Advantages of WIMS include:
• Searchable: Images are searchable by keyword.
• Accessible: Images may be retrieved from any location with a computer having an Internet access.
• Scalable: The number of images the that may be stored depends on server disk size.
• Secure: The image database is username/password protected.
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Maximum usefulness of expensive, high powered, advanced microscopes is achieved with WIMS. Images may be stored and rapidly accessed in multiple locations throughout the world.
A WIMS software package resides on a website and has an address that may be reached with any computer having a web browser and Internet access. Images and information about them are uploaded to the website with a WIMS transfer utility. Once uploaded the images and the information are displayed in a database table. Any user with access to the WIMS database may download the images with a download transfer utility.
Each record in the database includes three separate types of information. First, there is a .bmp or .jpg file that is used to create a thumbnail image that is displayed in the database table. Second, there is information associated with the record such as the date, source, and description. And, finally, a zip file of the original microscope images is associated with the record
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Figure 2 shows a sample entry in a typical record of the WIMS database. Each record, or project has seven columns of information. The projects are easily identified with the description or visually by looking at the thumbnails. Entries in the database may be easily updated with the database update utility.
The number of images that may be stored on the web site depends the size of the images and the amount of space allocated on the web server. Because the images are “zipped up” before being placed in the WIMS database, maximum efficiency is achieved. Typically, over 17,000 images may be stored on a 20 gigabyte server if the images are 500 KB each. Of course, by using more server space the number of images stored can be increased substantially.
There are two general types of applications that are addressed with WIMS: the Archiving and Distribution of images.
Archiving:
A typical microscope user stores images on a personal computer located either in an office or laboratory. As the number of images begins to grow, images are typically moved from the PC hard disk onto another storage medium such as a CD or a Zip drive. After a while, the microscopist has dozens and even hundreds of discs identified by date or a short written description. When asked to retrieve an image that is archived this way, the microscopist is faced with a daunting, and often impossible challenge. Sorting through the disks to find one or two images may be too time consuming to be practical.
With WIMS, the images are stored on a regular basis on a web site. Then when retrieval of the images is requested, the images may be retrieved in a matter of minutes. The microscopist only has to log onto the web site, and do a keyword search for the images. Desired images may be downloaded rapidly and distributed as requested.
Distribution/Sharing:
Often organizations that rely on microscope images need to rapidly distribute images to many locations. This requirement may be driven by collaborating researchers or even marketing/sales engineers needing images for customers. Because the images are often very large they are often not readily emailed. Even if the images were emailed, each recipient would need to archive the images on a local PC.
With WIMS, once the images are placed on the web database, they may be retrieved at any location having a PC with a web browser and Internet access. There is no need for each person requiring the images to store the images on their own computer permanently. Such a system allows almost instantaneous distribution of images throughout the world.
As an example of the power of WIMS for image distribution, Pacific Nanotechnology offers scanning probe microscopes that generate 3-D images of surface topography. Selling the microscopes requires showing potential customers applications images that are measured with the microscopes. Images may be measured in applications laboratories in California, Japan, France or Germany. With WIMS after the images are uploaded to the site, they may be downloaded at any customer site throughout the world. Further, all users having a password for the WIMS site can review the images measured at each of the applications/demonstration centers.
Potential users for WIMS are companies that want to share applications information rapidly worldwide, and microscopists that want to archive and retrieve images from large volumes of images.