Color television microscopy used at laboratory range magnifications, reproduces a slide image with sufficient fidelity for medical laboratory and instructional use. The system is used for instant pathological reporting between operating room and remotely located pathologist viewing a biopsy through this medium

Heath, M. A.

Peck, J. C.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

August 1968	 Brief 68-10314 
NASA Tech Briefs are issued to summarize specific innovations derived from the U.S. space program, 
to encourage their commercial application. Copies are available to the public at 15 cents each 
from the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, Springfield, Virginia 22151. 
Color-Televised Medical Microscopy 
Control Voltages
 © © © Timing 
	
Color Camera	
Camera 
...
	
	
Color	 Pulses
en 
	
ue	
l
ontro Sync Separate R 1G 9 
	
Targets	 GeneratorVideo
NTSC 
Light Trap
	 Encoder 
Ocular  
,,	 h—Standard Format Color Video Signal 
Dichroic Mirrors
	 Display 
Fan 
	
Objective Lenses k\\ 
Slide
	
Tape
Display 
Substage Condenser & Aperture
— 
IIIIø _ 
Mirror (chrome I Light Source	 Microscope	 00	 E^ 00 
Video Tape Recorder 
An investigation has been made into the feasibility 
of color-television microscopy for use at laboratory-
range magnifications to reproduce a slide image with 
sufficient fidelity for medical laboratory or instruc-
tional use. 
The arrangement of the system is as illustrated and 
uses an external light source and substage mirror to 
illuminate the slide, and a blower directed at the 
microscope stage to dissipate lamp-generated heat. 
The slide's real image, formed by the microscope 
optics, is projected through the lens opening into the 
color television camera with the camera lens removed.
Dichroic mirrors at the camera's optical input separate 
the image into its red, green, and blue components and. 
direct them to the photosensitive targets of three vid-
Icon tubes, which act as optical-to-video transducers. 
Synchronous scanning of these targets produces three 
video signals corresponding to the optical image's red, 
green, and blue components. 
After processing by the color camera control unit, 
the three video signals are combined into a single color 
television signal in the standard National Television 
System Committee (NTSC) format by the NTSC en-
coder. From the NTSC encoder, the encoder video 
(continued overleaf) 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National
	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States
	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States
	 will be free from privately owned rights.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19680000314 2020-03-12T06:13:37+00:00Z
signal is routed either to the display monitor for real 
time viewing, or to the video tape recorder for storage, 
or to both. 
Notes: 
1. All major equipment items in the system are 
standard, commercially available units. 
2. Many applications for the use of color-television 
microscopy suggest themselves. Medical education 
implementation, instant pathology reporting be-
tween operating room and remotely located pa-
thologist viewing a biopsy through this medium, 
and computerized comparison of chromosome pat-
terns from the digitized video signals with a pat-
tern recognition program are some possibilities.
3. Microscope slides have been successfully color 
televised at X970 (oil immersion) magnification. 
4. Inquiries concerning this innovation may be di-
rected to:
Technology Utilization Officer 
Manned Spacecraft Center 
Houston, Texas 77058 
Reference: B68-10314 
Patent status: 
No patent action is contemplated by NASA. 
Source: John C. Peck and Marshall A. Heath 
(MSC-13086) 
Brief 68-10314	 Category 01


Color-televised medical microscopy

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

NASA Technical Reports Server