Xref: utzoo sci.bio:1082 bionet.software.pc:20
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!purdue!riedl
From: riedl@cs.purdue.EDU (John T Riedl)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,bionet.software.pc
Subject: digitizers and software: request for information
Message-ID: <3830@medusa.cs.purdue.edu>
Date: 12 Apr 88 16:03:16 GMT
Sender: news@cs.purdue.EDU
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University
Lines: 29
Keywords: digitizers,histology


My wife is working in a neuro-biology lab that frequently needs to
measure volumes of parts of brains and spinal cords.  Their current
approach is to slice the brain into cross-sections, draw on paper an
outline of the interesting part of each cross-section using a drawing
microscope, compute the area enclosed by each curve using a mechanical
digitizer, and approximate the volume by summing the areas of the
cross-sections.  The lab is considering alternate approaches that
would speed up this process.

One possibility would be to buy a digitizer pad for their PC.  With
software support, the digitizer could combine the steps of computing
the areas and approximating the volume.  The software could also
provide a three dimensional rendering of the complete figure, which
would help in avoiding errors.  Other possibilities include getting a
camera digitizer that could digitize the image directly from a
microscope, thus avoiding the drawing step.

Do any of you have experience with these or other methods for
approximating volumes during histology?  I would appreciate leads on
hardware, software, and alternate methods.

Thank you,

John Riedl
{ucbvax,decvax,hplabs}!purdue!riedl  -or-  riedl@mordred.cs.purdue.edu
-- 
John Riedl
{ucbvax,decvax,hplabs}!purdue!riedl  -or-  riedl@mordred.cs.purdue.edu