3D Virtual Slide System for Creation and Analysis of Focusable Digital Slides

描述（申请人提供）：严格的组织标本定量方法已成为现代神经科学研究的基石，如神经发生、干细胞研究、神经移植、神经毒理学、神经退行性疾病和神经精神疾病的发病机制等。目前实践中的方法不利于高通量研究，因为它们通常是手工操作且费力的。有一个明显的缺乏计算机自动三维定量组织学分析工具，可以操作大的三维图像体积。此外，荧光标记组织切片的广泛使用带来了其他限制，特别是荧光染料的褪色，有限的可用性和高端共聚焦显微镜的巨大成本。我们建议开发一个商业系统（Biolucida）来克服这种不令人满意的情况。Biolucida的核心将是3D虚拟载玻片，这是通过显微镜以最高光学分辨率成像的组织标本的数字表示（在X， Y和Z上）。我们将开发用于获取、自动定量组织学分析、观看、共享和存档3D虚拟幻灯片的软件。因此，Biolucida的使用将完全克服上述限制。因此，我们期望Biolucida的推出将彻底改变现代神经科学中荧光标记组织切片的定量分析。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Rigorous quantification methods of histological specimens have become a keystone in modern neuroscience such as investigations of neurogenesis, stem cell research, neurotransplantation, neurotoxicology, and the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. Methods in current practice are not conducive to high-throughput studies because they are often manual and laborious to perform. There is a noticeable lack of computerized automated 3D quantitative histological analysis tools which can operate on large 3D image volumes. Furthermore, the widespread use of fluorescently labeled tissue sections imposes other limitations, particularly fading of fluorescent dyes, limited availability and tremendous costs of high-end confocal microscopes. We propose to develop a commercial system (Biolucida") to overcome this unsatisfactory situation. The core of Biolucida will be 3D virtual slides, which are digital representations (in X, Y and Z) of tissue specimens imaged through a microscope at the highest optical resolution. We will develop software for the acquisition, automated quantitative histological analysis, viewing, sharing and archiving of 3D virtual slides. As such, the use of Biolucida will fully surmount the aforementioned limitations. Consequently we expect that the launch of Biolucida will revolutionize the quantitative analysis of fluorescently labeled tissue sections in modern neuroscience.