Data management in a linear-array-based microscope slide scanner

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon one or more sequences of instructions for causing one or more processors to perform the steps for capturing imagery data using a line scan camera, the steps comprising:

• determining a ramp-up period required to accelerate a microscope stage to a substantially constant velocity;
• accelerating the microscope stage through the ramp-up period, wherein said ramp-up period is less than 1 mm of travel;
• capturing imagery data using a line scan camera and an objective lens while the stage is traveling at substantially constant velocity;
• and
• adjusting the objective lens in a Z axis direction during the capture of the imagery data.

A system for capturing imagery data, comprising:

• means for storing imagery data;
• means for moving a microscope sample in an X axis direction and a Y axis direction;
• objective lens means for viewing a portion of the microscope sample;
• line scan camera means optically coupled to the objective lens means for capturing imagery data of the microscope sample as a plurality of image stripes where each image stripe comprises a plurality of scan lines;
• means for adjusting a position of the objective lens in a Z axis direction;
• and
• means for instructing the positioning element to adjust the position of the objective lens in the Z axis during capture of a first stripe of imagery data and a second stripe of imagery data;
• and
• means for storing a first plurality of image portions from the first stripe and a second plurality of image portions from the second stripe as a contiguous digital image in said means for storing imagery data.