Telepathology has developed with advances in camera, computer and microscope technology. Now, true-colour, high-definition megapixel imaging in real time with no lag and no delay has arrived.
In 2009 the Royal Berkshire Hospital (RBH) made the decision to update its microscope camera system. Located in the haematology department, the equipment originally consisted of a microscope-mounted analogue video camera connected to a 21-inch professional monitor. This was used for presentations and training purposes for over 10 years until it started to display picture defects. Douglas Denton, a biomedical scientist in the department, was asked to research and find a replacement that could offer the same reliability while offering state-of-the-art visual properties.
Decision process
The brief initially seemed quite simple; find a camera capable of outputting a digital picture that could be displayed on a large, widescreen LCD monitor, ideally with screenshot capabilities that could be used to catalogue and record interesting cells. While this, in principle, seemed straightforward, finding suitable technology was not. High-definition video was still in its infancy in 2009 and although many of the digital microscope cameras supported greater resolutions they were heavily biased towards still images, square aspect ratios and poor frame rates, which lacked the fluidity of movement that was required.
Many of the digital cameras required proprietary software and an accompanying computer. This was equipment that seemed excessive for such a simple task. A conscious decision was made to steer away from conventional digital morphology cameras and broaden the search in the high-definition surgical video camera field. It was during this process that the Optronics Microcast HD camera was trialled and subsequently chosen.
High-definition arrives
The Optronics Microcast HD Studio is a powerful standalone solution that consists of a camera and base unit. The camera is a small 9 oz c-mountable unit capable of producing high-definition 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels) video at 60 frames per second. This ensures that all microscope stage movement is translated as smooth and fluid motion on the attached displays. The technology employs three high-resolution CCD arrays that ensure incredible clarity and colour reproduction.
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