Module 01 · Self-study web modules

Foundations of Digital Pathology

Whole-slide imaging, viewer workflow, quality control of scans.

€490VAT included · per seat

Format: Self-study web modules
Extent: 9 h · 14 lessons
Access: 12 months
Assessment: 30 questions on annotated whole-slide images
Delivery: Access details by email within 24 h

Cancel for a full refund until access is delivered. Withdrawal policy.

**Fig. 01** — Microscope objective above a stained glass slide.

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Overview

How a glass slide becomes a whole-slide image, what is lost and gained on the way, and how to read a digital slide with the same discipline as at the eyepiece. Scanner classes, resolution and z-stacks, colour calibration, viewer navigation patterns, artefact recognition and a QC checklist you can adopt in your own lab.

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What you will be able to do

Read a whole-slide image at diagnostic speed without missing the periphery or the low-power architecture
Recognise scanner, focus and stitching artefacts and know which ones call for a rescan
Run a validation study for digital primary diagnosis that satisfies the CAP guideline
Specify storage, integration and viewer requirements for a scanner tender

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Syllabus

Scanner types and image pyramids
Colour, focus and stitching artefacts
Viewer ergonomics and annotation
Validation of a digital workflow (CAP guideline walk-through)
Storage, DICOM-WSI and integration with LIS

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Lesson list

01	From glass to pixels: how a scanner builds the image pyramid	38 min
02	Resolution, magnification and the myth of “40×”	31 min
03	Colour: stain variability, calibration and ICC profiles	42 min
04	Focus, z-stacks and the thick-section problem	35 min
05	Artefact atlas: stitching, banding, dust, tissue folds	44 min
06	Viewer ergonomics: navigation patterns that save minutes per case	39 min
07	Annotation, measurement and sharing a region of interest	29 min
08	Validation study design (CAP 2021) — protocol walk-through	52 min
09	Validation: washout period, case selection, statistics	41 min
10	Storage economics and retention policy	33 min
11	DICOM-WSI, vendor formats and the conversion trap	37 min
12	Integration with LIS and worklists	35 min
13	Remote sign-out: regulation, ergonomics, display requirements	40 min
14	QC checklist for a digital laboratory — closing lesson	34 min

9 h · 14 lessons in total. Lessons can be watched in any order; the numbering is our recommendation.

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A sample from the module

Excerpt

Lesson 05 — Artefact atlas

Twelve fields side by side: the same tumour scanned with a dust fibre in the light path, a stitching seam through a gland, a focus dropout at the tissue edge. For each: what it looks like at 2×, 10× and 40×, whether it can be read through, and the one-line note that goes to the scanning technician.

**Fig. 01a** — Two pathologists comparing digital slides on laboratory workstations.

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What is included

14 self-study web lessons with embedded slide viewer exercises
Artefact reference sheet (PDF, permanent)
CAP validation protocol template (editable)
Scanner tender checklist
Self-assessment with model answers

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Readership & prerequisites

Who it is written for

Residents starting digital sign-out, lab managers planning a scanner purchase, biomedical scientists supporting a pathology department.

What you need beforehand

None beyond basic histology. Written for the first months of digital sign-out; no informatics background is assumed.

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Assessment & certificate

30 questions on annotated whole-slide images; pass mark 70 %. Two attempts included.

Passing the assessment adds this module to your MEDSMITH record. A certificate with hours studied is issued for the complete program; single modules receive a confirmation of completion on request.

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Delivery & access

How you receive it

After payment you land on your personal order page and receive access details by email within 24 hours on working days. Streamed lectures are watched in the browser on any device; downloadable material is yours permanently.

Several seats

Set the quantity in the cart; each seat receives its own access details. For a department of more than ten, see enrolment for departments.

Prices include VAT. The payment page may show the total in your local currency. Withdrawal terms for digital content are described in the access & withdrawal policy.

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