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Minimal Teledermatopathology: Instant Image Messaging
Author(s) -
GonzalezBeicos Aldo,
MuñozGarcia Liliana,
GonzálezServa Aldo
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of cutaneous pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1600-0560
pISSN - 0303-6987
DOI - 10.1111/j.0303-6987.2005.320cg.x
Subject(s) - computer science , usb , the internet , computer graphics (images) , artificial intelligence , computer vision , computer hardware , world wide web , software , programming language
Expensive telepathology programs are known for long. Instant messaging, in contrast, is a new trend that will permeate serious enterprises, including dermatopathology. We present an adaptation of microscopy to the MSN Messenger that allows simple and instant sharing of images through the Internet. Any digital camera can act as a webcam, even if no picture is taken. Images through a camera tethered to a microscope can be captured into the PC in real time as video. An inexpensive Belkin VideoBus II card (∼$50) between the AV cable of the camera and the PC, using an USB port, is used as the capture device (among others). In the MSN Messenger v. 6.1, the Audio/Video Tuning Wizard (from “Tools”) is notified that the Belkin capture mode will be used as video‐composite input. The same card could optionally capture audio from any microphone. The above procedure will produce relatively high quality images in the Messenger image subwindow when the digital camera is activated. The interlocutor can broadcast images back. The only limitation is the relatively small size of the Messenger window. This is an example of current mass‐appeal technologies that presage the marriage of teledermatopathology and instant messaging.