Part I: Digital Dermatopathology Playbook: Technical Infrastructure for Transition From Glass to Digital

Area of Science:

• Digital pathology
• Medical imaging
• Health informatics

Background:

• Digital pathology offers improved workflow efficiency and diagnostic collaboration.
• Digitization prepares pathology departments for advanced computational applications.
• Successful implementation requires careful consideration of technical and operational components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline essential hardware, software, and IT infrastructure for digital pathology.
• To discuss Whole Slide Imaging (WSI) system components and considerations for dermatopathology.
• To review image compression, storage, and DICOM standards for digital pathology.

Main Methods:

• Review of technical and operational components for digital pathology.
• Discussion of Whole Slide Imaging (WSI) system selection and modalities.
• Examination of image compression, storage solutions (cloud, on-premises, hybrid), and network bandwidth.

Main Results:

• Successful digital pathology requires integrated hardware, software, and IT infrastructure.
• Scanner selection, scanning modalities, and performance trade-offs are critical for dermatopathology.
• Balancing image quality, storage efficiency, and network requirements is key for DICOM compliance and data management.

Conclusions:

• Part I provides a foundational understanding of the technical and operational aspects of digital pathology implementation.
• Consideration of WSI, image compression, and storage infrastructure is vital for efficient and scalable digital pathology workflows.
• Adherence to DICOM standards ensures interoperability and facilitates future computational analyses.