the system, while other regions are captured at lower resolutions. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining measurement precision where needed while reducing overall data storage requirements through selective resolution application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the slide into multiple regions of interest and captures each region at appropriate resolution levels. The system divides the entire slide into discrete areas that can be imaged independently at different resolutions based on diagnostic importance, thereby reducing total data volume while preserving essential diagnostic quality in critical segments.
2Measurement precision
If conventional scanners use fixed high magnification (20× or 40×) for entire slides, then diagnostic detail is captured, but scanning time becomes excessively long and data volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic magnification adjustment during the scanning process. The system automatically varies the objective lens magnification based on the diagnostic importance of different slide regions, using higher magnification only where diagnostic detail is critical and lower magnification in less critical areas. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by maintaining diagnostic precision where needed while significantly improving overall scanning productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes imaging parameters (magnification level, resolution) dynamically during scanning based on real-time analysis of slide content. By adjusting these parameters according to diagnostic needs rather than using fixed settings, the system maintains necessary diagnostic detail while reducing total scanning time and data generation.
3Quantity of substance
If dedicated slide scanning is performed outside clinical workflow, then comprehensive digitization is achieved, but adoption rate remains low and time delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the digitization function with the existing clinical microscopy workflow by integrating a digital camera system into the microscope. This allows simultaneous optical viewing and digital capture during routine slide examination, eliminating the need for separate scanning steps. The merging of functions resolves the contradiction by enabling comprehensive digitization while maintaining ease of operation through seamless workflow integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service digitization by automatically capturing images during the pathologist's normal viewing process without requiring separate scanning operations. The digital camera continuously or periodically captures images as the slide is being examined optically, allowing the workflow to serve its primary diagnostic function while simultaneously generating digital records.
4Loss of information
If high resolution images are captured for entire slides, then complete diagnostic information is available, but file sizes become unmanageably large (over 10 GB per slide)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by capturing high-resolution images only in diagnostically relevant regions of the slide while using lower resolution for other areas. This selective approach ensures that complete diagnostic information is preserved in critical regions while significantly reducing the overall file size by avoiding unnecessary high-resolution capture in non-critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses partial action by capturing only the necessary portion of the slide at high resolution rather than the entire slide. By identifying and imaging only the regions containing diagnostically relevant features at high quality, the system maintains information completeness for diagnosis while avoiding the excessive file sizes that would result from uniform high-resolution capture of the entire slide.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a system and method for capturing images during review of a microscope slide. In certain embodiments, such system and method allow for the capture of images and construction of a composited microscope mosaic image within the workflow of the slide reviewer, such as a pathologist reviewing a tissue sample. In certain embodiments, said mosaic images are whole slide images constructed by and capable of being viewed at variable resolutions and magnifications corresponding to the review of the original microscope slide by the slide reviewer.