TECHNIQUE FOR THE DIGITAL IMAGING OF HISTOPATHOLOGIC PREPARATIONS OF EYES FOR RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION

Background: Although there are excellent techniques to photograph gros s ocular pathology specimens, it is difficult to view or photograph th e entire eye from a glass slide using equipment designed for photomicr ography. This investigation was initiated to develop a technique to im age the entire eye from a glass slide. Methods: The glass histopatholo gic slide, placed in a carrier intended for 35-mm film transparencies, is inserted into a 35-mm slide scanner. The glass slide is scanned, c reating a digital color image which may be converted to black and whit e with enhancement of certain histologic features, One may use a digit al film recorder to produce 35-mm photographic transparencies or a dye sublimation printer to produce high-resolution color or black and whi te prints. Results: More than 400 ocular whole-mount preparations have been digitized in the authors' laboratory to generate illustrations s uitable for publication or for analysis in morphologic research. Concl usion: Digital techniques provide easier control over density and cont rast than conventional photographic methods, Digitized images are well -suited for morphologic analyses in research, These techniques allow o ne to publish black and white photographs for books or journals while retaining the original color image for potential CD-ROM editions.