Stereo Investigator Previous Versions

Features Introduced in Version 9.0

  • Automatic 3D Cell Detection (new extension module) automatically counts cells with the Optical Fractionator – Includes volume, surface area, and shape measurements, as well as multichannel co-localization capabilities
  • Automatic contouring to trace from live video, acquired images, and virtual slides
  • Oversample-resampling to help choose suitable settings for the Optical Fractionator with your tissue
  • Multi-user setup creates configurations for different groups in your lab, or organizes by experiment type
  • Drag and drop functionality to open data and image files
  • New and enhanced stereology workflows, including Optical Fractionator, Physical Fractionator, Space Balls, Connectivity Assay, and SRS Image Stack Acquire
  • Improved offline analysis and counting to perform data collection on a microscope system and analysis on independent workstations

SERIAL SECTION MANAGER

  • Improved and easier-to-use Serial Section Manager
  • Define multiple sections at one time
  • Flanking Sections allows you to easily view sections adjacent to the current section
  • Map every independent section of your imported files to a new section

ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS

  • Live image histogram
  • Flip sections and objects
  • JPEG2000 support
  • Improved focus meter
  • Improved image scale bar
  • Virtual slide region export
  • 16-bit image support for 4+ channels
  • Improved macro view with zoom and other tools
  • Improved Microsoft Excel® export options for results
  • Use middle mouse button for easy marking of multiple populations during a single probe run
  • Nucleator calculates area, volume, and length for up to three concentric objects with a shared center
  • Duplicate a probe run for auditing against another’s results
  • Perform Cavalieri in “Where Is” macro view
  • Improved z-histogram of cell positions

IMAGE STACK MODULE

  • New max/min projection display
  • Open a sequence of very large image files and virtual slices as an image stack
  • Save virtual images and image stacks at specified resolutions
  • Improved support for Zeiss LSM confocal files

SOLID MODELING MODULE

  • Multiple stack rendering
  • Options for capping all endings
  • Export to large format graphics
  • Improved skin surface quality and display performance

HARDWARE INTEGRATION

  • CARV II
  • Sutter Lambda shutters
  • 64-bit camera drivers
  • Qioptiq OptiGrid
  • NVIDIA 9800 GT/GT+
  • Prior ProLumen
  • Zeiss Axiocam line
  • Prior shutters and filter wheels
  • SAR Procyon laser
  • LEP MAC 6000
  • Heidenhain IK220 focus encoder
  • Stereo Investigator
  • 2008 New Features

Features Introduced in Version 8.0

  • New Pulmonary Edition features Connectivity Assay Workflow to guide you step-by-step through the estimation process. Count alveoli and quantify cell types, areas, and volumes.
  • View and Analyze Multi-Gigabyte Images. With Microsoft Vista® 64-bit and Vista 32-bit, load and work with larger images, image stacks, and virtual slides

OFFLINE STEREOLOGY

  • Capture images and image stacks at the microscope and then analyze offline
  • Workflow technology assists high throughput stereology and unattended collection

MOBILE LICENSING

  • Quickly move your license key between multiple workstations within the lab or work from a remote location

Export Stereology Results into Microsoft Excel®

  • Export your stereology results directly into Microsoft Excel. Results are properly formatted and can be exported from Excel into other programs and documents

NEW AND IMPROVED STEREOLOGY WORKFLOWS AND PROBE INTERFACES

  • Improvements to the Optical Fractionator, Space Balls, Physical Fractionator and SRS Acquire Workflows
  • Improved support for multichannel imaging adjustments within Workflows
  • Improvement to the Cavalieri interface allows faster, more efficient work
  • Enhanced probe run sorting simplifies collection of stereological results

FASTER AND SMOOTHER 3d SOLIDS MODULE

  • Image stacks can be dynamically rotated and viewed in real-time using GPU (graphics processing unit) rendering
  • Contour Skin Surface loads faster and now supports multiple contours on any serial section
  • Added a surface smoothness setting for trees and contours
  • Export to solid model graphics to Wavefront .OBJ files
  • Improved transparency mapping and contour quality

INTELLIGENT MACRO VIEW

  • Macro View made smarter – Adjusts window size to contain only visible tracing objects — hidden and out-of-section objects are disregarded
  • Intuitive zooming—left-click and drag a box to zoom in; right-click to zoom out

CAMERA INTEGRATION

  • Link a filter device to a camera, automatically change the filter from color to monochrome, and back again
  • Switch between color and monochrome modes with a single mouse click

MORE POWERFUL DEVICE COMMAND SEQUENCES

  • View the most recently run device command sequence
  • The device state field now displays the device’s current state
  • List the device command sequences in the order you choose

