Image & Data Management

Handling of images, associated meta data, and image analysis/AI results is a critical component of the digital pathology workflow which is often left as an afterthought to the scanner/capture device purchase.  It is critical to take time to carefully consider this element of your proposed digital pathology installation and workflow requirements. Will you need to share images outside of your institution? Do you have third-party databases like LIS or image analysis platforms that need to be integrated with your workflow?  Will you be using barcodes to enable automation?  There are many important considerations, but here are a few questions to ask to get you started.

• Image viewing How will you view your digital images? Will the viewer be provided by the scanner vendor or will you be using a freeware application? In this case, will your viewer be compatible with the scanned slides? Will the viewer be able to render the slides at full resolution / magnification?

• Image tools What standard tool are included in your viewing software? Do you wish to be able to annotate images, add regions of interest, add arrows and markers to the image? Does the viewer allow panning and zooming? Is there any time lag when you change magnification or select a different region?

• Z-stack and TMA If you will require capabilities such as Z-stack or TMA analysis, make sure that your viewer and the slide management system can handle these types of application. If you are using third party software this may not be the case

• Conferencing and MDT Can you give other users access to your image and can you share on screen comments and annotations? Is there any latency for colleagues at remote locations? Does the viewer have sufficient resolution and include the tools and capabilities to permit MDT meetings from multiple locations?

• File formats Digital slides exist in numerous file formats, some standard, some in common use and yet others specific to a single vendor. Will your image management system have the capability to import images from different brands of slide scanner or will you only be handling a single file type? Do you want to be able to share these files with users on or off campus? Do you want to receive inputs from different scanning platforms?

• Image storage and hosting Where will you store your digital images? These are large files and moving them from one location to another may not be straightforward. Will the images be on a local server and what speed of networking is required between your slide scanner and the server? Will you incur slide hosting costs and how may those costs increase over time?

• Image retrieval Will there be any requirement to move images for archiving or retrieval? Will you be able to view and share the images directly from the server location?

• LIS/HIS connectivity Can you connect the digital slide management to your LIMS? Are there previous examples of connectivity to the same LIMS provider and has that been proven by other users to be a seamless integration? If a new project is required for LIMS connectivity, who will be responsible for completing the interface and for ensuring that it functions correctly?

• Image labelling and barcoding How will you label and identify your scanned images for subsequent analysis? Does the image management system allow free naming of images and can you establish an automated process for the naming of your files? Will you need barcoding support? If so, can the system handle 1D or 2D barcodes and which type?

• Clinical or research use? If you require an on-screen read for clinical use or will be handling clinical images and patient information, some slide management systems are accredited for these purposes. Make sure to ask your vendor.

Use the filters on this page to help you identify solutions that fit your requirements. You can hit the “compare” button to view specifications of up to five solutions side-by-side.

The specifications on this website are gathered from publicly available online resources; therefore, we cannot claim to be 100% accurate. It is always a good idea to make enquiries with the solution provider if you have doubts or unanswered questions.  If the solution provider has registered with Pathology News, then there will be a “send enquiry” button available right from the product page to make this even easier for you.

Good luck in your search!

Pathology News Team