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A method and apparatus are disclosed for making and using a virtual microscope slide data structure having data for an overall image of the specimen or a substantial portion thereof along with data for higher magnification images of selected areas within the overall image and along with data useable

A method and apparatus are disclosed for making and using a virtual microscope slide data structure having data for an overall image of the specimen or a substantial portion thereof along with data for higher magnification images of selected areas within the overall image and along with data useable for correlating, linking and/or coherently assembling low magnification, overall image segments with the higher image segments. This latter data may comprise a control program for manipulating images to allow zooming different, higher magnification images into view, scrolling adjacent high magnification images into view or marking the location of a displayed higher magnification view on the overall image to assist in navigation by a viewer to locate and quickly display suspicious areas within the specimen. The data structure may be sent over the Internet.

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What is claimed is: 1. A virtual microscope slide image data structure derived from a small specimen on a microscope slide comprising: stored image data being stored in a computer readable storage medium and derived from a series of digitized magnified images of adjacent segments of the specimen ta

What is claimed is: 1. A virtual microscope slide image data structure derived from a small specimen on a microscope slide comprising: stored image data being stored in a computer readable storage medium and derived from a series of digitized magnified images of adjacent segments of the specimen taken through a magnifying lens, the stored image data being useable to provide a magnified, overall digital image of at least a portion of the small specimen for viewing; stored image data being stored in a computer readable storage medium and being useable to provide a digital image of a smaller area within the specimen portion for viewing the smaller area at least one higher magnification than that of the overall magnified image of the specimen portion; and identifying data being stored in a computer readable storage medium and correlating the magnified overall digital image and respective digital images at a multiple higher magnification of a selected specimen area within the specimen portion. 2. A virtual microscope slide data structure in accordance with 1 wherein the stored image data is stored in a computer readable storage medium and comprises: magnified images having stained, treated or enhanced features of the specimen of sufficient resolution to be analyzed. 3. A virtual microscope slide data structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein the stored images provides magnified images of sufficient resolution to be viewed and analyzed with respect to disease. 4. A virtual microscope slide data structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein the identifying data is stored in a computer readable storage medium and correlates: the higher magnification images of adjacent views at the same resolution for scrolling into view to slow neighboring portions of the specimen; and multiple higher magnification images for a specimen area to provide zooming between multiple resolutions for the area of the specimen. 5. A virtual microscope slide data structure in accordance with claim 1 comprising: data being stored in a computer readable storage medium and providing a dynamic program effective for viewing and manipulating into view a magnified image of the specimen sent over the Internet. 6. A virtual microscope data structure in accordance with claim 5 wherein the stored data for the programs is stored in a computer readable storage medium and comprises: a self-executing program. 7. A virtual microscope data structure in accordance with claim 6 wherein the self-executing program is a Java Applet. 8. A virtual microscope slide data structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein the data structure is compatible with being transmitted on the Internet. 9. A computer readable storage medium in accordance with claim 1 wherein the data structure comprises a stored data set of tiled image data and identifying data for an identified specimen on a slide specimen arranged for transfer over the Internet. 10. A computer readable storage medium in accordance with claim 1 comprises a self-contained entity storing the data for a particular specimen in a manner for distribution of the self-contained entity for the specimen over the Internet. 11. A virtual microscope image data structure in accordance with claim 1 stored on a computer readable storage medium comprising: identification data thereon identifying the microscope slide data structure as an entity for distribution of the data structure from the computer readable storage medium for use as a substitute virtual microscope slide for the actual microscope slide. 12. A virtual microscope image data structure in accordance with claim 11 stored on a computer readable storage medium wherein the data structure is one of several virtual microscope slide data structures stored as separate identifiable entities on the computer readable storage medium for distribution by their respective identification data. 13. A virtual microscope image data structure in accordance with claim 11 wherein the data structure is stored on the computer readable storage medium at an Internet server. 