Today, there are a variety of types of digital cameras available for use in the pathology laboratory. They include compact cameras, digital single-lens reflex (DSLR), mobile device cameras (e.g., iPhones), and desktop cameras (webcams). All of them have advantages and disadvantages.
Compact Cameras
Advantages: They are relatively easy to use, contain liquid crystal display (LCD) screens and image management software that allows the user to select and edit images, and are cheaper. The quality of the image from a compact camera with higher resolution can be considered a “good” quality digital image.
Disadvantages: There are not many options for lens selections, and the camera is not connected to a Laboratory Information System (LIS). An individual would need to download the images from a compact camera and manually assign them to either a centralized database or to the surgical accession number.
Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR)
Advantages: DSLR has interchangeable lenses, higher image quality, and can be easily attached to the grossing station stand.
Disadvantages: The user is still required to touch the camera to turn it on/off and to focus. The images taken by the DSLR must be downloaded to a separate file and are not automatically attached to the LIS. The amount of storage space needed for the images is large.
Mobile Devices
Advantages: Digital images can be easily shared via text message, email, or Wi-Fi with whomever the operator chooses.
Disadvantages: Privacy concerns over the use of the images—captured digital images should only be shared with proper authorization. They are not automatically attached to the laboratory information system (they must be downloaded by the operator and attached to the specimen documentation manually) and they are entirely hand-operated.
Webcam
Advantages: Systems are comprised of high-definition cameras with several functions in addition to still gross digital images. Some of these functions include streaming images in real-time, capturing video, annotation, and measuring gross specimens. They can have live sample imaging communication features (real-time consultation) that allow for effective video conferencing and are capable of integrating with a pre-existing LIS (automatic linkage of gross digital images to the surgical report, thereby bypassing the manual uploading and archiving of these images). Operators can operate the camera functions, including zoom and focusing, either through the touch screen, footswitch, or remote control. An example of such a system is the rmtConnectPlus™ by Remote Medical Technologies.3
Disadvantages: Privacy in computer users is decreasing. When video chatting, the feed can be interrupted and pixelated.
