Manual vs.
Motorized Scanning

Manual and motorized slide scanning serve different purposes in microscopic imaging. The appropriate choice depends on technical requirements, sample volume, budget, and workflow considerations. This page outlines the key factors that help determine which scanning approach is suitable for a given application.

Choosing the Appropriate Scanning Approach

Overview of Manual and Motorized Slide Scanning

Manual slide scanning refers to the digitization of microscope slides using a conventional microscope equipped with a camera, where image acquisition is controlled by the operaor.

The scanning process relies on dedicated software that captures individual image tiles and performs the stitching required to generate a coherent digital slide. Without such software, manual slide scanning beyond single fields of view would not be possible.

The operator manually adjusts focus, illumination, magnification, and scan area according to the specimen and application, while the software handles image acquisition, stitching, and documentation. Manual slide scanning does not rely on motorized stages or fully automated scanning workflows.

Motorized slide scanning is based on automated systems that use motorized stages. These systems are desigend to scan slides with minimal user interaction and are commonly used for standardized, high-throughput applications.

Technical Suitability: Specimen- And Application-Driven Considerations

Manual and motorized slide scanning address different technical and organizational requirements. Manual scanning is typically chosen when flexibility, low sample volume, budget considerations and preservation of existing workflows are decisive. Motorized slide scanners are preferred for standardized, high-throughput applications. In many laboratories, both approaches are used side by side.

Criterion

Manual Slide Scanning

Motorized Slide Scanning

Specimen variability

Well suited for heterogenous and non-standard specimens

Best suited for standardized specimens

Illumination & contrast requirements

Highly felxible, adjustable per specimen

Typically predefined or limited by system design

Slide formats, specimen thickness & focus plane variations

Handles non-standard sizes and variable thickness and focus planes

Optimized for standard slide formats and even focus planes

Magnification strategy

Flexible, any objective can be used

Usually less flexible

Throughput

Low to moderate is most appropriate

High

Typical sample volume

Occasional, low or medium volume scanning

Routine, high-volume scanning

Workflow integration

Preserves existing microscope workflows

Requires a dedicated scanning workflow

Operator involvement

Operator-driven

Minimal operator interaction

Investment cost

Low, largely independent of application

Ranges from moderate to very high, depending on application

Use as interim solution

Well suited as a transitional solution

Typically not intended as interim solution

Coexistence in the same laboratory

Common and practical

Application Examples and Use Cases

The following use cases illustrate how manual slide scanning is applied in practice. They demonstrate how specific specimen characteristics, application requirements, and organizational constraints can make manual scanning a suitable or advantageous approach in real-world scenarios

Geology / Material Science

Geological thin sections often require flexible illumination and contrast modes as well as support for non-standard slide formats. In this context, manual slide scanning is not only economically reasonable but also can be technically advantageous due to its adaptability to heterogeneous specimens and specialized imaging requirements.

For specific details, have a look at the use case on Geoarchaeology

Teaching and Documentation

Manual slide scanning enables on-demand digitization of individual slides for teaching and documentation purposes, without the need for an expensive and dedicated scanning infrastructure.

Have a look at the Education use case to learn more.

Research

In research applications, specimen characteristics and staining methods often vary significantly, requiring flexibly adjustable scanning parameters.

The flexibility of mvSlide and its suitability for diverse research settings are reflected in numerous scientific publications based on slide scanning with mvSlide.

These examples illustrate how manual slide scanning can be applied in different contexts. Additional use cases and further details are available throughout the Microvisioneer website.