14. A virtual microscope image data structure in accordance with claim 13 wherein stored image data comprises tiled blocks of data for sending over the Internet. 15. A virtual microscope image data structure in accordance with claim 11 wherein the data structure is stored on the computer readable storage medium at a personal computer. 16. A virtual microscope data image structure in accordance with claim 11 where the data structure is stored on a portable computer readable storage medium. 17. A virtual microscope image data structure in accordance with claim 16 wherein the data structure is stored on a disc form of portable storage medium. 18. A virtual microscope image data set in accordance with claim 1 wherein the identifying data comprises coordinate system data for a selected point on the specimen to be shown as images at different magnifications. 19. A virtual microscope image data structure in accordance with claim 18 comprising: identification data for use in zooming between display images of the same point at different magnifications and for scrolling an adjacent image into view on a display device. 20. A virtual microscope image data structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein the stored image data of adjacent magnified image segments comprises the image segments that capture the entire specimen on the slide. 21. A method of constructing a virtual microscope slide data structure derived from a specimen or a portion thereof on a microscope slide comprising: using a magnifying lens and digitally scanning magnified images of segments of the microscope specimen; storing the digital data for the digitized images of magnified segments of the specimen which digital data is useable to provide an overall magnified image which is larger in area than a single optical magnified image of a segment and which digital data is useable to provide higher magnification images of the selected area at the higher magnification, wherein the scanning magnified image of segments and storing digital data for digitized image segments capturing the entire specimen on the slide as the overall magnified image; and using identifying data to coherently assemble the segment data thereof in order to provide an overall magnified image of the specimen. 22. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein the use of a magnifying lens comprises: using a microscope objective lens on specimens having features so small that they cannot be effectively viewed and analyzed without magnification. 23. A method in accordance with claim 21 comprising: providing a stained or otherwise treated specimen to contrast different characteristics of the specimen for viewing. 24. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein the digitally scanning the specimen comprises: performing a first scanning and storing digital data taken at a first low magnification through the magnifying lens; displaying an overall low magnification image to a viewer; selecting for scanning a region on the displayed overall image for scanning; and performing a second scanning operation of the selected region at a higher magnification than the first magnification and storing of the data for the higher magnification image of the selected region. 25. A method in accordance with claim 24 further comprising: storing the data structure on a storage medium at an Internet server for transmission therefrom. 26. A method in accordance with claim 21 comprising: constructing the data structure with programs to identify the stored segments to enable them to be coherently assembled in order to provide the overall image of the specimen portion and to enable viewing of high magnification images of the selected areas. 27. The method of claim 26 comprising: providing the program as a Java applet. 28. The method of claim 21 comprising: constructing the data structure with a dynamic, self-executing program effective for viewing and manipulating into view the magnified image. 29. The method of claim 21 comprising: string on the data structure coordinate information for enabling the coherent assembly of the adjacent, digitally scanned segments. 30. The method of claim 21 comprising: compressing the digitized images and storing the compressed digitized images. 31. The method of claim 21 wherein the digitally scanning comprises: scanning each of the digitized image segments as an image which is substantially an optical view as seen through an objective lens of a scanner. 32. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein the identifying data further comprises: identifying the specimen data structure as entity for distribution of the data structure to a display device for viewing images of the identified specimen. 33. A method in accordance with claim 32 comprising: storing of the data structure as one of several separate identifiable microscope specimen entities stored on a storage medium and using respective identifying data for each of them for distribution of each of them. 34. A method in accordance with claim 21 further comprising: storing the data structure on the storage medium at a personal computer. 35. A method in accordance with claim 21 further comprising: storing the data structure on a portable storage medium. 36. A method in accordance with claim 35 further comprising: storing the data structure on a disc form of portable storage medium. 37. A method in accordance with claim 21 further comprising: transmitting the data structure as tiled data blocks over the Internet. 38. A method in accordance with claim 21 further comprising: providing identifying data comprising coordinate system data for use in displaying a selected point on the specimen to be shown as magnified images at different magnifications. 