Diagnostic scanning microscope for information-enriched qualitative histopathology

A method of imaging a biological sample with a microscopic imaging system, comprising the following steps:

• providing a two-dimensional microscope array with a plurality of magnifying imaging systems disposed along a corresponding plurality of optical axes for imaging a sample onto a detector, said plurality of magnifying imaging systems being arranged in rows and configured to image respective sections of the sample;
• providing a scanning mechanism for producing a relative movement between the microscope array and the sample;
• operating the scanning mechanism along a linear direction of scan across the sample to produce an image of the sample from a plurality of image-forming signals corresponding to said plurality of magnifying imaging systems;
• analyzing said plurality of image-forming signals to produce a measure of image-forming features in said image, wherein said measure is a statistically significant indicator of pathology in portions of said image;
• and
• assigning a visually detectable marker to each of said portions of the image corresponding to image-forming signals that produced said measure;
• wherein said rows of imaging systems are staggered with respect to said direction of scan, such that each of the magnifying imaging systems acquires image data corresponding to a respective continuous strip of the sample along said linear direction of scan of the scanning mechanism.