Telepathology and Digital Pathology Research

Abstract

Telepathology, the practice of pathology at a distance, is a service component of digital pathology. The design and development of telepathology imaging systems has been a multi-disciplinary enterprise, involving software and hardware engineers, optical scientists, computer scientists, and others. Clinical translational research has had a role in evaluating each new wave of innovations in telepathology device design, testing, clinical trials and service implementations. Telepathology innovators have been disadvantaged by the very nature of their goal, that is, to create a means for pathologists to carry out their ordinary surgical pathology and cytopathology diagnostic service duties at a distance, equaling or surpassing the diagnostic performance and efficiency that they ordinarily achieve using conventional light microscopy. Unlike other novel medical imaging modalities, such as CT or MRI scans in diagnostic radiology, which offer the visualization of structures not seen with traditional x-ray radiography, the best that telepathologists can hope to do is equal the performance of a medical imaging technology, light microscopy, that is already a “gold standard” for medical diagnoses. This is challenging, especially when a robotic component is imposed between a digital imaging device in one location and the pathologist system operator in another. Nevertheless, many technical problems have been overcome and telepathology is beginning to enter the mainstream of pathology laboratory practice.