Array-microscope slide scanner system

DESCRIPTION (PROVIDED BY APPLICANT): We propose the development of an innovative, economical, array-microscope digital slide scanner to generate virtual slides in histopathology. This instrument will be capable of scanning a microscope slide in a single sweep at a numerical aperture of NA = 0.65, covering the entire width and length of a slide with 0.47- um sampling. The fundamental innovation consists in the use of an array of 100 miniaturized objectives, each measuring approximately 2 mm in diameter and 9 mm in length, slightly staggered in the array, to produce a single, seamless sweep of the slide. This innovation allows a very rapid full-color scan requiring less than 60 seconds for a full microscope slide of 20 mm by 50 mu m, at diffraction-limited sampling. This scanning speed is a factor of 10-20 faster than any single-objective system's. The Phase I application laid out the scientific innovation and merit of the array microscope scanning technology. It is the overall goal of Phase II to build on the accomplishments of Phase I and produce an economical, high-throughput digital slide scanner that can be either a stand-alone solution or integrated with existing image-management and analysis solutions. We will achieve this goal through a combination of developments in manufacturing (result: economical scanner) and software (result: tools to seamlessly connect our instrument to third-party laboratory-information-system or quantitative-analysis software). The three Aims of Phase II are: (Aim 1) Develop the means to manufacture high-numerical-aperture array microscope optics at minimal cost. Specifically, implement and perfect injection-molding of high-precision optical elements arranged as arrays on easy-to-assemble, coin-sized plates; (Aim 2) Develop the methods necessary to quality-control (QC) arrays of miniature microscope objectives; and (Aim 3) Develop a Software Development Kit (SDK) to allow third-party developers to create clinical and research solutions that combine DMetrix's array microscope instrument and specialized software.