IMPROVED MULTICHANNEL FEATURES

  • Open and close a shutter right from the toolbar
  • Save and select camera presets based on your current lens and last run commands
  • New option to acquire multi-channel image stacks one stack at a time

SUPPORT FOR NEW HARDWARE DEVICES INCLUDING:

  • Optronics Microcast® HD 1080p High Definition Video camera
  • Spectral Applied Research Procyon Laser Merge Module for laser illumination
  • Leica DM(I), Nikon 90i and Nikon 80i automated microscope stands
  • Cooke Sensicam QE and EM and Cooke PCO cameras

ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS

  • Marker toolbar names automatically match the markers loaded from your data file
  • Support for Improvision files
  • Improved Orthoview Window
  • New Diagnostic Window added to assist in support troubleshooting
  • Flipping objects and sections only affects the X and Y coordinates; Z coordinates do not change
  • Paste selected objects as floating objects, making final placement easier
  • Change a contour into a cell body and a cell body into a contour
  • Associate objectives and lenses with the Zeiss AxioImager and AxioObserver-when the objective changes, so does the lens
  • Improved scale bars
  • New and improved online help

Features Introduced in Version 7.5

  • Physical Fractionator – Guided Workflow has been added to ease learning and improve productivity.
  • Space Balls – A guided Workflow has been added, similar to Optical and Physical Fractionators.
  • Virtual Tissue 2D/3D access – Ability to run stereological methods on virtual slides from across the internet – Ideal for research collaboration.
  • Video Blending Mode – A better, smoother blend between acquired images and video feed from the camera – with transparency overlay. This also enables remote users to see your live video feed using programs like PC Anywhere and Live Remote Assistance.
  • Petri-metrics – A new stereological method for 2D Stereology – used for measuring fiber length in 2D.
  • Multiple User Settings – Allows separate parameter settings for different users.
  • Orthoview Display has been improved.
  • Stereological Results Display Improved – New user defined display columns and probe run categorization so that you can sort and summarize by category or probe run.
  • Image Organizer Display has been improved.
  • New Camera hardware support: MBF CX9000, Cooke Sensicam QE and EM, Cooke pco
  • Microscope integration support for Nikon 90i and Nikon 80i (with optional hardware)
  • Numerous improvements to the user interface throughout the software

Features Introduced in Version 7.0

ANALYSIS

  • WorkFlow Window – Revolutionizes performance of optical fractionator method
  • Create and save study parameters for easy recall and use later
  • Acquire SRS Image Stack lets you specify the probe to be run on the image series collected for off-line analysis
  • Modification of the probes allows the same SRS image series to be used for multiple estimations.
  • Petrimetrics probes and estimators for quantifying objects in cell cultures
  • Improved co-localization identification tools

IMAGE HANDLING CAPABILITIES

  • New multi-channel acquire capability was added for acquiring single images, image stacks, SRS Image (Stack) Series and Virtual Slice
  • Image stacks can be saved as a series of single image files
  • Image stacks of true-color images can now be saved as three grayscale image stacks where each stack contains one of the three color components (red, green or blue) of the original image stack
  • Multiple contours can be selected when doing an acquire SRS Image Stack Series so that all multiple acquires can run back to back in unattended mode
  • Multi-channel acquires are easier to do with “remember video settings” button
  • Automatically save images when they are acquired according to user preferences
  • New digital video controls for image acquisition (gain and exposure)
  • New methods for collecting image stacks, including optional acquire from the bottom up
  • Display time remaining for stack acquisition and virtual slide acquisition
  • Improved background correction, using division instead of subtraction for better results
  • A virtual tissue 2D/3D acquire may use black to fill in the non-acquired background
  • Prior to imaging, identify the top of section for all image stack series to be acquired in the unattended mode

HARDWARE INTERFACE SUPPORT

  • Live histogram and clip detect (to show saturated regions of the live video) features aid image acquisition
  • Enhanced integration with the Hamamatsu cameras
  • FluoView integration enhanced
  • New Zeiss AxioImager M1/ Z1 support
  • New Leica DM6000 support
  • Full control of microscopes with integrated motorized lens turrets, filterwheels, condenser, etc. within Stereo Investigator to select a lens
  • Dual monitor support

USER INTERFACE

  • Dockable control windows: Live Luminance Histogram, Multi-channel Acquire, Camera Exposure and Image Stack Acquisition
  • Customize or create your own toolbars
  • Orthogonal view now has a tool bar for easier navigation
  • Large icons available – easier to see
  • Copy protection updated for more security, fewer problems
  • Camera and stage alignment online tutorials
  • New manual

Please contact MBF Bioscience at 802-288-9290 or email us to upgrade to the latest version of Stereo Investigator.