System and method for quality assurance in pathology

• US 9,349,036 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• 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, Christ
• Application Number:
  US14/841,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20150379327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 382/128
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Enhancing color(s) in a digital slide image to increase contrast. In an embodiment, a digital slide image of a tissue sample is acquired. The tissue sample is counterstained, such that the digital slide image comprises an image of a first stain and a second stain. The contrast between the first stain and the second stain is increased to enhance the digital slide image.

Claims

1. A method comprising using at least one hardware processor to:

acquire a digital slide image of a tissue sample that is counterstained with at least a first stain and a second stain, such that the digital slide image comprises an image of the first stain and the second stain; and

increase a contrast between the first stain and the second stain within the digital slide image to enhance the digital slide image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the contrast between the first stain and the second stain comprises changing a color of at least one of the first stain and the second stain.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the at least one hardware processor to, prior to increasing the contrast, automatically determine whether or not a quality of the digital slide image is sufficient for diagnosis.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether or not a quality of the digital slide image is sufficient for diagnosis comprises comparing one or more characteristics of the digital slide image to a predetermined set of one or more criteria.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein increasing the contrast is performed automatically when the determination is that the quality of the digital slide image is sufficient.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the at least one hardware processor to input the enhanced digital slide image into a clinical decision support system that guides a user through an interpretation of the tissue sample to arrive at a diagnosis.

7. A system comprising:

at least one hardware processor; and

one or more software modules that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor,

acquire a digital slide image of a tissue sample that is counterstained with at least a first stain and a second stain, such that the digital slide image comprises an image of the first stain and the second stain, and

increase a contrast between the first stain and the second stain within the digital slide image to enhance the digital slide image.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein increasing the contrast between the first stain and the second stain comprises changing a color of at least one of the first stain and the second stain.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more software modules, prior to increasing the contrast, automatically determine whether or not a quality of the digital slide image is sufficient for diagnosis.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein determining whether or not a quality of the digital slide image is sufficient for diagnosis comprises comparing one or more characteristics of the digital slide image to a predetermined set of one or more criteria.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more software modules increase the contrast automatically when the determination is that the quality of the digital slide image is sufficient.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more software modules input the enhanced digital slide image into a clinical decision support system that guides a user through an interpretation of the tissue sample to arrive at a diagnosis.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one hardware processor is comprised in a slide scanner.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more software modules are stored in a memory of the slide scanner.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

acquire a digital slide image of a tissue sample that is counterstained with at least a first stain and a second stain, such that the digital slide image comprises an image of the first stain and the second stain; and

increase a contrast between the first stain and the second stain within the digital slide image to enhance the digital slide image.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein increasing the contrast between the first stain and the second stain comprises changing a color of at least one of the first stain and the second stain.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to, prior to increasing the contrast, automatically determine whether or not a quality of the digital slide image is sufficient for diagnosis.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining whether or not a quality of the digital slide image is sufficient for diagnosis comprises comparing one or more characteristics of the digital slide image to a predetermined set of one or more criteria.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions cause the processor to increase the contrast automatically when the determination is that the quality of the digital slide image is sufficient.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to input the enhanced digital slide image into a clinical decision support system that guides a user through an interpretation of the tissue sample to arrive at a diagnosis.