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Review
. 2022 Feb;192(2):180-194.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2021.10.010. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Slide Over: Advances in Slide-Free Optical Microscopy as Drivers of Diagnostic Pathology

Yehe Liu  1 , Richard M Levenson  2 , Michael W Jenkins  3
Affiliations
Review

Slide Over: Advances in Slide-Free Optical Microscopy as Drivers of Diagnostic Pathology

Yehe Liu et al. Am J Pathol. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

Conventional analysis using clinical histopathology is based on bright-field microscopy of thinly sliced tissue specimens. Although bright-field microscopy is a simple and robust method of examining microscope slides, the preparation of the slides needed is a lengthy and labor-intensive process. Slide-free histopathology, however, uses direct imaging of intact, minimally processed tissue samples using advanced optical-imaging systems, bypassing the extended workflow now required for the preparation of tissue sections. This article explains the technical basis of slide-free microscopy, reviews common slide-free optical microscopy techniques, and discusses the opportunities and challenges involved in clinical implementation.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of histopathology workflows. ∗The low-cost aspect applies to certain techniques (eg, microscopy with UV surface excitation) that use inexpensive setup. FFPE, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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