The focus emulation and image enhancement in digital cytology: an experience using the software Mathematica

The digital pathology is an image-based information environment enabled by computer technology that allows for the management of information generated from an e-slide. It embeds both the field of the digital cytology (D-CYT) and of the digital histology (D-HYST). When coming to D-CYT, basic problems due to the need of the technology emulate the focus function. This leads to an increase in the memory occupancy because a sample must be scanned with different levels of view, the so-called Z-stack. The study focuses on this basic problem in D-CYT. Eighteen snapshots have been selected from three cervico-vaginal e-slides. A table has been compiled with the information of the snapshots by means of coordinates, description of characteristics and objectives. The Mathematica software has been successfully used to improve the diagnostic content of the snapshots with particular attention to the emulation of the focus. The methodology could be useful in tele-consulting and in cooperative diagnosis because it could contemporarily allow the improvement of the diagnostic power combined with a decrease in the memory occupancy of exchanged snapshots.