Before you begin...
It is best if you schedule an appointment to discuss your project needs BEFORE you begin submitting material to the DHSR for imaging. Ideally, you should plan to discuss your imaging needs prior to generating your samples. This way, we can go over hard requirements, common pitfalls, and best practices. Within the form below you can suggest your preferred days/times for scheduling an appointment. Please read and implement the advice contained on the Slide Submission Considerations page. Be aware that you are responsible for proper human subject / vertebrate animal accreditation and approvals.
What to expect...
Once you have submitted your slide scanning request through this website, you can drop your slides off at the DHSR (10425 MRB IV). When your slides are finished scanning, please remember to return and pick up the original glass slides.
Bright field scanning is very rapid, and most slides are scanned same day, with 24 hours usually being the maximum turn-around time. Fluorescent scanning takes much more time. Higher magnification, tissue area, number of fluorescent channels, and fluorescence intensity greatly affect scan times. For example, 40X scanning takes four times as long as 20X (twice as large in both length and width) and produces a file four times as large. Due to the greater time fluorescent scanning takes, there is often a queue of slides to be processed. We will try to keep you informed on the expected completion time for your batch of slides.
Once slide scanning is complete, your whole slide images are immediately uploaded to our Digital Slide Archive (DSA). There you can review, share, analyze, export, create conferences, etc... Please be sure to apply for your DSA account when you submit your first batch of slides. If you have collaborators that you wish to safely and securely share your whole slide images with, it is recommended that you have them apply for a DSA account as well. Be aware: all access to the DSA is through the VUMCID or VUID. It is important to let us know who you plan on giving permission to view your slides so that they can be directed properly.
Getting to know you...
Please complete our request form. It will help us understand who you are and what type of imaging you will need.
