Section Overview:
Advanced software for acquisition, processing, archiving, and retrieval of analog and digital images is available from a wide variety of manufacturers and distributors. This specialized software is designed to optimize image capture and to perform real-time analysis of both raw and enhanced digital images. Utilizing these advanced techniques, microscopists can examine and reveal fine specimen detail that is typically masked by artifacts and interference during acquisition.
Web Articles
- Advanced Imaging Concepts - A leader in hardware and software, Advanced Imaging provides the highest quality digital imaging solutions for optical microscopy currently available. One of the main features is Image Central, a software package designed for Windows 95/98/NT that provides a simple, yet powerful answer to the problem of digital image management and archiving in the laboratory today.
- Alpha Innotech Corporation - Established in 1992 to provide innovative solutions in digital imaging and genetic analysis, Alpha Innotech specializes in software development, detectors, optics, electronics and life science applications to provide integrated solutions for a growing customer base. Image processing software includes AlphaEase, a comprehensive set of image acquisition, enhancement, data management, and analysis tools designed to aid the microscopist in capturing and analyzing digital images.
- Apogee Instruments - Apogee has teamed up with manufacturers of the most advanced camera control and image processing software solutions available today for the integrated control of all cameras offered by the company. From Windows to Linux, these powerful applications will meet a wide variety of needs from astronomy and microscopy, to basic laboratory research.
- Applied Precision - The company develops measurement, analysis, and process-control systems for semiconductor testing, assembly, and packaging. Software is also available for researchers involved in biomedical and biotechnology investigations and analysis (especially cell microscopy, genomics and proteomics).
- AutoQuant Imaging - AutoQuant specializes in deconvolution and visualization tools for 3-D and 2-D imaging for the biological and physical sciences. Among the methodology available with AutoQuant software is deconvolution without point spread function acquisition, fully blind deconvolution, quantitative analysis of deconvolved images, and 3-D microscopy and visualization.
- Clemex Technologies - Utilizing the nickname: "The Image Analysis People", Clemex provides digital imaging solutions for the acquisition, archiving, and analysis of images used in quality control and research laboratories.
- Compix Imaging Systems - Incorporated in Pennsylvania in 1987, Compix has progressed to one of the world leaders in software based imaging systems. The main software product is SimplePCI, which was developed on the Windows NT/2000 platform. The program is a high performance imaging software system designed to meet the needs for high-speed processing at a low cost, with ease of use and flexiblity. This software has been adapted to Nikon's confocal microscopy product lineup.
- Data Translation - Specializing in data acquisition for machine vision imaging, Data Translation offers a software package entitled DT Vision Foundry, which is intended for dynamic inspection application. The company also produces software and hardware for image acquisition, data acquisition, and signal conditioning.
- Empix Imaging - The goal of Empix is to provide innovative scientific and industrial image analysis applications for a wide variety of leading corporate and research institutions. Currently, Empix is a leader in the development of image analysis software, including morphometry, densitometry, image processing, CCD camera control, Boolean math, image filtering, animation, 3-D reconstruction, device control, fluorescent overlays, image histograms, DDE, equalization, image editing, definable look up tables, calibration, memorized last operation, and 3D profiles.
- General Nanotechnology - Developing software for 3-D image rendering, enhancement, and analysis, General Nanotechnology also focuses on computer-programmed control of microscope image acquisition. Two of the featured software packages are Probe 3D and SmartFocus, which are leading products in this arena.
- Image Content Technology - Manufacturers of Lucis, a new image processing software package, ICT is on the cutting edge of image analysis for optical microscopy. Lucis is a remarkable post-acquisition image manipulation program that extracts contrast patterns and adjusts image parameters to suit the needs of the user.
- Imaging Associates - Based in the United Kingdom, Imaging Associates Ltd. provides imaging solutions for scientific and medical purposes including image analysis and archiving, image processing, electron microscopy and standard microscopy, fluorescence imaging and failure analysis. The company also markets software designed for image analysis in cytogenetics, genetics, histology, toxicology, metallurgy and grain sizing.
- Imaging Research - Imaging Research Inc., is a software and instrument developer, producing analytical imaging systems, screening systems, and bioinformatics software for life science research and pharmaceutical drug discovery.
- Impuls Imaging - Founded in Germany in 1995, Impuls Imaging GmbH offers commercially supported Image Processing and Analysis solutions that fully exploit the capabilities of Microsoft Windows. The Impuls Vision product line includes different interactive solutions as well as software development kits (SDK) that can be used to create dedicated image processing solutions. The SDKs can be used to create image analysis applications for scientific purpose or machine vision programs.
- Inovision Corporation - Since 1985, Inovision Corporation has been developing ISee Analytical Imaging Software and providing clients with fully integrated ISee Analytical Imaging Systems for a wide array of biological, biomedical, industrial, and semiconductor imaging applications. With ISee Analytical Imaging Software, the user can choose his imaging platform without sacrificing the power, speed, versatility, functionality and ease of use that has become the hallmark of all ISee Analytical Imaging Systems.
