Service Description

Convert glass pathology slides into high-resolution digital whole-slide images for remote review, collaboration, archiving, and quantitative research.

This whole-slide imaging service supports brightfield and fluorescence applications for biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical developers, contract research organizations, and academic laboratories. Slides are digitized using research-grade scanning workflows, followed by image-quality review and secure digital delivery.

Projects may range from a small pilot study to the digitization of large slide archives, biobanks, tissue microarrays, or preclinical study collections.

Key Capabilities

• Brightfield whole-slide imaging
• Fluorescence whole-slide imaging
• Immunofluorescence and FISH slide scanning
• Single-channel and multichannel fluorescence imaging
• Z-stack scanning options
• High-resolution 20× and 40× scanning workflows
• Standard and large-format slide support
• High-throughput slide digitization
• Secure cloud-based slide viewing
• Desktop-compatible digital slide files
• Remote slide sharing and collaboration
• Optional quantitative image analysis
• Optional research pathologist review

Brightfield Whole-Slide Imaging

Brightfield scanning is available for routine histology, immunohistochemistry, and special-stain slides.

Supported applications include:

• Hematoxylin and eosin staining
• Immunohistochemistry
• Masson’s Trichrome
• Periodic acid–Schiff staining
• Other routine and special histology stains
• Tissue microarrays
• Preclinical study slides
• Whole-organ and whole-brain sections

High-resolution digital images can be generated for visual review, pathology assessment, archiving, annotation, or downstream image analysis.

Fluorescence Whole-Slide Imaging

Fluorescence scanning is available for single-marker and multiplex research applications.

Capabilities may include:

• Immunofluorescence slide scanning
• Multiplex immunofluorescence imaging
• FISH slide scanning
• DAPI nuclear imaging
• Multichannel fluorescence acquisition
• Z-stack imaging
• High-resolution imaging for complex fluorescence studies

Fluorescence channels, scan resolution, exposure settings, and output requirements can be configured according to the study design.

Supported Slide and Tissue Types

The service supports a broad range of research specimens, including:

• FFPE tissue sections
• Frozen tissue sections
• Tissue microarrays
• Routine histology slides
• Special-stain slides
• IHC slides
• IF and multiplex IF slides
• FISH slides
• Standard 1 × 3-inch glass slides
• Large-format 2 × 3-inch slides

Large-format slide scanning may be used for whole-brain, whole-organ, or other oversized tissue sections.

Applications

Digital Pathology

Create high-resolution digital replicas of glass slides for remote pathology review, annotation, teaching, study documentation, and collaborative research.

Biobank and Archive Digitization

Convert existing glass-slide collections into searchable digital archives that can be reviewed without repeatedly handling the original specimens.

Remote Slide Review

Provide distributed research teams, sponsors, pathologists, and external collaborators with secure access to study slides from different locations.

Tissue Microarray Imaging

Digitize tissue microarrays at high resolution for biomarker evaluation, cohort comparison, and downstream quantitative analysis.

Preclinical Research

Support pathology workflows for toxicology, efficacy, pharmacology, disease-model, and translational research studies.

AI and Machine-Learning Dataset Development

Generate standardized whole-slide image datasets for computational pathology, algorithm development, model validation, and image-classification research.

Quantitative Image Analysis

Combine slide scanning with optional digital measurements such as staining intensity, positive-cell counts, tissue-area measurements, biomarker quantification, or spatial analysis.

Service Workflow

1. Project Consultation

Provide the number of slides, staining method, slide dimensions, imaging mode, preferred scan resolution, fluorescence channels, file format, and delivery requirements.

The technical team will review project feasibility and recommend an appropriate scanning workflow.

2. Slide Submission

Ship glass slides using the recommended protective packaging process. Local pickup may be available depending on the project location.

Slides should be clearly labeled and accompanied by an inventory or sample manifest.

3. Sample Intake and Quality Control

Each shipment is logged and visually inspected upon arrival. Slides may be barcoded or matched to the submitted sample manifest to support accurate tracking.

The intake review evaluates:

• Slide integrity
• Coverslip condition
• Tissue placement
• Label readability
• Staining quality
• Fluorescence compatibility
• Potential scanning limitations

4. Whole-Slide Scanning

Slides are scanned using brightfield or fluorescence imaging according to the approved project specifications.

Scanning parameters may include:

• Requested optical magnification
• Image resolution
• Fluorescence channels
• Exposure settings
• Focal planes
• Z-stack depth
• Output file format

5. Post-Scan Image Review

Digital images are reviewed to verify:

• Tissue coverage
• Image focus
• Color balance
• Fluorescence signal quality
• Channel alignment
• File integrity
• Overall scan completeness

Slides may be rescanned when necessary and technically feasible.

6. Secure Data Delivery

Digital slide files can be delivered through secure cloud access, direct server transfer, or encrypted physical storage, depending on project requirements.

Online viewing options allow authorized users to zoom, navigate, annotate, review, and share scanned slides remotely.

7. Optional Analysis and Pathology Support

Additional services may include:

• Tissue annotation
• Region-of-interest selection
• Biomarker quantification
• Positive-cell detection
• Staining-intensity analysis
• AI-assisted image analysis
• Research pathologist review
• Study interpretation
• Pathology reporting

Digital File Formats

Available output formats may include:

• SVS
• MRXS
• TIFF
• Other compatible research imaging formats, subject to project review

Aperio-compatible SVS files may be provided for applicable brightfield scanning projects.

File-format requirements should be confirmed before scanning, particularly when images will be used with a specific digital pathology or image-analysis platform.

Secure Slide Viewing

Digitized slides may be accessed through desktop viewing software or a secure browser-based cloud platform.

Secure viewing capabilities may include:

• Private user credentials
• Browser-based slide access
• High-resolution zoom and navigation
• Remote review
• Slide sharing
• Image annotation
• Collaboration between project stakeholders

Cloud viewing can be useful for teams that need to review slides without downloading large whole-slide image files.

Why Choose This Service?

• Digitize both brightfield and fluorescence slides through one provider
• Access high-resolution images without repeatedly handling glass slides
• Support remote pathology and multidisciplinary research teams
• Accommodate standard and large-format tissue slides
• Scale projects from individual slides to large research archives
• Receive quality-controlled digital files in commonly used formats
• Add image analysis or pathologist review to the scanning workflow
• Generate datasets suitable for computational pathology research
• Maintain secure access to sensitive preclinical research images

Quality Considerations

Whole-slide image quality depends partly on the condition and preparation of the submitted glass slides.

For optimal results, slides should have:

• Clean coverslips
• Minimal mounting artifacts
• Proper tissue placement
• Intact glass and coverslips
• Clear sample labels
• Appropriate staining intensity
• Limited tissue folding or tearing
• Fluorescence signals that have been protected from photobleaching

The provider will review slides upon receipt, but scan quality may be affected by pre-existing tissue, staining, mounting, or coverslip artifacts.

Turnaround Time

Many standard whole-slide imaging projects may be completed within approximately 24–72 hours after acceptable slides are received.

Actual turnaround depends on:

• Number of slides
• Brightfield or fluorescence modality
• Scan resolution
• Number of fluorescence channels
• Z-stack requirements
• Slide dimensions
• Rescanning needs
• File-transfer requirements
• Optional image-analysis or pathology services

Large archives, complex fluorescence studies, and high-resolution imaging projects may require additional time.