Virtual microscopie aan het Erasmus MC
Op de afdeling pathologie werd een tissue Micro Array platform opgezet compleet gefinancieerd door de Josephine Nefkens stichting. Hiermee kunnen we translationeel onderzoek op basis van weefsels ondersteunen. Virtuele microscopie is daar een belngrijk onderdeel van. Inmiddels hebben we het microscopen park uit moeten breiden voor diagnostich gebruik.
The Virtual Microscopes we have consists of two Hamamatsu Nanozoomers complete with a workstations and image servers, 4 Tb disk array coupled in a fast network, which is again coupled to the Erasmus MC Intranet. The nanozoomer is capable of scanning tissue slides up to 210 tissue slides per run at high magnification (200X and 400x) and store the images on hard disk. We have one Nanozoomer 2.0 HT which is capable of very fast scanning and recently the first now six year old scanner was upgraded to become as fast as his older brother. Software allows viewing of the images not only stand alone, but also over any network connection as for instance the Internet. Viewing can be done on every computer that is connected to the network and almost completely replaces the microscope. Intranet, Internet and Education has been realized. It is being used for education, research and parts of routine patholgy. Workdiscussions and teaching has been brought to another level due to the much improved communication between the teacher or pathologist and students or clinicians. On the Internet slide interest groups have started to discuss interesting cases, which is very absolutely essential for the dissemination of knowledge and harmonization of the profession. External consults areperformed with the virtual microscopic images etc etc.
Its main purpose is the analyses of Tissue Micro Arrays, but it can of course be used for many other purposes as well. Due to the ease of use it is already many times applied to present histology in a dynamic fashion on meetings not only inside the Erasmus MC but also outside the images can be shown. If you are interested in using this equipment please contact Dr P.H.J. Riegman, Be 235b, tst. 44421 or e-mail me.
Due to complicated security for computer networks Erasmus MC needs to provide for safeguarding the patient data according to privacy laws, we now have three image servers presenting the images for three different environments.
- Intranet server for in house support of clinical applications, work discussions and research
- O&O server to employ its capabilities for the education of the Erasmus MC medical students
- Internet DMZ for external presentation of the complete histologic images for the support of external review (multi-center studies like International trials), review of cases for quality control and forums for standardization and difficult cases can be discussed (Currently under development for the OECI)
