by Douglas J. Hartman, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology; Director, Division of Pathology Informatics; Director, Image Analysis Laboratory; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

 

This whitepaper from the Digital Pathology Association is a practical guide to whole slide imaging. The manuscript titled “A Practical Guide to Whole Slide Imaging: A White Paper from the Digital Pathology Association” was released early online on October 11, 2018 through the Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. This is a timely manuscript along with the Food Drug Administration’s first approved digital pathology system. This manuscript represents a comprehensive guide to familiarize users with whole slide imaging. The manuscript covers a wide range of topics:

 

  • Whole slide scanning
  • Virtual slides
  • Image compression
  • Storage and Access
  • Viewing and Managing images
  • Image Access
  • Image Management Systems
  • Well-Established Use Cases for Adopting Whole Slide Imaging
  • Regulatory Issues
  • How to Purchase a System
  • The Future of Whole Slide Imaging

 

This whitepaper represents an introduction into issues that one might encounter as they start the transition from glass slide based pathology to whole slide image-based pathology. The authors of the manuscript range from academic informaticists to industry specialists. This manuscript would be helpful to people who are new to whole slide imaging, trainees and to consolidate knowledge for those who may be familiar with some of the concepts of whole slide imaging.

 

To access the full white paper, please click here.

 

Disclaimer: In seeking to foster discourse on a wide array of ideas, the Digital Pathology Association believes that it is important to share a range of prominent industry viewpoints. This article does not necessarily express the viewpoints of the DPA, however we view this as a valuable point with which to facilitate discussion.