TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a digital slide system, which eliminates the need for physical use of slide and the need for sample tissue to be examined together with the slide, in order to provide convenience for those who need to receive microscope usage training.

BACKGROUND

Today, research at the micro level is done using microscopes. The most commonly used microscopic education tools in medical education are light microscopes and preparations. Sections of 5 microns are taken from the tissues to be examined, stained and examined under the microscope by means of preparations.

With the advancement of technology, smart and digital versions of microscopes have been developed. In these microscopes, the preparation is examined and the diagnosis of the disease is made through the microscope by using artificial intelligence algorithms. Digital microscopes, on the other hand, are a type of conventional optical microscope that uses a variety of optics and a digital camera to transfer the image to the monitor, usually by means of software running through a computer. A digital microscope usually has an integrated LED light source and differs from an optical microscope as there is no reason to observe the sample directly with the eyepiece. The entire system is designed for monitor display, as the image is focused digitally. Optics specific to the human eye have been removed from the system. Ready-made preparations are used in these microscopes, as in conventional microscopes, and their images are projected onto the screen. However, in this method, it is not possible to gain the ability to use a microscope. Because there is no visual examination, the examination is carried out directly on the screen.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 . General View of the Invention

Figure 2. A View Without Directing Panel

Figure 3. Bottom Part and Directing Panel

Figure 4. Upper View of the Bottom Part and the Directing Panel Figure 5. Upper View Showing the Scroll Axis Contacting the Directing Panel by Moving the Scroll Axis to the Right

Figure 6. Upper View Showing the Scroll Axis Contacting the Directing Panel by Moving the Scroll Axis to the Left

Equivalents of the numbers given in the figures:

1. Upper Body

2. Scroll Axis

3. Bottom Body

4. Display

5. Middle Section

6. Direction Button

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is about a system designed for users who will receive microscope training comprising an data storage area where images can be loaded, a software that can detect graphics showing intracellular organelles and formations in the image by processing the uploaded images, apply animations and effects so that these organelles and formations can be seen as living cell tissue, a digital display (4) that provides imaging so that the processed images can be viewed through a microscope and a scroll axis (2) on its four sides, which enables the image to be shifted, thus provides a feeling of using a real microscope slide.

In the background section, how to use a standard microscope was discussed. Our invention aims to solve many problems by eliminating the physical tissue or cell sample, which is a necessity in standard microscopes, and by means of software that allows the images to be loaded into the system to be displayed as real living cell tissues. The first problem is the necessity of preparing a sample for each tissue. Thanks to the invention, all images are uploaded digitally with a single digital slide set, enabling the trainee to work on the desired image. In addition, the obligations related to the proper collection of the sample to be examined will also be eliminated. As a matter of fact, it is not possible to reach the desired training result by viewing a sample that is not taken in the right standards. In our invention, the whole process is completed by only uploading the desired image to the system. The remaining operations are carried out by the software included in the system, and the examination of a real texture image is simulated with the effects to be applied to the loaded image.

The images uploaded to the storage area of the system subject to the invention are analyzed by software. This analysis is aimed at determining the shapes of intracellular organelles and formations in the image that have been previously defined to the software. The shapes of all intracellular organelles and formations are defined in the software such as, the cell nucleus is in a circular structure or the mitochondria is in a bean-like elliptical structure. Although these definitions cover all kinds of organelles and formations in human, animal and plant cells that can be examined, the user can add to the definitions if desired. Since the defined shapes are known by the software, a scan is performed to see if these shapes exist in the image uploaded to the system for review by the user. For scanning, first filtering and noise removal steps are applied to the image. The median filter, which is applied to reduce the effects of deformation and noise, gives good results especially in images with random noise distribution. This filter was chosen because of its good noise reduction capability and less blurring than smaller sized linear smoothing filters. Afterwards, a background removal process is applied to the image. In this step, the parts that do not have any patterns on them are detected and deleted by the software. The Sobel operator is applied to the image with the background removed and the edges of the objects are determined. Corner, arc and straight-line geometric features are searched on this image in which the edges are detected. Names are determined by matching the organelles and formations formed by these searched and detected lines with the organelles and formations uploaded to the database. The routine movements of organelles and formations, whose names are known, are also recorded in the system database. These movements are applied to the detected organelles as they are uploaded to the database. Movements can be varied as point-to-point movement, circular movements, trembling, back-and-forth movement, or staying still. In this way, organelles and formations are detected on a fixed cell image and the ability to move in accordance with its original is gained. The gaps of the background detected in the previous steps are filled by copying the images in the nearest pixels during this movement. Thus, the background deficiency is never seen by the user.

The display (4) in the system subject to the invention displays the image processed and made ready for education by the software. The image projected by the display (4) is ready to be viewed with the microscope. When the user looks through the microscope, the image that has been finalized with the software and is ready to experience the experience that would be obtained with a classical microscope image can be seen.

In classical microscopes, the microscope slide is moved in order to move the parts of the image placed between the slide and the coverslip that come under the lens of the microscope. Thus, the image under the lens is transmitted to the eye of the user. In our invention, there is a scroll axis (2) in order to have this experience. The scroll axis (2) positioned between the upper body (1 ) and the lower body (3) of the digital slide training set is fixed with guide gaps so that it is activated on a fixed line when it is pulled down, up, right or left. The protrusions on the upper body (1 ) and the lower body (3) coincide with the guide spaces on the scroll axis (2) and thus enable the scroll axis (2) to move on a fixed line. When the scroll axis (2) is pulled to the right, it shifts to the right in a way that presses a direction button (6) located on the left side on the middle section (5). A function of shifting the image to the right is defined for this button. Means, a direction button (6) is placed on the opposite side of each direction that is desired to be shifted, with the command to shift the image in the relevant direction. With the movement of the scroll axis (2), a command is transmitted to the software to scroll the image by touching the direction buttons (6). Four direction buttons (6) are positioned on the four lateral sides of the middle section (5), one on each side. For example, when the image is desired to be shifted to the right, the scroll axis (2) is pulled to the right and the scrolling is provided by pressing the direction button (6) placed on the left. The drawing for this part is given in Figures 5 and 6. When the scrolling axis (2) is shifted to the direction of the arrow in Figure 5 and Figure 6, it causes the image to shift by applying pressure to the direction buttons (6), which their contact can be seen in these Figures.

The invention comprises a data transfer port that allows the user to upload the images to the storage area. This data transfer port is any of the USB connection types. When the media which the data will be transferred from is connected to the invention via this input, the software automatically sees the connection and shows the image files in the connected media on the display (4) via the interface. By using the scroll axis (2), the user can switch between the files that appear on the display (4). When the cursor is on the image to be transferred, the image can be copied to the storage area by pressing any two direction buttons (6) together. In order to make any image in the storage area ready to be displayed on the display (4), the inside of the storage area is displayed via the display (4). As soon as the system, which is the subject of the invention, is turned on, it displays a main window in which the recorded images are displayed. In this window, the image to be made ready from the recorded images is selected by moving via the scroll axis (2) and pressing any two direction buttons (6) at the same time. Thus, the invention makes the image ready by applying the abovedescribed steps. The prepared image is visible under a microscope. When the cursor is on an image, if any three direction buttons (6) are pressed, the command to delete the file is sent to the software. Thus, a recorded image can be deleted. If four direction buttons (6) are pressed together for more than two seconds, the system shuts down. All these functions build up the user interface within the software.