Virtual slide generation device, virtual slide generation method, virtual slide generation program product and virtual slide generation program transmission medium

A virtual slide generation method for generating a virtual slide by patching/combining a plurality of observation images obtained by shooting and picking up an observation object observed by a microscope, comprising:

• calculating image patching/combination information about an area overlapping between observation images for the patching/combination on the basis of a plurality of observation images shot and picked up by a first observation method;
• and
• patching and combining a plurality of image areas shot and picked up by a second observation method on the basis of the calculated image patching/combination information.

A virtual slide generation program product for enabling a computer of a virtual slide generation device for generating a virtual slide by patching and combining a plurality of observation images obtained by shooting and picking up an observation object observed by a microscope to execute a process, the process comprising:

• calculating image patching/combination information about an area overlapping between observation images for the patching/combination on the basis of a plurality of observation images shot and picked up by a first observation method (image patching/combination information calculation step);
• and
• patching and combining a plurality of image areas shot and picked up by a second observation method on the basis of the image patching/combination information calculated by the image patching/combination information calculation step (image patching/combination step).

A virtual slide generation device for generating a virtual slide by patching/combining a plurality of observation images obtained by shooting and picking up an observation object observed by a microscope, comprising:

• image patching/combination information calculation means for calculating image patching/combination information about an area overlapping between observation images for the patching/combination on the basis of a plurality of observation images shot and picked up by a first observation method;
• and
• image patching/combination means for patching and combining a plurality of image areas shot and picked up by a second observation method on the basis of the image patching/combination information calculated by the image patching/combination information calculation means.

A virtual slide generation program transmission medium for enabling a computer of a virtual slide generation device for generating a virtual slide by patching and combining a plurality of observation images obtained by shooting and picking up an observation object observed by a microscope to execute a process, the process comprising:

• calculating image patching/combination information about an area overlapping between observation images for the patching/combination on the basis of a plurality of observation images shot and picked up by a first observation method (image patching/combination information calculation step);
• and
• patching and combining a plurality of image areas shot and picked up by a second observation method on the basis of the image patching/combination information calculated by the image patching/combination information calculation step (image patching/combination step).