One of the most commonly used techniques in biomedical research is examination of tissues from experimental animals before and after interventions. Scanning, digitizing and analyzing these histopathological slides is an integral part and extensively used technology in our VA biomedical research projects. This usually involves various tissue sections examined under the microscope and subsequent image analysis. Currently, this is performed manually and at different resolutions each separately scanned and quantitated. This is a very time consuming and inefficient process. To significantly improve our imaging and analysis process, we are requesting a high- resolution slide scanner and analyzer that will serve immediately as a shared equipment for a group of ten VA investigators. Availability of such a system is therefore highly desirable and would benefit eventually a large number of VA investigators. The proposed new Axio system will permit automated scanning, at high resolution, archiving and analyzing these slides. This automated device rapidly acquires high-magnification images and joins them into large composites and can generate 3D reconstructions of whole organs from serial tissue sections. In addition to these unique capabilities, this system is easier to use than a traditional microscope due to a lack of moving parts and intuitive control software and is easier to maintain due its enclosed design and self-calibrating optics. These features greatly reduce operator and maintenance costs. This device will not only reduce work hours and costs for tissue processing but will also generate higher quality images for presentation and analysis, advancing a wide range of veteran-centric research at the San Diego VA closer toward the clinic and a direct benefit to veterans' health. Our VASDHS micro-imaging core facility does not have an automated, networked system for scanning, archiving and analyzing these histopathological slides. This lack of proper equipment results in extensive manual labor and often the slides have to be re-scanned at different resolutions. In summary, this system will be beneficial to investigators in Radiology, Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Neurology, Surgery, Cardiology and Urology and will be a useful resource to other investigators as well. .
In this VA Shared Equipment Evaluation Program (ShEEP), we propose to purchase a slide imaging scanner as a shared equipment for multiple users so as to improve the productivity of our research program that would significantly enhance digital scanning capabilities for Brightfield/Fluorescent stained images. This proposed scanner as a shared equipment meets the objectives of the VA ShEEP program that will be immediately used by at least ten major VA funded investigators. Our facility lacks such an automated imaging system and availability of such a system is therefore highly beneficial for a large number of VA investigators.
