System and method for remote navigation of a specimen

• US 20060251309A1
• Filed: 07/12/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Trestle Acquisition Corp.
• Inventors: Zeineh, Jack A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,391,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/007 Transform coding, e.g. discrete cosine transform
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A system and method for remote navigation of a specimen.

Claims

1. A method of providing remote navigation of a specimen, comprising:

receiving a command to remotely control a microscope and a camera coupled with the microscope to view a portion of a specimen disposed on the microscope;

capturing an image of the portion with the camera in response to the command;

representing the image as a plurality of components, each of the components providing a different level of detail of the image; and

transmitting the components in order of increasing level of detail.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the microscope comprises a stage, and wherein the specimen is disposed on the stage.

3. A system providing remote navigation of a specimen, comprising a processor that executes instructions and thereby causes the processor to:

receive a command to remotely control a microscope and a camera coupled with the microscope to view a portion of a specimen disposed on the microscope;

capture an image of the portion with the camera in response to the command;

represent the image as a plurality of components, each of the components providing a different level of detail of the image; and

transmit the components in order of increasing level of detail.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the microscope comprises a stage, and wherein the specimen is disposed on the stage.

5. A method of remotely navigating a slide, comprising:

transmitting a command to move a stage of a remote microscope to view an image of an area of a specimen disposed on the stage by capturing the image during the movement; and

receiving the image at a level of detail that is a function of the speed of movement of the stage when the image was captured.

6. A method of navigating a slide, comprising:

transmitting at least one command to remotely view a portion of a specimen; and

receiving an increasingly more detailed image of the portion.

7. A system for navigating a slide, comprising a processor that executes instructions and thereby causes the processor to:

transmit at least one command to remotely view a portion of a specimen; and

receive an increasingly more detailed image of the portion.