title: Confocal stereology and image analysis: methods for estimating geometrical characteristics of cells and tissues from three-dimensional confocal images.
abstract: A short review of confocal stereology and three-dimensional image analysis is presented, pointing out the achievements accomplished in this field by the Department of Biomathematics (Institute of Physiology, Prague). One of the methods of confocal stereology, the fakir method for surface area estimation, developed by this laboratory, is described. Methods for automatic measurement of geometrical characteristics of microscopical structures, based on 3-D image processing or surface triangulation, are discussed and compared with interactive stereological methods. Three-dimensional reconstruction programs and software implementation of stereological and digital methods as well as their practical applications are presented. The future trends are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomathematics, Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic. kubinova@biomed.cas.cz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kubínová
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Janácek
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Radochová
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Difato
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Krekule
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002824:Chorionic Villi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008433:Mathematics; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014463:Ultrasonography