title: Image Montaging for Creating a Virtual Pathology Slide: An Innovative and Economical Tool to Obtain a Whole Slide Image.
abstract: Background. Microscopes are omnipresent throughout the field of biological research. With microscopes one can see in detail what is going on at the cellular level in tissues. Though it is a ubiquitous tool, the limitation is that with high magnification there is a small field of view. It is often advantageous to see an entire sample at high magnification. Over the years technological advancements in optics have helped to provide solutions to this limitation of microscopes by creating the so-called dedicated "slide scanners" which can provide a "whole slide digital image." These scanners can provide seamless, large-field-of-view, high resolution image of entire tissue section. The only disadvantage of such complete slide imaging system is its outrageous cost, thereby hindering their practical use by most laboratories, especially in developing and low resource countries.Methods. In a quest for their substitute, we tried commonly used image editing software Adobe Photoshop along with a basic image capturing device attached to a trinocular microscope to create a digital pathology slide.Results. The seamless image created using Adobe Photoshop maintained its diagnostic quality.Conclusion. With time and effort photomicrographs obtained from a basic camera-microscope set up can be combined and merged in Adobe Photoshop to create a whole slide digital image of practically usable quality at a negligible cost.
authors.affiliation: Oral Diagnostic and Surgical Science Division, International Medical University, No. 126, Jalan 19/155B, 57000 Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Spoorthi Ravi
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3902-6836
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Banavar
authors.affiliation: Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine Division, Faculty of Dentistry, MAHSA University, Bandar Saujana Putra, 41200 Jenjarom, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Prashanthi
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0059-7591
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chippagiri
authors.affiliation: Restorative Dentistry Division, International Medical University, No. 126, Jalan 19/155B, 57000 Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pandurangappa
authors.affiliation: MDS, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, 12-13-36, Lakshmi Nivas, Tarnaka, Hyderabad 500017, India.
authors.forename: Saileela
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Annavajjula
authors.affiliation: Oral Pathology, JSS Dental College and Hospital, Sri Shivarathreeshwara Nagara, Bannimantap, Mysore 570015, India.
authors.forename: Premalatha Bidadi
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Rajashekaraiah
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D010781:Photography / Q000295:instrumentation; D012984:Software; D014584:User-Computer Interface