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The digital pathology archive: the UMC Utrecht initiative. Paul van Diest, MD, PhD Professor and Head Department of Pathology University Medical Center Utrecht p.j.vandiest@umcutrecht.nl. The problem I. 100.000 new slides per year archive of 7.000.000 slides total weight 60.000 kg
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The digital pathology archive: the UMC Utrecht initiative Paul van Diest, MD, PhD Professor and Head Department of Pathology University Medical Center Utrecht p.j.vandiest@umcutrecht.nl
The problem I • 100.000 new slides per year • archive of 7.000.000 slides • total weight 60.000 kg • weight increase 100 kg per year
The problem II • slides often have to be retrieved: • clinicopathological conferences • compare with new material • teaching • research
The problem III • slide retrieval takes time (0.5 fte) • many circulating slides • slides may get lost/misplaced • slide quality deteriorates in time • faded colors • loose cover glasses • broken
The solution? • technically feasible to digitize all slides • store images on SAN • view slides digitally
Advantages of the digital archive • all slides are digitally available • instantaneously • simultaneously to multiple users • no slide retrieval from the archive • no searching for circulating slides • constant image quality • no slides get lost/damaged
Advantages of the digital archive • quicker preparation of CP conferences • CP can be held outside the pathology • laboratory • close colleagues can be consulted quicker • remote colleagues (at home, at conferences, • on vacation) can be consulted quicker • external consultations can be done quicker • images can be made available in EPF (ZIS, Mirador)
Advantages of digital “microscopy” teaching • all students view the same “best slide” • slide images can be integrated with • annotations • questions • macroscopic images • sound clips • links • etc
Advantages of the digital archive • more efficient CP conferences • higher speed, dynamics and flexibility of • consultation • higher quality and more dynamic teaching • but…… Can it be done?
mirador The digital pathology archive: the UMC Utrecht solution acquisition workstation scanning macro imager order form scanner RVC database DPS Sun SAN HSM storage clinical users pathology users 6 TB fast access hard disk array 120 TB tape library
Pitfalls of the digital archive I • huge storage management • 200 MB – 1 GB per slide (20x) • 80 TB per year • backup • back archive • speed of image retrieval • logistics of scanning 500 slides per day • no delay in having slides scanned • flexible scanning slots • image compression
Pitfalls of the digital archive II • costs (vs. savings/quality improvement)
Scanning logistics • scanners are loaded twice daily • at different moments • organize other work around this • 7 hours per run • bar code recognition in scanners • extra set of slide boxes • mark slides to be scanned (double slides) • do not write on slides • install alarm system when scanner crashes
lab B lab B lab C lab C lab A lab A lab D lab D central storage lab I lab I lab E lab E lab H lab H lab F lab F lab G lab G Future perspectives I • nationwide digital archive (EPF) • quicker revision • quicker consultation or…
Future perspectives II • digital diagnostics • remote diagnostics • diagnostic networks
from …….. to …….. pathology cockpit