View source for Biology:Virtual microscopy

[[File:Major topics of pathology informatics.png|thumb|Major topics of pathology [[Medicine:Health informatics|informatics]], with major topics that underlie virtual microscopy, including slide scanning, digital imaging and networks.]]
'''Virtual microscopy''' is a method of posting [[Engineering:Microscope|microscope]] images on, and transmitting them over, computer networks. This allows independent viewing of images by large numbers of people in diverse locations.  It involves a synthesis of [[Biology:Microscopy|microscopy]] technologies and digital technologies.<ref>{{cite journal |pages=9–15 |doi=10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.11.053 |pmc=1890021 |title=Internet-enabled high-resolution brain mapping and virtual microscopy |year=2007 |last1=Mikula |first1=Shawn |last2=Trotts |first2=Issac |last3=Stone |first3=James M. |last4=Jones |first4=Edward G. |journal=NeuroImage |volume=35 |pmid=17229579 |issue=1}}</ref>  The use of virtual microscopes can transform traditional teaching methods by removing the reliance on physical space, equipment, and specimens to a model that is solely dependent upon computer-internet access. This increases the convenience of accessing the slide sets and making the slides available to a broader audience. Digitized slides can have a high resolution and are resistant to being damaged or broken over time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Digital Pathology Virtual Microscope Slides for Hematology with Online Database |url=http://www.license.umn.edu/Products/Digital-Pathology-Virtual-Microscope-Slides-for-Hematology-with-Online-Database__20110025.aspx |publisher=Regents of the University of Minnesota |date=June 25, 2010 |access-date=September 22, 2011}}</ref>

Prior to recent advances in virtual microscopy, slides were commonly digitized by various forms of film scanner and image resolutions rarely exceeded 5000 dpi. Nowadays, it is possible to achieve more than 100,000 dpi and thus resolutions approaching that visible under the [[Engineering:Optical microscope|optical microscope]]. This increase in scanning resolution comes at a price; whereas a typical flatbed or film scanner ranges in cost from $200 to $600, a 100,000 dpi slide scanner will range from $80,000 to $200,000.<ref>{{cite journal | pmc = 1890021 | pmid=17229579 | doi=10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.11.053 | volume=35 | title=Internet-enabled high-resolution brain mapping and virtual microscopy | date=March 2007 | journal=NeuroImage | pages=9–15 | last1 = Mikula | first1 = S | last2 = Trotts | first2 = I | last3 = Stone | first3 = JM | last4 = Jones | first4 = EG}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Biology:Digital pathology|Digital pathology]]
*[[Biology:Microscopy|Microscopy]]
*[[Biology:Telepathology|Telepathology]]
*[[Tissue cytometry|Tissue Cytometry]], a technique that brings the concept of flow cytometry to tissue section, ''in situ,'' and helps to perform whole slide scanning and quantification of markers by maintaining the spatial context.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite journal |doi=10.1080/01926230490451734 |title=Digital Microscopy Imaging and New Approaches in Toxicologic Pathology |year=2004 |last1=McCullough |first1=Bruce |last2=Ying |first2=Xiaoyou |last3=Monticello |first3=Thomas |last4=Bonnefoi |first4=Marc |journal=Toxicologic Pathology |volume=32 |issue=5 |pages=49–58 |pmid=15503664|doi-access=free }}
*{{cite journal |pages=935–41 |doi=10.1016/j.drudis.2009.06.013 |title=Digital pathology in drug discovery and development: Multisite integration |year=2009 |last1=Potts |first1=Steven J. |journal=Drug Discovery Today |volume=14 |issue=19–20 |pmid=19596461}}
*{{cite journal |pages=943–50 |doi=10.1016/j.drudis.2010.09.001 |title=The role and impact of quantitative discovery pathology |year=2010 |last1=Potts |first1=Steven J. |last2=Young |first2=G. David |last3=Voelker |first3=Frank A. |journal=Drug Discovery Today |volume=15 |issue=21–22 |pmid=20946967}}
*{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.cmpb.2007.05.010 |title=Digital pathology: DICOM-conform draft, testbed, and first results |year=2007 |last1=Zwönitzer |first1=Ralf |last2=Kalinski |first2=Thomas |last3=Hofmann |first3=Harald |last4=Roessner |first4=Albert |last5=Bernarding |first5=Johannes |journal=Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine |volume=87 |issue=3 |pages=181–8 |pmid=17618703}}
*{{cite book |first1=Klaus |last1=Kayser |first2=Gian |last2=Kayser |first3=Dominik |last3=Radziszowski |first4=Alexander |last4=Oehmann |year=2004 |chapter=New Developments in Digital Pathology: from Telepathology to Virtual Pathology Laboratory |chapter-url=http://iospress.metapress.com/content/hgjhbq80evk7x8un/ |editor1-first=Mariusz |editor1-last=Duplaga |editor2-first=Krzysztof |editor2-last=Zieliński |editor3-first=David |editor3-last=Ingram |title=Transformation of Healthcare with Information Technologies |series=Studies in Health Technology and Informatics |issn=0926-9630 |publisher=IOS Press |pages=61–9 |isbn=978-1-58603-438-2 |pmid=15718595}}

==External links==
*[http://www.virtualmicroscopydatabase.org Virtual Microscopy Database by the American Association of Anatomists]
*[http://www.virtual-microscopy.net/ More information about definition, technology and teaching]
*[http://www.pathxl.com/ PathXL: Range of virtual microscopy software developed by Pathologists.]
*[http://www.license.umn.edu/Products/Digital-Pathology-Virtual-Microscope-Slides-for-Hematology-with-Online-Database__20110025.aspx Virtual Microscopy Slide Database]
*[http://virtual-microscope.net Free Virtual Microscope Web Application with automated image analysis]
*[http://brainmaps.org Virtual Microscopy of the Brain]
*[http://braintechsci.blogspot.com/2006/08/virtual-microscopy-disruptive.html Virtual Microscopy a Disruptive Technology?]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111008084503/http://www.telepatologia.onkol.kielce.pl/index.php?page=wszystkie_slajdy Holycross Cancer Center (Poland, Kielce) Pathomorphology Department virtual slides]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081217074246/http://omikron.rrk.charite-buch.de/op2000/Deutsch/Files/CARS-2006.pdf Digital medicine in the virtual hospital of the future]
*[http://www.virtualpathology.leeds.ac.uk Virtual Pathology at the University of Leeds]
*[https://virtualmicroscopy.peabody.yale.edu/ Invertebrate Zoology Virtual Microscopy, Yale Peabody Museum]
[[Category:Microscopy]]
[[Category:Pathology]]

{{Sourceattribution|Virtual microscopy|1}}