Insert the Sierra slide into the WSI device to be assessed and initiate a scan.
Standardising the colour reproducibility of a digital pathology scanner
The FDA guidelines for Technical Performance Assessment of Digital Pathology Whole Slide Imaging Devices (WSI) describes three datasets – truth, intended colour, and output colour. The goal is for Intended colour (produced by the WSI device) to match truth. The Sierra slide and Sierra VS-Analyser tool used in combination can compare and analyse the ability of WSI systems to meet this criterion. However, where variances are identified between the truth and output colour, a way to calibrate the WSI device is needed – correcting the output so the digital image has ground truth colour.
Sierra VS-Profiler is key to this next step. With ‘error’ for each colour quantified using Sierra VS-Analyser, a unique ICC (International Colour Consortium) profile can be created that is specific to that WSI device. The integration of this ICC profile into your manufacturing process or indeed viewing, diagnostic and AI digital pathology workflow, will enable all images scanned to remain standardised and of true, quality assured colour.
Sierra Validate & Standardise Profiler
Process control to ensure both quality and regulatory compliance is key for many organisations and professionals in the field of digital pathology and pharmacotoxicology. They are dependent on WSI devices generating accurate data to ensure correct diagnosis is made and safe, cost-effective drug development is conducted – both have life or death consequences.
Sierra VS-Profiler is an automated solution for generating a unique ICC profile for a particular WSI device that once integrated will ensure any variances from ground truth colour is corrected. Alongside our quantitative analysis, the cloud-based Sierra VS-Profiler software tool will produce a DICOM compliant ICC profile using FFEI’s proprietary high-accuracy algorithm. The unique ICC profile metadata can then be used to correct and validate all further scans from that specific scanner – for use in viewing software for human analysis; as corrective data to parallel feed into AI; or embedded in each image by a scanner manufacturer.
Take control of your device’s colour reproducibility
Colour calibration to device-specific ICC standards takes WSI scan fidelity to another level. With Sierra VS-Profiler manufacturers and end-users of WSI devices can take control of the quality, accuracy, and standardisation of a key element of the digital images produced – colour. Whether viewed by a pathologist or processed by an AI algorithm all digital images can be standardised through the integration of the device specific ICC profile. And not just images from one device, but all images generated across multiple devices, standardised to ground-truth ICC colour.
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The scan of the Sierra slide is then uploaded to the Sierra VS-Profiler software tool. On doing so the application will automatically generates simple infographic data on the analysis process.
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Sierra VS-Profiler will generate a unique ICC profile for the scanner analysed, ready for integration in to your manufacturing process or workflow.
Out of the Box
Sierra VS-Profiler
Sierra Slide
- WSI compatible glass slide with histologically stained patches
- Unique serial number and barcode for ease of identification
- Each Sierra slide generates 100 profiles over 12 months
- Comes in secure, protective storage case
Sierra VS-Profiler
- Provides downloadable quantitative data for R&D analytics
- Enables the end-user to independently generate their own ICC profiles
- Will remain active license-free whilst used with a valid VS-Profiler Sierra slide
Starting the journey
For those just starting to assess the colour accuracy of your digital pathology images, the Sierra slide comes part of the Sierra VS Analyser and Sierra VS Profiler product packages. Used in combination you will be able to analyse any given WSI device, understand any colour variance that exists and generate a unique ICC profile to ensure these are colour calibrated.
Colour management
Whether you have integrated Sierra technology into your workflows yourselves or in collaboration with FFEI’s specialist consultants, Sierra slides can be routinely purchased to ensure all devices are calibrated to ICC standards – whether at production, servicing in the field or for use in routine QA.