Virtual microscopy: applications to hematology education and training.

Virtual microscopy may be defined as the simulation of microscopy, over a computer network, as opposed to real microscopy using a physical microscope. The term ‘‘microscopy’’ is derived from Greek roots: ‘‘mikros’’ (small) and ’’skopeo’’ (to view). A technical definition for the term ‘‘virtual’’ is a ‘‘simulation of the real thing’’ [1]. Synonyms for virtual microscopy include digital microscopy, digital pathology, and virtual pathology. A real microscope has four functions, which are to display, pan, zoom, and to focus an image. These are the functions that are simulated by virtual microscopy, in which ‘‘virtual slides’’, or large digital image files, are displayed, panned, zoomed, and focused in a virtual slide viewer on a computer screen. Recent technological advances in virtual microscopy have begun to enable its application to haematology education and training [2].