Helsinki, Finland. Researchers have combined web-based virtual microscopy and a giant-size multitouch display into an entirely new way of performing microscopy.

By using hand and finger gestures, a user touches a table- or even wall-sized screen, then navigates and zooms within a microscope sample in the same way as in a conventional microscope, applicable to both education and scientific investigation.


The multitouch microscope can accomodate hundreds of movable objects on the display, served up by applications working in the background to support interactive teaching and research. A group can gather around the display and interact with the imagery. The learning curve is reported to be practically zero as compared to conventional microscopy.

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The Great Wall Of MultiTouch

Multitouch Ltd. has assembled the world's largest multitouch LCD wall. The entire wall is covered by 14 Full HD LCD units (46 inch each) that are connected together to form a single display. There are over 29 megapixels in the integrated single display system.

The user can drag and resize the objects and even play, stop, and rewind the video objects. This demonstration video shows photos and videos floating around the LCDs, allowing user access and group interaction.

In this case, the display was mounted horizontally on a wall but it can just as easily used on a table top, in vertical or desktop configurations, or in meandering geometries (such as a Z-shape).

Three computers provided the processing power for graphics rendering, touch tracking and sound tasks.

Video courtesy of Multitouch Ltd.. Time: 00:00:50.from Web-based Virtual Microscopy

Scientists use virtual microscopy to post and transmit microscope images over, computer networks. This allows image viewing by large numbers of people in locations remote from the source.

For example, a digital copy of a sample on a glass slide is created. A virtual slide can consist of up to 50 000 separate digital images aligned into a mosaic representing the whole sample at high magnification.

The image mosaic then can be viewed over an internet connection using a common web browser. The user can select any area or magnification as in conventional microscopy. With continuing increases in magnification, resolution, and viewing modes, this appraoch has become increasingly important in scientific research.

Researchers developed the original web-based computer system at the University of Helsinki and the University of Tampere.

to the Integrated Multitouch Microscope

The current implementations build upon virtual microscopy and makes it even more useful for teaching and research. The applications for science and medicine go beyond classroom instruction to a fuller research collaboration.

The multitouch microscope can recognize and track the individual hands of multiple users at the same time, allowing simultaneous access to the system by more than 10 people at a time.

Biological samples are digitized using a microscopy scanner and stored on an image server. Samples displayed on the screen are then continuously read from the server over the internet — the size of a single sample can be up to 200 gigabytes.

Multitouch microscopy can expand on the passive examination of a single sample to simultaneous comparisons of multiple samples in a group setting.

The display resembles a very large tablet computer. The multiuser and multitouch LCDs range from 32 to 100 inches. Using the touch control it is possible to move from the natural size of a sample to a 1000-fold magnification, at which cells and even subcellular details can be seen.

At laboratory or scientific meetings this technology appears appropriate in those situations where a group of users need to simultaneously view a microscopy sample. This is particularly useful for brainstorming or when a consensus needs to be reached concerning an unusual biological entity or a rare case.

The commercialized web-based virtual microscopy — the WebMicroscope — resulted from a collaboration between the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) and a Finnish company, Multitouch Ltd.

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