Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Digital microscopy transformation, the basis for the virtual microscopy applications, is a challenge but
also a requirement in modern Medical Education. This paper presents the scope, background, methods, and results of
the project ”Digital Transformation of Histology and Histopathology by Virtual Microscopy (VM) for an Innovative
Medical School Curriculum”, VM3.0, funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ framework (ref.no.2022-1-
RO01-KA220-HED-000089017). The project was initiated at Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy,
Iași, Romania, with the support of Euroed Foundation, Iași, and cooperation of University partners from Gdansk
(Poland), Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Alicante (Spain), and Patras (Greece) aimed to implement digital histology and histopathology teaching in a common network.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The backbone of the project was the development of a Digital Slide Platform based on the
scans of histological slides collected from all the partners of the participating universities and the creation of a simple
and fast digital/internet communication tool that could be used to improve histology and histopathology teaching of
medical and natural sciences students. The construction of a Virtual Microscopy Library (VML) has been based on the
acquisition of whole scans of high-quality histological slides stained by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and other classical
staining methods and description of various organs' details in English as well as respective languages of the project’s
partners. The VML can be used for different approches, both for students’ instruction in classes as well as for individual
students’ work and self-testing. Universities from other countries could use the modal structure of the developed VML
system on the condition that more slides are provided and the implementation of national language(s) is implemented.
CONCLUSIONS: The combined efforts of all university partners allowed to establish the dynamic low-cost virtual microscopy
educational system. The VM system could help unify the standards of cytology, histology, and histopathology
teaching in a quest for the digital transformation of the European educational system.

Details

Title
Digital morphology network for effective teaching of cytology, histology and histopathology for medical and biology curriculum. VM3.0 Erasmus+ project
Author
Amalinei, Cornelia 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Timofte, Andrei Daniel 2 ; Căruntu, Irina Draga 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Wierzbicki, Piotr M. 3 ; Żmijewski, Michal A. 3 ; Sirmakessis, Spiros 4 ; Girela, Jose L. 5 ; Martínez-Ruiz, Noemí 5 ; Vizcaya-Moreno, M. Flores 5 ; Pérez-Cañaveras, Rosa M. 5 ; Harizanova, Zdravka 6 ; Popova, Ferihan 6 ; Colibaba, Cintia 7 ; Kmieć, Zbigniew 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  Department of Morphofunctional Sciences I — Histology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași, Romania. [email protected] 
2  Department of Morphofunctional Sciences I — Histology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași, Romania 
3  Department of Histology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland 
4  Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Peloponnese, Patras, Greece 
5  Department of Biotechnology and Department of Nursing, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain 
6  Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria 
7  Iași University of Life Sciences and Fundatia EuroEd, Iași, Romania 
First page
61
End page
75
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
Wydawnictwo Via Medica
ISSN
02398508
e-ISSN
18975631
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5603/fhc.100875
ProQuest document ID
3215780270
Copyright
© 2024. This work is published under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.