In general, the technique acquires, digitizes, and then processes a microscope or scanned image, enhancing some areas and subduing others, so that the user can measure, quantify, and otherwise analyze the data. Image-analysis systems can also archive data, which is particularly important in clinical trials.
COMPLETE PACKAGE: The KS 300 system from Carl Zeiss. "Once you have the image on the computer monitor, you can play with it, adjust the color, or cut off what you don't want. Or you can use the system simply to measure," says Uli Kohlhaas, a product manager for Carl Zeiss Inc. of Thornwood, N.Y. Researchers use image analysis to shoot color through selected neurons in a tangled mass of tissue; trace calcium fluxes as a muscle contracts; align electrophoresis gels; count and classify cells in a biopsy; and create interactive, three-dimensional reconstructions of anatomical parts from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT), and ...
