The HOME microscope workstation. A new tool for cervical cancer screening.

The Highly Optimized Microscope Environment (HOME) is a computerized microscope design for assisting pathologists and cytotechnologists in routine clinical tasks. The prototype system consists of an IBM PC-compatible computer and a light microscope in which a built-in high-resolution computer display image is super-imposed on the optical image of the specimen. Also, an encoding stage and objective turret encoder are used to provide continuous monitoring of the stage coordinates and microscope magnification to the computer. This allows any position on the stage to be uniquely defined. Software, written in C language and running under the MS-DOS/MS-Windows environment, is controlled by means of a mouse-driven cursor. A specific application has been developed for cervical cancer screening, taking into account the needs and constraints of microscopists performing this task. Informatics tools offered by the HOME system provide them with precise flagging and relocation of objects on the slide, control of the scanning pathway, and ability to write and print the report directly through the microscope. The computer files generated by microscopic examination are stored and contain information available for quality control assessment and laboratory management.