title: Quantitative microscopy and artificial intelligence: some philosophical reflections.
abstract: The interdisciplinary field of quantitative microscopy (computer-aided microscopy) and artificial image understanding systems is explored, with an emphasis on the philosophical aspects of pathology and artificial intelligence. Three methodological problems of traditional diagnostic pathology are identified: those of validity, variability and organisation. Quantitative microscopy is a potential research strategy for solving these problems. In practice, however, the quantitative microscopy program is handicapped by the difficulty of building artificial image-understanding systems. We discuss the segmentation problem in image understanding, and four general strategies, three cognitivistic and one connectionistic, are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Kibbelaar
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Vooijs
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Mooi
mesh_terms: D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D010336:Pathology / Q000295:instrumentation; D010686:Philosophy, Medical