NI LabVIEW and IMAQ Vision Deliver Telepathology Microscope Control to Medical Clinics via High-Speed Internet Connections

Author(s):
Thomas Klinger - University of Applied Sciences Niederrhein, School of Electronic and Equipment Engineering, Carinthia Tech Institute, University of Applied Sciences

Industry:
Telecommunications, Education

Products:
LabVIEW, Machine Vision

The Challenge:
Reducing the time required for medical clinics to receive downloaded images from computerized microscopes at offsite pathology labs and giving medical staff the ability to control the microscope’s images to further analyze the results.

The Solution:
Creating a LabVIEW and IMAQ Vision-based application with one or more gigabit fiber-optic networks to transmit pathology results via high-speed Internet connection and providing medical staff with the ability to control magnification, focus, and position of the microscope’s image.

Remotely Controlling Computerized Microscope Images

Gaining distance control of a computerized microscope is a common application in medical clinics without an onsite pathology department. Using telepathology, these clinics transmit data and images with a computerized microscope to and from a remote site over the Internet for diagnosis. A digital camera captures the microscope image and usually transfers it over low-bandwidth Internet connections to a partner institute, which results in image download times of one minute or more.

We built a system based on NI tools and a telepathology microscope including image transfer and microscope settings control so clinics can obtain reliable pathological diagnosis via high-speed Internet connections to reduce image download time from minutes to less than one second.

Creating a Telepathology Application

To take advantage of telepathology, pathologists do not have to be present in Clinic A; for example, they may be working in Clinic B or their own offices. If the pathologists and Clinic A are connected to a high-speed network, they can use the telepathology client-server software. The server consists of a pathology microscope, a high-resolution video camera created using IEEE 1394, and a workstation running the server software.

The screen of a telepathology client setup shows two main items corresponding to the two main tasks of the client software – an image window displaying the microscope camera image and a control window used to set one or more of the microscope parameters including table position, objective focus, objective magnification (revolver position) and target illumination.

The client workstation can use two different methods to display the two task windows. One method is a terminal service client, such as Virtual Network Computing (VNC) or the built-in Windows XP functionality, if fast enough. The color representation has to be set to 24 bits to show appropriate image colors. Another option is to use the built-in Web publishing functions and image control in LabVIEW and a simple browser window on the server. The server software contains a very simple loop, and the subVI functions control the microscope functions through an RS232 serial port. Some of the microscope parameters are integrated in the image window title for feedback reasons.

The simplest solution for the client software is to use the terminal client software, which transfers the entire screen content of the server to the client. If the LabVIEW Web server is started on the server workstation, a remote panel can be used on the client for the microscope control functions. You can display the image using the image display control in LabVIEW 7 Express.

Currently, the telepathology application simulates a connection between two clinics in Austria – Klagenfurt and Friesach. The client and server are connected by a wavelength division multiplexing connection with a density of 4 Gb/s, making the transmission 16 times faster than the previous system transmitted over four Integrated Circuit Digital Network (ISDN) lines.

Author Information:
Thomas Klinger
University of Applied Sciences Niederrhein, School of Electronic and Equipment Engineering, Carinthia Tech Institute, University of Applied Sciences
n/a
n/a n/a
Austria
Tel: n/a
Fax: n/a
n/a

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