Virtual Slice Module

• Create and analyze high-resolution image montages

• Analyze structures contained in the Virtual Slice montage

• Use the Virtual Slice montage to assist in navigation through tissue

• Obtain extremely high-resolution digital images for printing and archiving

The Virtual Slice module is a plug-in extension for the Neurolucida and Stereo Investigator software that provides the additional capability of creating extremely high-resolution montages composed of images obtained from multiple microscopic fields of view. The Virtual Slice module uses a motorized stage to automatically collect a series of contiguous images of a specimen and merges them into a single image montage. Automatic correction is done to remove shading error in order to obtain images with even illumination. The resulting montage is virtually seamless and can easily exceed the resolution and the field size of photomicrographic images.

We dubbed the module, Virtual Slice, because an extremely useful application for this software is to scan through a tissue slice at high magnification and create an image montage of the tissue. This Virtual Slice montage is of a higher resolution than images obtainable using a low magnification lens. In fact, it is often not possible to view all of a single tissue section even with the microscope's lowest power objective lens. Virtual Slice removes this limitation, opening the doors to numerous new visualizing possibilities.

Once the image montage has been created by Virtual Slice, the module can then be used to open new dimensions in visualization and quantification of microscopic structures. A true macro view image of the specimen may be displayed in a separate window to serve as the basis for navigating through the tissue at high magnification. Image segmentation algorithms may be used to automatically recognize, count, and measure objects contained in the image montage. The image montage is fully "zoomable". All of the mapping and tracing capabilities of the standard Neurolucida and Stereo Investigator programs are still available when using the Virtual Slice module.

Images created with the Virtual Slice module may be printed on any Windows compatible output device, including high-resolution printers and film recorders. Image montages may be archived--providing high resolution digital storage of microscopic specimens. Stored Virtual Slice images may also be traced and mapped at a later time.

The Virtual Slice module can be used with both brightfield and fluorescence microscopy. Color and monochrome video cameras are supported. If you already own Neurolucida or Stereo Investigator, the Virtual Slice module can add significant new capabilities to your system investment.

MBF Bioscience, Inc. (MicroBrightField, Inc.), 74 Hegeman Ave., Colchester, VT 05446. Tel: 802-655-9360; Fax: 802-655-5245.