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Publication Number
US-11280803-B2
Publication Date
2022-03-22
Expiration Date
Abstract
An apparatus including a first and a second imaging module; a storage module; an automated transport module operable to transport at least one slide; and a controller operable to direct transport of the at least one slide by the transport module into the first imaging module and into the second imaging module. A method and a machine-readable medium including program instructions to cause a controller to perform a method including transporting at least one slide to a first imaging module using an automated transport module; capturing by the first imaging module of an image of a specimen on the at least one slide; transporting the at least one slide to a storage module using the automated transport module; and transporting the at least one slide to a second imaging module in response to a request for capturing an image in addition to the image captured by the first imaging module.
Core Innovation
An automated slide management system manages a plurality of slides for a patient case by directing transport into a first imaging module that comprises one or more scanners. The system captures only one image of an area of a specimen on each slide, in a plane of the specimen directed by a protocol associated with the plurality of slides or selected by a diagnostician responsible for analyzing the plurality of slides. After capture, the system transports the plurality of slides to a storage module having a plurality of slide stations, and determines a location of a slide in the storage module containing one slide for the patient case.
The system retrieves the one slide only in response to a request by a diagnostician or interpretation module for capturing images in addition to the one image captured by the first imaging module. The controller determines if one of the microscopes of a second imaging module is available, and, if available, directs transport of the retrieved slide into the second imaging module. The available digital microscope captures multiple images of a portion of a specimen taken at different focal distances to provide a z-stack, or a composite image with a greater depth of field than the one image in a single plane captured by the first imaging module.
In addition to imaging, the system supports retrieval of another slide for the patient case from the storage module and transport of the retrieved another slide to the second imaging module for image capture of a portion of a specimen. The system simultaneously displays at least one image of the multiple images on the retrieved one slide and the image on the retrieved another slide. The disclosed workflow includes automated transport, slide identification and communication with LIS/HIS, and a storage module indexed with slide stations accessed by an elevator device.
Claims Coverage
The document includes three independent claims (apparatus, method, and machine-readable medium). The inventive features cover a two-stage imaging workflow with conditional transfer from a storage module to a second imaging module, including single-plane acquisition in the first imaging module and multi-focal z-stack or greater-depth-of-field composite acquisition in the second imaging module, together with simultaneous display behavior.
Two-stage imaging with conditional retrieval
A controller directs transport of a plurality of slides into the first imaging module for capture of only one image per slide, transports the slides to respective slide stations in a storage module, and retrieves a specific slide for additional imaging only in response to a request by a diagnostician or interpretation module; the retrieved slide is then transported into the second imaging module only when a microscope is available.
Single-plane first imaging capture
The controller directs one of the scanners of the first imaging module to capture only one image of an area of a specimen on each of the plurality of slides, wherein the one image is in a plane of the specimen directed by a protocol associated with the plurality of slides or selected by a diagnostician.
Z-stack or greater-depth-of-field second imaging
The available digital microscope of the second imaging module captures multiple images of a portion of a specimen at different focal distances to provide a z-stack of the portion of the specimen or a composite image of the portion of the specimen with a greater depth of field than the one image in a single plane captured by the first imaging module.
Simultaneous display across retrieved slides
The controller directs display simultaneously of at least one image of the multiple images of the portion of the specimen on the retrieved one slide and the image of the portion of the specimen on the retrieved another one slide.
Across the independent claims, the inventive core is a workflow that captures only one image per slide in a first imaging module, stores slides in a storage module, retrieves and sends a slide to a second imaging module only upon request and availability, and then captures multiple images at different focal distances (z-stack) or a greater-depth-of-field composite, with simultaneous display of images from multiple retrieved slides.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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