Biomedical subjects

Debra Sciortino

Publications and source records attributed to Debra Sciortino.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Documentation of surgical specimens using digital video technology.

CONTEXT: Digital technology is commonly used for documentation of specimens in anatomic pathology and has been mainly limited to still photographs. Technologic innovations, such as digital video, provide additional, in some cases better, options for documentation. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the applicability of digital video to the documentation of surgical specimens. DESIGN: A Canon Elura MC40 digital camcorder was used, and the unedited movies were transferred to a Macintosh PowerBook G4 computer. Both the camcorder and specimens were hand-held during filming. The movies were edited using the software iMovie. Annotations and histologic photographs may be easily incorporated into movies when editing, if desired. RESULTS: The finished movies are best viewed in computers which contain the free program QuickTime Player. Movies may also be incorporated onto DVDs, for viewing in standard DVD players or appropriately equipped computers. The final movies are on average 2 minutes in duration, with a file size between 2 and 400 megabytes, depending on the intended use. Because of file size, distribution is more practical via CD or DVD, but movies may be compressed for distribution through the Internet (e-mail, Web sites) or through internal hospital networks. CONCLUSIONS: Digital video is a practical, easy, and affordable methodology for specimen documentation, permitting a better 3-dimensional understanding of the specimens. Discussions with colleagues, student education, presentation at conferences, and other educational activities can be enhanced with the implementation of digital video technology.

Documentation↗

PubMed2003

Virtual reality demonstration of surgical specimens, including links to histologic features.

The demonstration of surgical specimens, whether using 35-mm slides or digital images, tends to consist of the sequential presentation of images. Current digital technology permits a more flexible and effective way of communication, with the opportunity to more easily "navigate" between different aspects of specimens. We demonstrate a "virtual reality" method, based on QuickTime VR technology, that permits the interactive review of a complete profile of surgical specimens in the horizontal plane. Specimens were placed individually on a circular rotating platform. Thirty-six images of each specimen were captured using a digital camera, with rotation of the platform at 10 degrees intervals. The images were transferred to a computer and processed using specialized software (VRWorx). Histologic images were separately captured from tissue sections on glass slides using a digital camera mounted on a microscope. The final product is viewed using the QuickTime Viewer software application. A 360 degrees horizontal view of the specimens is achieved, with the capacity to actively rotate the specimen and to zoom in for closer review. Additionally, the user/presenter can click in predetermined "hot spots," which will open histologic images linked to those spots. This methodology, which uses readily available computer technology, helps provide a better three-dimensional understanding of surgical specimens and also a better correlation between gross and microscopic features.

Humans↗