THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A COST-EFFECTIVE REAL TIME IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR TRANSMISSION OF HISTOPATHOLOGIC PICTURES BETWEEN PATHOLOGY LABORATORIES.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A COST-EFFECTIVE REAL TIME IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR TRANSMISSION OF HISTOPATHOLOGIC PICTURES BETWEEN PATHOLOGY LABORATORIES. WE PLAN TO CONFIGURE AN IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM WITH OFF-THE-SHELF EQUIPMENT AND AVAILABLE SOFTWARE WHERE POSSIBLE. THERE WILL BE A REQUIREMENT TO DEVELOP SOME SOFTWARE TO MAKE THE SYSTEM OPERATE. A STRATEGY NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED TO TRANSMIT THE PICTURES OVER TELEPHONE LINES EITHER BY SENDING INDIVIDUAL PICTURES OF SELECTED MICROSCOPIC FIELDS OR BY SENDING A COMPOSITE IMAGE OF ALL FIELDS AT ONE TIME. THESE PICTURES WILL BE AT A 256 X 256 IMAGES PER PICTURE AND, IF THE RESOLUTION IS NOT SUFFICIENT, WE WILL INVESTIGATE THE USE OF 512 X 512 IMAGES PER PICTURE. WE PLAN TO DEMONSTRATE THAT IT IS FEASIBLE TO SEND A LOW COST, HIGH RESOLUTION HISTOPATHOLOGIC PICTURE BY THE END OF PHASE I. IF PHASE I OF THE PROJECT IS SUCCESSFUL, WE PLAN, WITH PHASE II FUNDS, TO DEVELOP THE MARKET, GO INTO PRODUCTION, AND TO SET UP PROTOTYPE DEMONSTRATIONS IN IN VARIOUS LABORATORIES FOR CRITICAL EVALUATION BY PATHOLOGISTS. DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM WILL SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE DISSEMINATION OF HISTOPATHOLOGIC INFORMATION. THIS PROJECT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE INTEGRATION OF A TRADITIONAL MEDICAL FIELD WITH THE LATEST HIGH TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS TO MAKE A QUANTUM JUMP IN THE FIELD OF PATHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS.