Michael R Voss

US Patent:

20030163031, Aug 28, 2003

Filed:

Mar 19, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/392194

Inventors:

Charles Madden - Newport Beach CA, US
Michael Dolan - Orange CA, US
Glenn Ray - Laguna Niguel CA, US
Michael Voss - San Juan Capistrano CA, US

Assignee:

ADLabs, Inc.

International Classification:

A61B005/00

US Classification:

600/300000

Abstract:

A method for providing centralized anatomic pathology services. A plurality of regional pathology laboratories is provided, each laboratory servicing a defined geographic region. A master storage (e.g., database) of pathology information is maintained, the storage being accessible by pathologists associated with any regional laboratory via a communications link. Tissue samples requiring pathology processing are collected from a medical entity located in a first geographic region by a regional pathology laboratory. The tissue is processed, and a tissue slide is created. A digital, diagnostic quality image of the tissue slide is created and stored in the master storage. A pathologist, who may be remotely located with respect to the first geographic region, is provided with access to the stored diagnostic image via the communications link, to enable diagnosis by the pathologist without physical possession of the slide. The digital, diagnostic quality image may be compressed before it is stored in the master storage. The diagnosis may be a primary or a secondary diagnosis. In the case of a secondary or supplemental diagnosis, the pathologist is provided with access to any prior analysis and annotations, stored in the master storage, relating to the diagnostic image. A system for implementing the method is also disclosed.