PAI-WSIT: An AI Service Platform With Support for Storing and Sharing Whole-Slide Images With Metadata and Annotations

Advances in whole-slide images (WSI) technology can promote the pathology environment based on digital imaging and make a very compelling case as part of the clinical workflow. Furthermore, the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) for morphometric image analysis are accelerating the transition of pathology into a more quantitative science. However, several challenges, such as storing, sharing, visualizing, and analyzing large-size WSI files and the acquisition of annotations from pathologists for WSIs still exist in working with WSIs in AI researches. We, therefore, developed a web-based platform PAI-WSIT: Pathologists Annotated and AI-empowered WSI Database for Tumors, which provides storing, sharing, and visualizing services for WSIs with annotations. In addition, PAI-WSIT also supports the management of annotations from different pathologists and integrates an AI service for detecting malignant regions in colorectal WSIs. The platform will provide collaborations between the computer scientists and research pathologists that are of utmost importance for the development of relevant algorithms and computer-aided prognosis. PAI-WSIT is freely accessible from http://www.paiwsit.com.