High throughput slanted scanning whole slide imaging system for digital pathology

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Digital Pathology
• Microscopy Imaging

Background:

• Conventional whole slide imaging (WSI) captures single-layer images, often requiring autofocus and still suffering from defocus blur due to specimen topography.
• Existing solutions like Z-stack scanning are time-consuming, hindering high-throughput applications in digital pathology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-throughput WSI system capable of acquiring multi-layer image data simultaneously.
• To eliminate defocus blur in WSI without complex aberration correction methods.

Main Methods:

• A novel slanted scanning WSI system was designed, angling the slide surface at 1° relative to the focal plane.
• This configuration allows the focal plane to span multiple sample layers, acquiring multi-layer data during a single slide movement.
• Image fusion techniques were employed to combine the acquired multi-layer data.

Main Results:

• The slanted scanning system achieved simultaneous multi-layer imaging at a speed comparable to conventional single-layer WSI.
• High-quality cytological and histological images were obtained, effectively eliminating defocus blur.
• The system demonstrated high throughput without the need for aberration correction.

Conclusions:

• The developed high-throughput slanted scanning WSI system offers an efficient solution for digital pathology.
• This method overcomes the limitations of conventional WSI by acquiring multi-layer data and mitigating defocus blur.
• The system provides a practical and fast approach for advanced slide imaging applications.