Key Features
- Motorized microscopes control and automation.
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Camera control (automatic or manual), image quality indication.
- Variety of display modes including true-color display.
- Automated image corrections, contrast and staining enhancements.
- Image annotations including user defined phrases.
- Intuitive, synoptic, flexible and secure data management with a powerful SQL database module.
- Fast creation of reports including summary reports. The reports can be stored in a database, printed out or exported directly to PDF format.
Image Acquisition
Capturing is the crucial feature of each fluorescence imaging system. LUCIA applications incorporate lots of possibilities helping to obtain optimal image quality. We take care for the optimal choice of the camera. Such cameras are able to follow your fluorescent sample intensity. Camera settings for each fluorescent probe is saved separately.
The acquisition procedure captures the images sequentially and combines them into a multi channel image afterwards.
To allow for simple acquisition of various fluorescent samples stained with various fluorescent probes LUCIA defines fluorescent probes and use them to create probe kits. The structure of a probe kit reflects a staining protocol of an appropriate specimen e.g. HER2. LUCIA defines a basic set of fluorescent probes widely used in cytogenetics. The kit definition defines the number of channels and their colors as well as camera and microscope settings to be used for the image acquisition.
The camera setting can track the specimen intensity during the image acquisition. If the specimen contains a dirt the user can specify a region of interest on which the camera optimizes the image quality.
To help locate and focus cells the camera live preview image is accelerated being a bit more noisy. The ratio between acceleration and image quality can be set by the user.
The LUCIA systems allow for connection of modern motorized fluorescence microscopes as well as additional devices such as external filter wheels or scanning stages.
Image Processing
The images can be processed to increase the analysis potential or the optimize quality for documentation or presentation. The set processing features includes color enhancements, contrast and brightness functions, color shifts, crosstalk removal etc. Most of enhancements can be applied to each color individually, the entire image or just a region of interest.
All the annotations are stored in a vector layer and are not a part of the image data. Anytime, they can be easily moved and sized by mouse. To simplify the work with the annotations user can define phrases and later insert them with just one move of the mouse.
Database
The images can be stored and managed together with the patient data. The system works with a standard SQL database engine. Data are stored in a central place - the server. Maintenance and backups are easy. A user can work in different working places or at home connected to the database via Internet. Communication with the database server can be encrypted (secure). It is possible to store large amount of data on the server. It is possible to search, view and analyze data much faster compared to a standalone PC machine. The database provides additional functionality which is not possible to perform on files (duplicity check, statistics, pre-filled items in record forms). Additional data such as reports, information about specimen slides or user settings can be stored in the database too.
Report
LUCIA can create reports containing images and patient or examination data and directly print them or export them to PDF format. You can create report by hand. It can be useful for situation when report layout is used just once. For repetitive tasks, a report template shall be created which will make the report creation very easy and fast. The most powerful and time saving usage is when creating reports from data saved in a database. LUCIA Cytogenetics can save reports and also report templates to a file or a database. If saved in the database it can be shared with other users. To enhance workflow efficiency LUCIA allows you to put bar codes into the reports.