Automated tissue image analysis

Automated tissue image analysis is a process by which computer-controlled automatic test equipment is used to evaluate tissue samples, using computations to derive quantitative measurements from an image to avoid subjective errors.

In a typical application, automated tissue image analysis could be used to measure the aggregate activity of cancer cells in a biopsy of a cancerous tumor taken from a patient. In breast cancer patients, for example, automated tissue image analysis may be used to test for high levels of proteins known to be present in more aggressive forms of breast cancers.

Automated tissue imaging analysis can significantly reduce uncertainty in characterizing tumors compared to evaluations done by histologists, or improve the prediction rate of recurrence of some cancers. As it is a digital system, suitable for networking, it also facilitates cooperative efforts between distant sites. Systems for automatically analyzing tissue samples also reduce costs and save time.

High-performance CCD cameras are used for acquiring the digital images. Coupled with advanced widefield microscopes and various algorithms for image restoration, this approach can provide better results than confocal techniques at comparable speeds and lower costs.

The United States Food and Drug Administration classifies these systems as medical devices, under the general instrumentation category of automatic test equipment.

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