Virtual microscopy with Google-Earth: a step in the way for compatibility

Background Advances in the field of virtual microscopy are continuously growing. Many companies have introduced equipments with very good image quality levels, and increased speed in the scanning processes. However also a wide variety of image formats, software viewers and servers have appeared, with lack of compatibility in the managements of virtual slides. Commercial solutions for virtual microscopy tend to be rigid and difficult of customize, probably to protect the developments, but this leads to a detachment in the management of the images and a difficulty in becoming familiar with this technology. Handling virtual slides in a similar way as we do with conventional pictures taken from digital cameras surely would bring to virtual microscopy a much wider number of pathologist. In this approach we tried to adapt to virtual microscopy simplistic solutions employed in digital photography as software oriented for panoramic images [1]. Panoramic images share with virtual slides their huge size and a similar way to be generated stitching smaller images [2]. Software for panoramic images can be adapted for virtual microscopy. Google Earth is a well-known software oriented as a geographic information system working in a way similar to virtual microscopy, zooming and panning images, and moving along huge files. It is widely distributed, installed in may computers and can be useful to share virtual slides and employed as a viewer of virtual slides [3]. There are developments for virtual microscopy based in the use of the API (application programming interface) of Google Maps, such as the NYU School of Medicine Virtual Microscope [4]. These options of high complexity require a team of programmers and computer support, not available in all situations. However, it is possible for pathologists to use Google Earth as a viewer of our virtual slides more easily, and without programming knowledge.