[Effects of upstream laboratory processes on the digitization of histological slides]. / Auswirkungen vorgeschalteter Laborprozesse auf die Digitalisierung histologischer Schnittpräparate.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Several factors in glass slide (GS) preparation affect the quality and data volume of a digitized histological slide. In particular, reducing contamination and selecting the appropriate coverslip have the potential to significantly reduce scan time and data volume. GOALS To objectify observations from our institute's digitization process to determine the impact of laboratory processes on the quality of digital histology slides. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experiment 1 Scanning the GS before and after installation of a central console in the microtomy area to reduce dirt and statistical analysis of the determined parameters. Experiment 2 Re-coverslipping the GS (post diagnostics) with glass and film. Scanning the GS and statistical analysis of the collected parameters. CONCLUSION: The targeted restructuring in the laboratory process leads to a reduction of GS contamination. This causes a significant reduction in the amount of data generated and scanning time required for the digitized sections. Film as a coverslip material minimizes processing errors in contrast to glass. According to our estimation, all the above-mentioned points lead to considerable cost savings.