Trestal公司推出远程医学显微镜诊断系统

一种使用标准台式电脑将显微镜连接到因特网上的系统，允许偏远地区的使用者能够观察并操纵病理切片来进行远程会诊并得到准确诊断。

目前该系统正在加拿大西Parry Sound健康中心(WPSHC, Ontario, Canada)使用，这家医疗保健网络涵盖了安大略地区70,000人口。传统上这个网络使用快递员将患者病理切片传送给相关专家，以获得最佳诊断结果。但是这种传统方法有些先天不足，从而降低了网络提供最佳保健措施的能力。其一是处理过程需要24小时甚至更长，当处理急诊病例的时候就不可行了。另外一个缺陷是标本照片不能反应一张切片所能提供的全部细节。

该网络首席病理师兼实验医学主任Ola Kassim医生解释说：“当观察样本的时候，病理师需要移动切片，放大或者缩小、照亮特定视野。而面对一张照片或者静态数字照片，这些都无法做到。”

新型系统允许病理师控制其他单位的一台真实显微镜下的一张真实切片，甚至当不同医疗单位医生会诊的时候共同操纵一张切片。除此之外，因为无需召集另外一个病理师来处理急诊，无论身在何处Kassim医生都能够通过他的膝上计算机来处理，因此该系统能够降低医疗费用。

这套系统是由Trestal公司(Irvine, CA, USA)研制成功的。该公司研发并推向市场的数字成像以及远程医学产品，将地理上分散的使用者、信息数据库以及分析产品彼此有机的联系起来。

Telemedicine Microscopy
 
A system that uses standard PCs to connect microscopes to the Internet enables users in remote areas to view and navigate slides for accurate consultation and diagnosis.

This system is now being used by West Parry Sound Health Center (WPSHC, Ontario, Canada), a network of healthcare facilities covering 70,000 people in Ontario. Traditionally, the network has used couriers to transport patient’s slides to appropriate specialists to obtain the best diagnostic results. However, this method has several flaws that undermine the network’s ability to provide the best healthcare. One is that the process often takes 24 hours or more, not acceptable when dealing with an urgent diagnosis. Another flaw is that the photo of a specimen does not reveal the detail that an actual slide can provide.

“When viewing a specimen, a pathologist needs to move the slide, zoom in or out, and illuminate certain areas,” explained Dr. Ola Kassim, the network’s chief pathologist and director of laboratory medicine. “With a photo or a static digital image, none of this is possible.”

The system allows pathologists to control an actual slide on an actual microscope in another facility and even to share control of a slide while conducting a consultation between doctors in different facilities. In addition, since there is no need to bring in another pathologist to be on call for emergencies, which Dr. Kassim can handle on his laptop computer wherever he is, the system reduces costs.

The system was developed by Trestle Holdings, Inc. (Irvine, CA, USA). The company develops and markets digital imaging and telemedicine products that link geographically dispersed users with each other, information databases, and analytical tools.