Puls Jh

A PC-based system for the objective analysis of histologic specimens through quantitative contextual karyometry.

A personal computer-based microphotometry system is described which provides objective measurements of important diagnostic properties of histologic specimens. Characteristic features of individual nuclei such as total integrated nuclear optical density (DNA content), nuclear area, shape, and texture may be measured. When operated at reduced magnification, measurements of mitotic density, nuclear crowding, and relative nuclear orientation provide additional diagnostic information. These features may be examined in the context provided by other nuclei and, in tissues such as stratified epithelia, relative to nuclear position within the histologic structure as a whole.

High-resolution color video cytophotometry

Comparison was made between cytophotometric measurements obtained using two data acquisition systems, one a microphotometer and the other a rapid video camera system, to ascertain whether the degradation of data with the faster video acquisition system still results in recorded images of sufficient quality to permit computer discrimination between cells of very similar appearance. Normal-appearing intermediate cells from cases with normal cytology and those from patients with dysplasia or malignant disease, as well as the subvisual markers within these cells that have rendered them capable of cytophotometric discrimination, were used for the study. Comparison of the data recorded by the two systems indicates that the diagnostic information is preserved in the change-over to a full-field, video-rate scanning system, with differences in the data caused primarily by differences in the spectral response of the two systems. This was reflected in the substantial differences observed in the color-related features and the lesser differences seen in the textural features, while the morphometric features (outline and shape) were virtually unaffected. The differences were primarily expressed on a cell-to-cell basis; in sets of about 300 cells, which would be used in patient-to-patient comparisons, the feature values showed remarkable consistency between the two systems.