System and method for reviewing and analyzing cytological specimens
View Patent ↗Systems and methods of use to facilitate classification of cytological specimens are discussed. The system acquires or imports image data of a cytological specimen. The imported image data may include, or the system may otherwise perform an image analysis to identify one or more objects of interest in a respective specimen image dataset, including feature attributes for the identified objects. The system analyzes the feature attributes by predetermined criteria and/or optionally with user inputted criteria. The system includes an analysis tool that assists the user in identifying cytologically abnormal objects, if present in a particular specimen, by manipulating and viewing images of objects selected as a function of feature attributes. More generally, the analysis tool aides the user to find, extract, and display abnormal objects from within a large dataset of images and facilitates navigation through large amounts of image data and enables the efficient classification of the entire specimen.
1. A computer-assisted method of navigating images of a cytological specimen, comprising the acts of:
analyzing a first image of the cytological specimen to identify an object of interest within the cytological specimen;
displaying a second image of the object of interest to a user; and
in response to receiving a user selection of the object of interest:
determining a first characteristic of the selected object of interest;
receiving, from the user, a range of values corresponding to a second characteristic of the selected object of interest;
evaluating one or more objects of interest to determine at least one other object of interest having a similar characteristic to the first characteristic of the selected object of interest and having a second characteristic measurement within the range of values; and
displaying, responsive to determining the at least one other object of interest, a third image of the selected object of interest and a fourth image of the at least one other object of interest so as to provide for comparison of the objects of interest by the user.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fourth image of the at least one other object of interest is provided from the cytological specimen.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fourth image of the at least one other object of interest is provided from a database of previously stored objects of interest.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising acts of:
receiving, from the user, a classification of the selected object of interest; and
storing the classification of the selected object of interest with the third image of the selected object of interest.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first characteristic and the second characteristic include any one of a cell size, a nucleus/cytoplasm ratio, a morphological characteristic, a stain, a color-based criteria, a nucleic density, an optical density, and a regularity of contour.
6. The method of claim 1 , further including an act of assigning an object score to the at least one other object of interest.
7. A computer-assisted method of navigating images of a cytological specimen, comprising the acts of:
analyzing a first image of the cytological specimen to identify one or more objects of interest within the cytological specimen;
displaying one or more images each comprising one of the one or more objects of interest within the cytological specimen and including a second image of at least one object of interest;
in response to receiving a first user selection of the at least one object of interest:
displaying a field of view of the at least one object of interest and neighboring objects of interest,
wherein the second image of the at least one object of interest has a first magnification, and
wherein the field of view of the at least one object of interest is displayed at a second magnification different than the first magnification;
in response to receiving a second user selection of the at least one object of interest:
determining a first characteristic of the selected object of interest;
receiving, from the user, a range of values corresponding to a second characteristic of the selected object of interest;
evaluating at least one object of interest to determine at least one other object of interest having a similar characteristic to the first characteristic of the selected object of interest and having a second characteristic measurement within the range of values; and
displaying, responsive to determining the at least one other object of interest, a third image of the selected object of interest and a fourth image of the at least one other object of interest so as to provide for comparison of the objects of interest by the user.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second image of the at least one object of interest is displayed in a scroll bar.
9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising acts of:
receiving, from a user, a classification of the at least one object of interest; and
storing the classification of the at least one object of interest with the second image of the at least one object of interest.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the field of view is accessed from a database of cytological specimen images.
11. A system for navigating images of a cytological specimen, the system comprising:
at least one processor operatively connected to a memory;
a user interface display; and
a user interface component, executed by the at least one processor, configured to:
analyze a first image of the cytological specimen to identify an object of interest within the cytological specimen;
display a second image of the object of interest;
receive a user selection of the object of interest;
determine a first characteristic of the selected object of interest;
receive, from a user, a range of values corresponding to a second characteristic;
evaluate one or more objects of interest to determine at least one other object of interest having a similar characteristic to the first characteristic of the selected object of interest and having a second characteristic measurement within the range of values corresponding to the second characteristic; and
display, responsive to determining the at least one other object of interest, a third image of the object of interest and a fourth image of the at least one other object of interest.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the fourth image of the at least one other object of interest is provided from the cytological specimen.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the fourth image of the at least one other object of interest is provided from a database of previously-stored objects of interest.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the user interface component is further configured to:
receive a classification of the object of interest; and
store the classification of the object of interest with the second image of the object of interest.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first characteristic and the second characteristic include any one of a cell size, a nucleus/cytoplasm ratio, a morphological characteristic, a stain, a color-based criteria, a nucleic density, an optical density, and a regularity of contour.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the user interface component is further configured to assign an object score to the at least one other object of interest.
17. A system for inspecting images of a cytological specimen, the system comprising:
at least one processor operatively coupled to a memory;
a user interface display; and
a user interface component, executed by the at least one processor, configured to:
analyze a first image of the cytological specimen to identify a plurality of objects of interest within the cytological specimen;
display a plurality of images each comprising one of the plurality of identified objects of interest within the cytological specimen and including a second image of at least one object of interest;
responsive to receiving a first user selection of the second image of the at least one object of interest:
display a field of view of the at least one object of interest and neighboring objects of interest,
wherein the second image of the at least one object of interest has a first magnification, and
wherein the field of view of the at least one object of interest has a second magnification different than the first magnification; and
responsive to receiving a second user selection of the second image of the at least one object of interest:
determine a first characteristic of the at least one object of interest;
receive, from a user, a range of values corresponding to a second characteristic;
evaluate one or more objects of interest to determine at least one other object of interest having a similar characteristic of the selected object of interest and having a second characteristic measurement within the range of values corresponding to the second characteristic; and
display, responsive to determining the at least one other object of interest, a third image of the object of interest and a fourth image of the at least one other object of interest.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the second image of at least one object of interest is displayed in a scroll bar.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the user interface component is further configured to:
receive a classification of the at least one object of interest; and
store the classification of the at least one object of interest with the second image of the at least one object of interest.
20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the field of view can be accessed from a database of cytological specimen images.