A virtual slide is created when glass slides are digitally scanned in their entirety to provide a high resolution digital image

Digital image

A digital image is a numeric representation of a two-dimensional image. Depending on whether or not the image resolution is fixed, it may be of vector or raster type...

 using a digital scanning system for the purpose of medical digital image analysis. Digital slides can be retrieved from a storage system, and viewed on a computer screen

Computer display

A monitor or display is an electronic visual display for computers. The monitor comprises the display device, circuitry, and an enclosure...

, by running image management software on a standard web browser

Web browser

A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...

, and assessed in exactly the same way as on a microscope

Microscope

A microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy...

. Digital slides can be used as an alternative to traditional viewing for the purpose of teleconsultation.