System and method for quality assurance in pathology

• US 8,885,900 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2013
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leica Biosystems Imaging Inc. (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Leica Biosystems Imaging Inc. (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Soenksen, Dirk G., Zirker-Smith, Kathy
• Primary Examiner(s): MAHONEY, CHRISTOPHER E
• Application Number:
  US14/065,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20140056494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 382/128
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/365 Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes G02B21/361, G02B21/362 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10056 Microscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30024 Cell structures in vitro; Tissue sections in vitro
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/00 Image enhancement or restoration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/987 with the intervention of an operator
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/69 Microscopic objects, e.g. biological cells or cellular parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/693 Acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving quality assurance in pathology using automated quality assessment and digital image enhancements on digital slides prior to analysis by the pathologist are provided. A digital pathology system (slide scanning instrument and software) creates, assesses and improves the quality of a digital slide. The improved digital slide image has a higher image quality that results in increased efficiency and accuracy in the analysis and diagnosis of such digital slides when they are reviewed on a monitor by a pathologist. These improved digital slides yield a more objective diagnosis than reading the corresponding glass slide under a microscope.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing digital slide images, the method comprising using at least one hardware processor to:

receive a digital slide image acquired from a specimen on a slide;

until it is determined that a quality of the digital slide image is sufficient, determine the quality of the digital slide image according to one or more analysis modules, and initiate reacquisition of the digital slide image from the specimen on the slide; and

,

when it is determined that the quality of the digital slide image is sufficient,

provide the digital slide image to one or more recipients,

provide a measure of the quality of the digital slide image to the one or more recipients,

compare one or more patterns from the digital slide image to pattern information from one or more previously diagnosed cases, and,

if the one or more patterns from the digital slide image match pattern information from one or more of the one or more previously diagnosed cases, provide information from each of the matched one or more previously diagnosed cases to the one or more recipients along with the digital slide image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information from the matched one or more previously diagnosed cases comprises one or more digital images having characteristics similar to the digital slide image.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the determination that the quality of the digital slide image is sufficient, enhancing the digital slide image according to one or more enhancement modules, and wherein providing the digital slide image to one or more recipients comprises providing the enhanced digital slide image to the one or more recipients.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein enhancing the digital slide image comprises applying one or more filters to the digital slide image.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more filters comprise a deconvolution filter.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein enhancing the digital slide image comprises standardizing a color space of the digital slide image.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one hardware processor, the one or more analysis modules, and the one or more enhancement modules are comprised in a slide scanner.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein initiating reacquisition of the digital slide image from the specimen on the slide comprises:

modifying one or more parameters of the slide scanner; and

rescanning the specimen on the slide.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital slide image comprises a barcode, and wherein the method further comprises determining the one or more recipients based on information from the barcode.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if it is determined that the quality of the digital slide image is borderline, providing a notification to a technician for a final determination of quality.

11. A system for analyzing digital slide images, the system comprising:

at least one hardware processor; and

at least one module configured to, when executed by the at least one hardware processor,

receive a digital slide image acquired from a specimen on a slide,

until it is determined that a quality of the digital slide image is sufficient, determined the quality of the digital slide image according to one or more analysis modules, and initiate reacquisition of the digital slide image from the specimen on the slide, and,

when it is determined that the quality of the digital slide image is sufficient,

provide the digital slide image to one or more recipients,

provide a measure of the quality of the digital slide image to the one or more recipients,

compare one or more patterns from the digital slide image to pattern information from one or more previously diagnosed cases, and,

if the one or more patterns from the digital slide image match pattern information from one or more of the one or more previously diagnosed cases, provide information from each of the matched one or more previously diagnosed cases to the one or more recipients along with the digital slide image.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the information from the matched one or more previously cases comprises one or more digital images having characteristics similar to the digital slide image.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one module is further configured to, in response to the determination that the quality of the digital slide image is sufficient, enhance the digital slide image according to one or more enhancement modules, and wherein providing the digital slide image to one or more recipients comprises providing the enhanced digital slide image to the one or more recipients.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein enhancing the digital slide image comprises applying one or more filters to the digital slide image.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more filters comprise a deconvolution filter.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein enhancing the digital slide image comprises standardizing a color space of the digital slide image.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the system further comprises a slide scanner, wherein the slide scanner comprises the at least one hardware processor and at least one memory, and wherein the at least one module, the one or more analysis modules, and the one or more enhancement modules are stored in the at least one memory.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein initiating reacquisition of the digital slide image from the specimen on the slide comprises:

modifying one or more parameters of the slide scanner; and

rescanning the specimen on the slide.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the digital slide image comprises a barcode, and wherein the at least one module is further configured to determine the one or more recipients based on information from the barcode.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one module is further configured to, if it is determined that the quality of the digital slide image is borderline, provide a notification to a technician for a final determination of quality.