- Kodak Scientific Imaging Systems - A in-depth look at Kodak's MDS system and all of its accessories. Kodak provides detailed information on system requirements, specifications, upgrade information, FAQ's, and an online tutorial on how to use digital imaging equipment.
- Media Cybernetics - Founded in 1981, Media Cybernetics is the leading global provider of imaging solutions that automate research, development, and quality control processes in life science and industrial applications. The company offers industry standard image analysis software including Image-Pro Plus, Array-Pro Analyzer, and Gel-Pro Analyzer.
- Mideo Systems - The company offers an extensive line of video microscopy products using state of the art video and digital technology. Customized systems are available for investigators in forensics, education, manufacturing, and the medical and biological sciences.
- NorPix - NorPix is a leading provider of image processing software and turnkey imaging solutions to the industrial and scientific market place. Products include StreamPix digital video recording software, Visilog image analysis and processing software, and Print Inspector, a stand-alone application designed to perform inspection of printed designs at high tolerances in the screen and silk printing or microelectronics industry.
- Pixel Vision - Offering PixelView, a 32-bit image acquisition and analysis software package to support its CCD cameras, Pixel Vision is rapidly becoming a force in the digital image analysis arena. Optimized for high-speed, multi-channel data acquisition, PixelView employs intuitive image processing and analysis tools. The software provides for camera frame rate and exposure control, region-of-interest selection, mathematical and statistical analyses, histogram plots, row and column plots, and binning control.
- Scanalytics - The company develops scientific image acquisition, image processing, and image analysis software and systems specifically to solve the problems of research scientists. Applications include fluorescence microscopy, multiprobe imaging, FISH, ratiometric imaging, microarray screening, deconvolution, genotyping, AFLP, and remote sensing.
- Scientific Volume Imaging - Specializing in deconvolution and volume rendering software, this company offers several software packages available to the microscopist. The Huygens Professional is a deconvolution application that enables restoration of widefield and confocal 2D, 3D and 4D (time series) images using a UNIX platform that operates on Silicon Graphics computers or LINUX on personal computers. The Huygens Essential is based on the same compute engine, but has a wizard driven user interface that makes deconvolution user-friendly. The software is available for a number of platforms, including Windows, LINUX, IRIX, IBM AIX, and Macintosh OS X.
- Scientific Volume Imaging: FreeSFP - Based on a physically realistic light propagation model, the SFP renderer allows you to view your raw and deconvolved multi-channel 3D datasets in a very intuitive manner. This freeware is downloadable from SVI's website.
- Scion Corporation - Scion Corporation is committed to developing and manufacturing the highest quality digitizer boards for scientific and industrial imaging applications, to advancing state-of-the-art technology, and to providing practical, user-friendly applications and solutions that meet their client's needs at a competitive price.
- Soft Imaging System - Products include image analysis software and hardware for machine vision, image processing, medical imaging, biometric, and metallographical applications. Soft Imaging System provides solutions for researchers in materials science, biomedicine, metallography, and quality control.
- Syncroscopy Digital Microscopy - Offering a full range of digital microscopy products, Syncroscopy provides both hardware and software solutions designed and packaged to facilitate microscopy. The company's flagship product, Auto-Montage, eliminates the problems of limited depth of field by automatically capturing the in-focus regions from a range of focal planes and combining them into a single fully-focused, high resolution image. Auto-Montage software works with any optical microscope and the images can then be stored in a database, analyzed, printed or published.
- Till Photonics - Headquartered in Germany, Till produces an image analysis package entitled TILLvisION, which is designed to facilitate fluorescence microscopy. Among the features available with this package are advanced image acquisition, live analysis of the images providing real-time kinetic information, and a full spectrum of processing, enhancement, and correction tools.
- Universal Imaging Corporation - Founded in 1983, Universal Imaging concentrates on the development, sales and support of innovative, integrated software and hardware systems for biological microscopy and industrial imaging applications. The company's leading product is the MetaMorph Imaging System, which offers innovative solutions to image acquisition, processing, and compression.
- VayTek - VayTek offers digital imaging systems, including deconvolution software, 3-D volume visualization, measurement, and presentation graphics, in addition to digital control for microscope peripherals. The company also produces integrated hardware and software systems for science, research, microscopy, and engineering.
- Visus Imaging - Specializing in software for image analysis, Visus produces a wide variety of products for karyotyping, sperm analysis, size quantitation, forensic science, and FISH quantitative DNA research.
- Zedec Vision Systems - A leader in digital imaging technology, Zedec provides imaging software, hardware components, and desktop workstations for researchers in biomedical microscopy, forensic sciences, metallography, materials science, and quality control.