There’s a trove of data floating in our veins, in the form of blood cells. Each of these cells is a tiny window into our health that enables physicians to detect abnormalities, diagnose diseases, and give life-saving care when it matters most. But for us to hear their testimony, we must sift through and analyze thousands of cells simultaneously, at a high enough resolution to spot the most minute details. Otherwise, results may be inconsistent and diagnoses inaccurate or missed completely.

Yet, with all our modern technology and advancement in healthcare, cell morphology at that scale was just out of reach… until now. Our most ubiquitous laboratory tool, namely the microscope, is inherently limited – narrowing our field of view to individual cells and losing important context. Even today’s most advanced AI technologies restrict our analysis to snapshots of cells, giving us critical puzzle pieces but missing the bigger picture. Proper medical care depends on quick and accurate diagnoses, yet we are still relying on testing procedures that haven’t significantly advanced in 50 years, giving only a partial picture of a patient’s health.

But, what if this high-resolution, large-scale cell morphology was no longer a fantasy? What if instead of being forced to sacrifice field of view or resolution, you could see the big picture and the tiniest details at the exact same time?

Enter, Full-Field Cell Morphology.

The W’s of Full-Field Imaging

Let’s take a look at the basics of Full-Field Imaging: What is it, who is it for, and why is it important?

• What: Full-Field Cell MorphologyTM is a digital, end-to-end approach to blood sample imaging that utilizes novel computational photography and artificial intelligence to capture the big picture and the intracellular details simultaneously.
• Who: Lab experts, who traditionally use manual microscopy to view and analyze hematological cells can now, for the first time, view every cell and every detail at 100X while never losing sight of the full context.
• When & where: With built-in remote connectivity, high-resolution full-field images can be reviewed and analyzed in real-time over a secure hospital network, facilitating consultation and collaboration from anywhere.
• Why: Full-Field Cell Morphology eliminates the need for manual microscopy while providing laboratory professionals and clinicians a true workflow benefit via digitalization. This digital approach captures samples at 100X magnification without sacrificing the full field of view.
• How: By applying a unique physics-based reconstruction model to compute a sharp 100X-resolution image of all regions of clinical interest on the slide, Full-Field imaging solves the longstanding tradeoff between field-of-view and resolution that has plagued laboratory experts for years (more on that in Trade-off between field-of-view and resolution)

Take a closer look: Peripheral blood smear analysis

Peripheral blood smear (PBS) review is a common hematological diagnostic test, performed to identify and evaluate a wide variety of blood-related disorders. Until now, digital hematology imaging platforms were limited by the inability to view large fields of view while retaining high enough resolution to see necessary details. This meant lab experts had to revert back to the manual microscope periodically, slowing down the sample review process.

Scopio Lab’s Full-Field Peripheral Blood SmearTM Application provides a view of all clinically relevant areas of the blood smear – including the monolayer and the feathered edge – at 100X magnification, the highest resolution available for hematological analysis. This unique capability enables experts to zoom in on the smallest details of a single cell while maintaining the context of the slide, both of which are critical for confident laboratory decision-making.

The advanced digital imaging and AI-based decision-support system utilizes a full-field approach for blood cell identification, quantification, and pre-classification in both normal and abnormal peripheral blood samples. Using computational photography to generate a high-resolution image of blood samples coupled with an AI-powered decision support system, the technology can improve the laboratory workflow, speed up the interpretation and reporting of results¹, and instill confidence in clinical decision-making.

The Scopio Full-Field Cell Morphology platform is revolutionizing the hematology laboratory by providing a fully digital workflow solution for clinical laboratories with no need to ever go back to the manual microscope. Scopio’s is the first solution to reconcile the struggle between field of view and resolution. Slides can be viewed in the lab or remotely over a secure hospital network, improving laboratory workflow efficiency. The AI-enabled Decision Support System analyzes and pre-classifies cells. All of these features, packaged in a user-friendly and intuitive application eliminate the need for manual microscopy in hematology laboratories.

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36208622/