Digital pathology is the transition from manual microscope observation to the use of high-resolution "Whole Slide Imaging" (WSI) scanners. These devices automatically scan an entire glass slide at high magnification, creating a massive digital file that can be viewed on a monitor. This allows pathologists to zoom, annotate, and share cases globally for second opinions, fundamentally changing the workflow of cancer diagnosis.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into WSI systems allows for automated "region of interest" detection, where the software can flag potential areas of malignancy for the pathologist to review. For a look at the software interoperability and storage requirements for these digital systems, the Microscopy Devices Market documentation offers a perspective on the clinical infrastructure. These systems must comply with strict regulatory standards to ensure that the digital image is a faithful representation of the physical slide.

WSI also facilitates "computational pathology," where algorithms can quantify the expression of biomarkers or count mitotic figures with greater consistency than a human operator. This reduces inter-observer variability and provides objective data for clinical trials. As storage costs decrease and network speeds increase, digital pathology is expected to become the standard of care in hospitals worldwide, enabling more rapid and accurate diagnostic services.