39. A method in accordance with claim 38 comprising: zooming between displayed images of the same point at different magnifications and scrolling a neighboring image into view on a display device. 40. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein the stored data is flexibly expanded to provide images for larger sizes or shapes of specimens. 41. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein the identifying data comprises an organizational structure which is contained in the virtual microscope data structure for enabling coherent assembly of the segment data to provide specimen images. 42. A method in accordance with claim 41 wherein the organizational structure comprises: stage coordinate information for coordinating positioning between multiple resolution images for the same point on a specimen. 43. A method in accordance with claim 21 comprising: using a magnifying lens during the digital scanning to obtain high resolution and higher magnification images to allow optical zooming to achieve lower magnification images with good fidelity. 44. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein the digital scanning comprises moving the specimen relative to the magnifying lens with steps smaller than a pixel size being used for recording the image. 45. An apparatus for creating a virtual microscope data structure comprising: a computer-controlled microscope imaging system having an objective lens for digitally scanning a series of magnified image segments from a specimen on a support; a program means for recording the scanned digital, magnified image segments; a program means for storing the image segments; a program means for linking the series of contiguous image segments with a program effective for providing an overall magnified image of the specimen; a program means for linking higher magnification images of the selected areas of the specimen with the overall image for display; and a data compressor means for compressing the data of the digitally scanned significantly to allow the scanned digitized images to be sent over the Internet. 46. An apparatus in accordance with claim 45 wherein the program for linking the images comprises: an addressable coordinate means for addressing the image segments for being scanned together and for addressing magnification images. 47. An apparatus in accordance with claim 46 wherein the program means for linking the images comprises: a program for scrolling and allowing a viewer to scroll a portion of a neighboring image into view. 48. An apparatus in accordance with claim 45 wherein the program means comprises: an address display means for displaying the coordinates of an image to assist multiple viewers to identify the same area for analysis and commentary. 49. An apparatus in accordance with claim 45 further comprising: a browser means for storing the dynamic, self-executing program; and a monitor means for viewing the images stored on the monitor and for flipping back and forth between a different high magnification, micro images of selected areas of the specimen. 50. An apparatus in accordance with claim 49 comprising: a marker program means for marking an addressable area on the macro image and to cause the addressed area to appear as a higher resolution, micro image of the specimen on the monitor. 51. A method of constructing a virtual slide data structure derived from a specimen or portion of a specimen on a microscope slide and storing the data structure at a web server comprising: capturing and storing image data for an overall magnified image of a specimen and higher magnification images selected portions of the specimen; storing digital image data on a storage medium at a web server which is useable to provide a low magnification overall image of the specimen; and storing digital image data on the storage medium at the web server useable to provide higher magnification images of a specimen area which is smaller than an overall specimen area; and identifying stored higher magnification images at different magnifications for selective display of the same point at different resolutions. 52. A method in accordance with claim 51 comprising: constructing the data structure to enable viewing by taking the stored image data and converting it with a program for viewing and manipulating images at the different magnifications. 53. A method in accordance with claim 51 comprising: storing a program on the storage medium for transfer with the image data to a remote display means. 54. A method in accordance with 51 comprising: accessing the data structure and transferring image data therefrom for use with a program stored at the remote site to display and manipulate magnified images. 55. An apparatus for constructing a virtual microscope slide data structure derived from a specimen or a portion thereof on a microscope slide comprising: a microscope imaging system having a magnifying objective lens for digitally scanning adjacent segments of the specimen to capture digital data of magnified images of the microscope specimen useable for displaying an overall image of the specimen and for displaying a higher magnified image of a selected area of the overall image; a storage medium for storing the digital data for the digitized images of adjacent segments of the specimen which digital data is useable to provide an overall magnified image which is larger in area than a single optical magnified image of a segment and which digital data is useable to provide higher magnification images of the selected area at the higher magnification; and a program identifying the stored segment images to enable a coherently assembly of the segment images in order to provide an overall magnified image of the specimen.