Systems and methods for analyzing digital slide images using algorithms constrained by parameter data

1. A computer-implemented method for processing the content of a digital image of a microscope sample, the method comprising, by at least one hardware processor:

receiving an identification of one or more algorithms over at least one network;

receiving an identification of one or more digital slide images over the at least one network;

receiving one or more parameter data for the identified one or more algorithms;

retrieving the one or more digital slide images;

executing the identified one or more algorithms to analyze the identified one or more digital slide images; and

constraining the execution of the identified one or more algorithms based on the received parameter data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameter data comprises a definition of a sub-region of at least one of the one or more digital slide images, and wherein constraining the execution of the identified one or more algorithms based on the parameter data comprises constraining execution of the identified one or more algorithms to the defined sub-region of the at least one digital slide image.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identification of one or more algorithms comprises an identification of a macro, and wherein the macro comprises an identification of two or more algorithms and the one or more parameter data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein executing the identified one or more algorithms to analyze the identified one or more digital slide images comprises:

down-sampling the one or more digital slide images from a native resolution to a lower resolution;

executing at least one of the one or more algorithms to analyze the one or more digital slide images at the lower resolution; and

executing at least one of the one or more algorithms to analyze the one or more digital slide images at the native resolution.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein executing at least one of the one more algorithms to analyze the one or more digital slide images at the lower resolution comprises identifying sub-regions of the one or more digital slide images for further analysis, and wherein executing at least one of the one or more algorithms to analyze the one or more digital slide images at the native resolution comprises analyzing only the identified sub-regions.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identification of one or more algorithms comprises an identification of a macro, wherein the macro comprises an identification of two or more algorithms.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving the one or more digital slide images comprises receiving the one or more digital slide images from a remote image server over the at least one network.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising retrieving the one or more identified algorithms from a remote computer over the at least one network.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identification of one or more algorithms and the identification of one or more digital image slides is received from an automated program.

10. A system for processing the content of a digital image of a microscope sample, the system comprising:

at least one hardware processor; and

at least one executable software module that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor,

receives an identification of one or more algorithms over at least one network,

receives an identification of one or more digital slide images over the at least one network,

receives one or more parameter data for the identified one or more algorithms,

retrieves the one or more digital slide images,

executes the identified one or more algorithms to analyze the identified one or more digital slide images, and

constrains the execution of the identified one or more algorithms based on the parameter data.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more parameter data comprises a definition of a sub-region of one of the one or more digital slide images, and wherein constraining the execution of the identified one or more algorithms based on the parameter data comprises constraining execution of the identified one or more algorithms to the defined sub-region of the digital slide image.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the identification of one or more algorithms comprises an identification of a macro, and wherein the macro comprises an identification of two or more algorithms and the one or more parameter data.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein executing the identified one or more algorithms to analyze the identified one or more digital slide images comprises:

down-sampling the one or more digital slide images from a native resolution to a lower resolution;

executing at least one of the one or more algorithms to analyze the one or more digital slide images at the lower resolution; and

executing at least one of the one or more algorithms to analyze the one or more digital slide images at the native resolution.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein executing at least one of the one more algorithms to analyze the one or more digital slide images at the lower resolution comprises identifying sub-regions of the one or more digital slide images for further analysis, and wherein executing at least one of the one or more algorithms to analyze the one or more digital slide images at the native resolution comprises analyzing only the identified sub-regions.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the identification of one or more algorithms comprises an identification of a macro, wherein the macro comprises an identification of two or more algorithms.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein retrieving the one or more digital slide images comprises receiving the one or more digital images from a remote image server over the at least one network.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one executable software module further retrieves the one or more identified algorithms from a remote computer over the at least one network.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the identification of one or more algorithms and the identification of one or more digital image slides is received from an automated program.