[Registration of slide movement in conventional cytodiagnosis - relevance for automated cytodiagnosis].

Abstract

Registration of slide-movements in conventional gynecological smears - its relevance for automated cytology - The information contained in conventional cytologic smears can only be obtained by means of a very scrutinizing scanning of the slide. This is one of the reasons, why people are interested in automated cytology. In the present study slide movements during 216 visual screenings of conventional gynecologic smears were graphically and electronically recorded. The recordings show alternating movements and stops. The time of stops shows a high variation with a mean value of about 0,3 seconds. The moving times are mostly below 0,2 seconds. The relation of total stop times to total movement times is in most cases between two and three. The percentage of total stop times, the total screening time, the relation of stop times to movement times and the number of microscopic fields evaluated while standing rise in difficult specimens. There are obvious differences between the screening patterns of different cytotechnologists. An analysis of the recordings concerning the number of stops shows that even in smears which are screened very carefully a considerable percentage of the smear is not seen during the stops. The pattern of mechanical slide movements allows conclusions about the "data acquisition" by the human cytoscreener.