Methodologies for Medical Computing. Computers for Medical Imaging and Graphics: Muscle Biopsy Data Acquisition and Display

摘要

Contemporary analysis of human or experimental muscle biopsies includes documentation of muscle fiber size for each fiber type. A semi-automated system has been devised to classify fibers, measure diameters, and display results. Special stains convert different fiber types to specific shades of gray. The microscope image is transmitted by a TV camera to a picture-processing computer. Muscle cells are recognized, classified, and measured for their minimum diameter. Data on consecutive fibers are summed and displayed as lists, histograms, or graphs according to each fiber type. Interpretation of the results is provided by the neuropathologist based on an awareness of probabilities associated with prior comparable results. Data on all patients is accumulated in categories according to disease, sex, age, and site.