Method and system for quantitatively analyzing biological samples

Abstract

A method and system analyzing tissue or cell samples stored on laboratory slides or other media to identify properties of medical predictive and diagnostic relevance. The method and system includes automatically analyzing plural digital images created from plural biological tissue samples to which a staining reagent or a an immunohistochemical (IHC) compound has been applied, automatically quantitatively analyzing the relevant properties of the digital images, and creating interpretive data, images and reports resulting from such analysis.

1 . A pathological analysis system, comprising in combination: 
 a digital image analysis module for automatically analyzing a plurality of digital images created from a plurality of biological tissue samples to which an staining reagent has been applied to determine one or more areas of interest and for automatically analyzing a plurality of digital images created from a plurality of biological tissues samples to which an immunohistochemical compound has been applied to determine one or more areas of interest;    an medical analysis module for automatically quantitatively analyzing the one or more determined areas of interest to automatically generate additional interpretive images, medical data, medial statistics or medical reports of predictive value or diagnostic value;    a display module to display the plurality of digital images, the additional interpretive images, the medical data, medical statistics or medical reports on a graphical user interface display; and    a recorder module to automatically record, store and apply knowledge generated by the quantitatively analysis of the one or more determined areas of interest.    
     
     
         2 . The pathological analysis of  claim 1  in which the digital image analysis module automatically analyzes a plurality of digital images which an staining reagent has been applied to determine one or more areas of interest in which one or more human cancer cells may be present.  
     
     
         3 . The pathological analysis system of  claim 1  in which the digital image analysis module includes automatically analyzing a plurality of digital images to which a staining reagent has been applied to determine one or more areas of interest in which one or more human cancer cells may be present using automatic chromatin pattern analysis, automatic nucleoar pattern analysis or automatic mitotic activity pattern analysis.  
     
     
         4 . The pathological analysis system of  claim 1  in which the digital image analysis module includes automatically analyzing a plurality of digital images created from a plurality of biological tissues samples to which an immunohistochemical (IHC) compound has been applied to determine one or more areas of interest in which one or more human cancer cells may be present using automatic nuclear pattern analysis, automatic cytoplasmic pattern analysis or automatic membrane pattern analysis.  
     
     
         5 . The pathological analysis system of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a microscope; and    a digital camera.    
     
     
         6 . A pathological analysis system, comprising in combination: 
 a means for automatically analyzing a plurality of digital images created from a plurality of biological tissue samples to which an staining reagent has been applied to determine one or more areas of interest and for automatically analyzing a plurality of digital images created from a plurality of biological tissues samples to which an immunohistochemical compound has been applied to determine one or more areas of interest;    a means for automatically quantitatively analyzing the one or more determined areas of interest to automatically generate additional interpretive images, medical data, medial statistics or medical reports of predictive value or diagnostic value;    a means for displaying the plurality of digital images, the additional interpretive images, the medical data, medical statistics or medical reports on a graphical user interface display; and    a means for automatically recording, storing and applying knowledge generated by the quantitatively analysis of the one or more determined areas of interest.    
     
     
         7 . The pathological analysis of  claim 6  in which the a means for automatically analyzing a plurality of digital images automatically analyzes a plurality of digital images which an staining reagent has been applied to determine one or more areas of interest in which one or more human cancer cells may be present.  
     
     
         8 . The pathological analysis system of  claim 6  in which the means for automatically analyzing a plurality of digital images includes automatically analyzing a plurality of digital images to which a staining reagent has been applied to determine one or more areas of interest in which one or more human cancer cells may be present using automatic chromatin pattern analysis, automatic nucleoar pattern analysis or automatic mitotic activity pattern analysis.  
     
     
         9 . The pathological analysis system of  claim 6  in which the means for automatically analyzing a plurality of digital images includes automatically analyzing a plurality of digital images created from a plurality of biological tissues samples to which an immunohistochemical (IHC) compound has been applied to determine one or more areas of interest in which one or more human cancer cells may be present using automatic nuclear nuclear pattern analysis, automatic cytoplasmic pattern analysis or automatic membrane pattern analysis.  
     
     
         10 . The pathological analysis system of  claim 6  further comprising: 
 a means for magnifying microscopic biological tissue samples; and    a means for creating digital photographs.    
     
     
         11 . A method for automatically creating a medical diagnosis, comprising: 
 acquiring a plurality of digital images created from the plurality of biological tissue samples to which a staining reagent has been applied;    automatically pre-processing the plurality of digital images to adjust, if necessary, a contrast level and a color level;    automatically performing a histogram analysis on the plurality of digital images using grey and red, green, blue (RGB) luminosity values to locate one or more areas of interest;    automatically determining one or more areas of interest in which one or more cancer cells may be present using automatic chromatin pattern analysis, automatic nucleoar pattern analysis or automatic mitotic activity pattern analysis; and    automatically classifying the determined one or more areas of interest in which one or more cancer cells may be present, thereby creating a medical diagnosis.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute the steps of the method.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  in which the staining reagent includes a Hematoxillin and Eosin (H&E) staining reagent.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 creating new medical knowledge using the determined one or more areas of interest which one or more cancer cells may be present; and    automatically adjusting the processing completed on the plurality of digital images to further refine the ability to automatically detect and classify one or more cancer cells to create a medical diagnosis.    
     
     
         15 . A method for automatically creating a medical diagnosis, comprising: 
 acquiring a plurality of digital images created from the plurality of biological tissue samples to which an immunohistochemical (IHC) compound has been applied;    automatically pre-processing the plurality of digital images to adjust, if necessary, a contrast level and a color level;    automatically performing a histogram analysis on the plurality of digital images using grey and red, green, blue (RGB) luminosity values to locate one or more areas of interest;    automatically determining one or more areas of interest in which one or more cancer cells may be present using automatic nuclear pattern analysis, automatic cytoplasmic pattern analysis or automatic membrane pattern analysis; and    automatically classifying the determined one or more areas of interest in which one or more cancer cells may be present, thereby creating a medical diagnosis.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute the steps of the method.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising: 
 creating new medical knowledge using the determined one or more areas of interest which one or more cancer cells may be present; and    automatically adjusting the processing completed on the plurality of digital images to further refine the ability to automatically detect and classify one or more cancer cells to create a medical diagnosis.    
     
     
         18 . A method for completing a pathological diagnosis with a pathiam, comprising: 
 automatically analyzing a plurality of digital image intensity values from a plurality of digital images created from a plurality of biological tissue samples to which a staining reagent or a an immunohistochemical (IHC) compound has been applied to determine one or more areas of interest;    automatically classifying the determined one or more areas of interest into one or more patterns used to locate one or more morphological features from the biological tissue samples in which one or more human cancer cells may be present;    automatically creating a pathological diagnosis using the classified one or more patterns.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute the steps of the method.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  staining reagent includes a Hematoxillin and Eosin (H&E) staining reagent.