From Microscopes To Digital Screen Evaluation

Microscopy techniques are the backbone of biological research that enables researchers and scientists to evaluate the structures of specimens. With the advent of technology, microscopic techniques have evolved so much. From the first discovered traditional microscope to the high advanced phase contrast microscopy device.  The evaluation through the trinocular head of the microscope has changed.  One such advancement is the addition of digital devices  to the trinocular compound microscope which helps in the perfect evaluation of the biological specimens. When the phase contrast microscopy is combined with the digital device, then the whole technique is called “Digital Pathology”.

Digital pathology basically includes the acquisition of biological specimens,  management, and sharing and interpretation of pathological information. The information includes the slides and data sets inferred from the various biological specimens. All this work is done on a digital device, like laptops or desktops in a digital environment. In this process, the digital slides are formed on the screens of desktops when the glass slides get captured by a scanning device. The scanning microscopes are employed for the process of scanning biological specimens.  In  this scanning process, the images formed in the computer screens are of high resolution and very structured.  The images can also be viewed in a connected mobile screen also. When the microscopes are employed for the evaluation of cell culture and tissue culture,  it is called a cell culture microscope, culture microscope, and tissue culture microscope.

What Is Digital Screen Evaluation?

To evaluate biological images in a structured way, digital devices are used. The digital screen evaluation incorporates screening, management, and inferring the digital information from the samples. The images formed on the screen are in high resolution, so that perfect evaluation can be done.   For scanning purposes, the lab fellows, researchers, and scientists utilize the high-throughput automated digital pathology scanners that enable the whole of the entire glass of the inverted phase microscope. Usually in digital pathology techniques,  brightfield, darkfield, and phase contrast microscopy techniques are used for generating good images. However, fluorescence microscopes are also used in this manner.

All digital slides created in this process are made sharable to a network of people by specialized digital pathology software among the researchers.  This is marking the characteristic of digital pathology.  Moreover, the automated image analysis devices can also be utilized to assist in the interpretation and quantification of biomarker expression within tissue specimens. Various cell and tissue culture samples are marked easily with the image analysis tool.

History Of Digital Pathology Or Screen Evaluation

The history of digital pathology dates back over 100 years. It has been in the scientific world for such a long period.  In the initial days, digital pathology was carried out with the help of specialized equipment to capture images from the inverted phase contrast microscope. From the microscopic views, the images were transformed into photographic plates.  And the technique of sharing the photographic plates with a group of people has been around in biological research for 50 years. Today, it has evolved so much with the advent of technology which makes it more advantageous than the traditional methods of screening biological specimens using an electronic device.

The whole objective of digital screen evaluation is to enable the pathologists, researchers and scientists to evaluate, engage and collaborate rapidly and remotely with a lot of transparency and consistency with biological specimens’ results. The outcome of all these results in the efficiency and productivity of the biological research process.  This has also enhanced translational research, computer-aided diagnosis, and personalized medicine.

Steps To Digital Screening Evaluation And Pathology

The following are the steps to successfully evaluate the biological specimen’s images under an inverted microscope. 

1. Go for a good executive sponsor and pathologist for the computer screening.
2. Deeply understand the benefits of digital screening evaluation
3. Before processing the digital pathology, read the case studies and high level needs.
4. Go for the visual management tool with the best trinocular microscope.
5. To carry out digital pathology  in the lab,  map out a detailed  workflow of the process
6. Make the list of equipment required for the process, like a trinocular microscope, scanning device, computer screen, etc.
7. Go for the concept test before the actual digital screening process.
8. Choose a project technology leader and ensure the software is good and suitable for the work.
9. Determine the networking, security, and storage needs of the lab and software. All this is used in digital screening evaluation.
10. Go with the budget. Trinocular microscope price is a little high, so go for a quick review of the market.
11. Make short and long-term specifications as your priority in digital pathology.
12. The pathologist can also write a statement of work, highlighting each phase of digital conversion, like image acquisition, image management, pre-analytic, and analysis of the images.
13. Before the usage of digital pathology techniques, adopt the non-digital processes also.  Make comparisons between the two for getting a refined workflow.
14. Learn from others and from tutorials to learn the aspects of digital pathology.
15. Determine the progress of the process of digital screening.
16. As a pathologist, review the speed, cost improvements, and speed of the process.
17. Measure the reductions in the speed to repair the damaged images.
18. Use the most accessible data to increase the collaboration of the data sets.
19. Analyse the whole digital pathology process.

Benefits Of Digital Pathology Or Screening Process

Pathology starts with the best trinocular microscope and the collected tissue specimen. The scans which result from the digital pathology process are called digital scans.  A lot more has changed in the digital screening evaluation technique with the pace of technology.  With this, the pathology technique has gained some advantages which are considered by the researchers and scientists as boons in the evaluation of specimens. 

Following are the benefits of the digital pathology or screening evaluation :

1.  Improved Analysis

• The algorithms for analyzing image slides are objective, quicker, and accurate than microscopy techniques. Digital pathology serves the purpose of accuracy in the lab.
• It gives rapid access to prior cases in pathology and biological research.
• Gives the space for all data storage for long-term predictive analysis of the biological specimens through microscopy techniques.

2.  Reduces Errors

• Digital pathology technique eliminates breakage in the process which helps in maintaining efficiency.
• With the barcoding feature, it reduces the risk of misidentification of data sets.

3. Create Better Views

• It offers live zoomed, high contrasted, and multiple angle views of the respective biological specimen.
• Gives out the ability to measure multiple AOI for a microscopic image.
• Digital pathology allows for team annotation of slides in the process.
• The process provides a dashboard view of data and annotations used in the whole process of digital pathology.

Conclusion

In the long run, digital pathology ensures greater access to tissue and slide-based material outside of the laboratory. The images formed on the computer screen are in high resolution and also mark the cells and tissues. Users of digital pathology can also have access to all their digital courses or processes through the internet or standard web browser. Nowadays, the digital pathology or screening process is done in the laboratory to extract good results out of the specimens.  Moreover, the data sets can be transferred among people in a remote way with digital pathology or screening process.