Guidelines Digital Pathology for Diagnosis on (and Reports of) Digital Images Version 1.0 Bundesverband deutscher Pathologen e.V. (Federal Association of German Pathologist)

Digitalization is entering the medical fields with increasing velocity and impact on diagnostic and therapeutic actions. In addition, it matures to a mandatory tool of quality assurance, reliable inter-disciplinary communication, and promotion of research. The Professional Association of German Pathologists wants to support their members in their thoughts and potential implementation of virtual microscopy and related issues. It founded a committee of digital pathology. Colleagues experienced in routine surgical pathology, information technology and practice have been asked to investigate prerequisites, actual technology stages and financial considerations, and to formulate their recommendations and guidelines. Herein, the official guidelines of the Professional Association of German Pathologists are presented. The guidelines focus on practical issues, Pathologists as well as IT experts or interested researchers are invited to make use of these guidelines. Our readers are also invited to inquire specific tasks or discuss their ideas and experiences. They might either contact the committee directly, or discuss specific points of view by writing a letter to the editor, or by submission of, and to formulate a corresponding interactive publication

Linking Whole-Slide Microscope Images with DICOM by Using JPEG2000 Interactive Protocol

The use of digitized histopathologic specimens (also known as whole-slide images (WSIs)) in clinical medicine requires compatibility with the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard. Unfortunately, WSIs usually exceed DICOM image object size limit, making it impossible to store and exchange them in a straightforward way. Moreover, transmitting the entire DICOM image for viewing is ineffective for WSIs. With the JPEG2000 Interactive Protocol (JPIP), WSIs can be linked with DICOM by transmitting image data over an auxiliary connection, apart from patient data. In this study, we explored the feasibility of using JPIP to link JPEG2000 WSIs with a DICOM-based Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS). We first modified an open-source DICOM library by adding support for JPIP as described in the existing DICOM Supplement 106. Second, the modified library was used as a basis for a software package (JVSdicom), which provides a proof-of-concept for a DICOM client–server system that can transmit patient data, conventional DICOM imagery (e.g., radiological), and JPIP-linked JPEG2000 WSIs. The software package consists of a compression application (JVSdicom Compressor) for producing DICOM-compatible JPEG2000 WSIs, a DICOM PACS server application (JVSdicom Server), and a DICOM PACS client application (JVSdicom Workstation). JVSdicom is available for free from our Web site (http://jvsmicroscope.uta.fi/), which also features a public JVSdicom Server, containing example X-ray images and histopathology WSIs of breast cancer cases. The software developed indicates that JPEG2000 and JPIP provide a well-working solution for linking WSIs with DICOM, requiring only minor modifications to current DICOM standard specification