Image Analysis Software Developed to Evaluate Micro/Macro Images

An internationally acknowledged research center in Germany is utilizing sophisticated image analysis software to evaluate microscopic and macroscopic images, while benefiting from savings in time and resources.

Researchers from the Helmholtz Zentrum München (Germany) are now deploying technology developed by Definiens (Munich, Germany) to optimize image analysis processes. Time-consuming routine tasks, which may lead to errors once the observers' concentration lapses--are automated at a consistently high level of quality.

"It used to take us three months to manually evaluate some of our studies. By benefiting from substantial savings in time and resources, we are now able to accomplish that same amount of work in a few days,” stated Dr. Axel Walch, from the Institute of Pathology at Helmholtz Zentrum. "As an added benefit, the more precise data analysis results in more decisive conclusions and considerably improved research quality. What's more, we can now much better make use of the time we save because we have additional resources to carry out further sophisticated tasks,” the pathologist added.

The Helmholtz Zentrum München is the German Research Center for Environmental Health, and is the largest scientific organization in Germany. The center also chose Definiens software for its flexibility and platform independence, since it operates independently of any particular manufacturer and runs on any image-capturing device. Therefore, there is no need to purchase a particular device and software systems. The Definiens Enterprise Image Intelligence Suite can process any standard file format and multiple special image formats, quite common in modern research environments.

Another key reason for selecting the Definiens Enterprise Image Intelligence Suite is the high quality of the integrated analysis capabilities, doing much more than just recognizing pixels. In fact, the system provides a theoretically unlimited number of analysis options--all the way up to complex four-dimensional (4D) evaluation.

Furthermore, deployment of Definiens software throughout the entire Helmholtz Zentrum München provides a central database of image analysis expertise authorized scientists can access. As such, image analysis knowledge does not get lost; it is accumulated and made available to every department. Therefore, issues regarding image analysis can be addressed faster. This reduces the turnaround time of research projects, an increasingly important factor.

By automating image analysis on an enterprise level, Definiens supports life-science organizations to analyze and interpret vast numbers of images accurately and consistently. The software improves the measurement of cell assays, the examination of tissue samples and the interpretation of noninvasive imaging, enabling high-content screening, digital pathology, and translational medicine.

Definiens analyzes and interprets images on all scales, from microscopic cell structures to satellite images. The Definiens Cognition Network Technology, developed by Nobel laureate Prof. Gerd Binnig and his team, is an advanced and context-based technology designed to fulfill the image analysis requirements of life-science markets. The technology is modeled on the powerful human cognitive perception processes to extract intelligence from images. This new software provides organizations with faster image analysis results, allowing deeper insights enabling better decisions.


Related Links:
Helmholtz Zentrum München
Definiens