Technology and applications of whole slide imaging

摘要

Whole slide imaging (WSI) is a cutting-edge method of producing digital images by scanning glass slides. With significant advancements in whole slide scanning hardware and software, accessing entire slide images has become easier than ever before. These images, also known as full slide images, can be thought of as glass slides in a microscope. The number of pathologists, pathology departments, and scientists using WSI for clinical, educational, and research purposes has increased globally. WSI has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for use in initial diagnosis, and pathology regulatory organizations such as The College of American Pathologists have established standards for clinical validation.[1] The implementation of digital technologies often requires the use of WSI, which is a significant shift in the field of pathology. WSI involves converting glass slides into digital slides, which pathologists can examine using virtual microscopy. This has major implications for the workflow of pathologists, the distribution of teaching materials, and the care of underprivileged areas, among other benefits. WSI is becoming more widely used in daily life, as it has recently been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for primary surgical pathology diagnosis. Ongoing advancements in technology, such as digital scanners, image visualization techniques, and artificial intelligence algorithms, can further improve WSI systems. Some of the advantages of WSI include easy online access, less physical storage space required, and protection against slide breakage and stain quality deterioration.[2] WSI allows multiple viewers to access and view digital images of microscope slides remotely. Typically, digital annotation and the computational processing of WSI require a whole slide scanner, scanning personnel, image viewer software, a high-resolution screen, and a pointer device such as a mouse, joystick, or touchpad. WSI consists of two main components: software and hardware. Hardware includes microscope objectives, bright field or fluorescent light sources, robotics for loading slides, and other items. In addition to the x- and y-axes, digital scanners must use the z-axis to produce an image like that seen through a microscope. High-throughput scanners can process up to 400 slides thanks to continued technological advancements. They specialize in digitizing complete tissue mounts, larger glass slides, fluorescently marked sections, or smears, and have shorter scanning times. The digitization of pathology and other medical specialties has made healthcare facilities more digitalized. Pathologists can browse virtual ultrathin slides in their office using electron microscopy and note the precise placement of different features. Traditional pathology training and examination have shifted away from physical microscope-based sessions to focus on the ability to detect and interpret specimens. WSI offers standardization of pathology education across the country by allowing all participants to use the same set of slides. WSI also allows experts to teach pathology residents in remote areas and with little exposure to specialized fields on how to interpret immunohistochemistry or electron microscopy. The use of WSI eliminates the need for large classrooms with numerous microscopes or multi-headers for instruction. WSI provides benefits such as the ability to compare normal and atypical behavior on the same screen, the freedom to interact at their own pace, and the encouragement of a team-based learning environment. Virtual slide sets are accessible for instruction and learning through online WSI sites. In the field of pathology, virtual slides are also used in seminars and meetings to promote interactive learning and facilitate the visualization of multiple images of different stains along with relevant clinical data. Two reasons why biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are interested in WSI are its capacity to understan