Teleconsulting System CYTOTEL

CYTOTEL system is designed for snapshot acquisition and video recording from colposcopes and microscopes equipped with digital cameras, for snapshot editing and measurements and for creation of shared archives of images with possibility of multi-user consultations via Internet.

General functions overview:

• snapshot acquisition from consumer digital cameras, microscopic digital cameras, analog cameras and TWAIN devices
• display of live image from imaging devices on a PC screen
• measurements within images and calibred scale bar insertion
• automatically created table of measured values with possibility of annotations and exports to Microsoft® Excel file
• work with several images at the same time - navigation via a "thumbnail panel"
• display of 2 or 4 images side-by-side for comparison
• image processing (crop, resize, filters...)
• marking of interesting spots and text labeling within the image
• automatic time lapse snapshot acquisition
• Microsoft Word® reports
• shared archive with functions for time-independent distant consultations

Window preview - click for detail

Features of the shared archive:

• long-distance offline consultations via Internet
• Users can create dedicated cases (folders) and upload unlimited number of snapshots into them, add comments, documents, audio files and queries.
• For each case (folder) the owner can define access permisions for other users.
• For each case it is possible to define who should respond to it.
• Immediately after the start of the program the user can see a list of cases that require his attention.
• Each user is uniquely identified by a dongle.
• The shared archive can be searched using advanced search functions.

Measuring functions:

The CYTOTEL program is equipped with functions for measurements of:

• lengths (available tools: line segment, polyline)
• calibred scale bar insertion (possiblity to define the type and look of the scale bar, vertical or horizontal position, scale bar recalculates during image zooming)
• areas and perimeters (available tools: rectangle, ellipse, polygon)
• angles (available tools: arbitrary angle, angle from x and y axis)
• object count
• phase analysis
• rectangular calibred grid
• possibility to choose the measured quantities for each measuring tool and their prefixes
• the field containing measured value can be moved freely within the image, it is then connected with the measured object by the auxiliary line
• the text font and size used to display measured values within image can be defined by user as well as the color and thickness of used lines
• measured values are continuously displayed in a well-arranged table including basic statistics. Each measurement can be annotated. The table can be exported to Microsoft® Excel file for further statistical processing or print.

Functions description:

Microsoft® Word reports
Images with tables of measured values can be easily exported to Microsoft® Word reports. User can create his own report templates with different layouts and number of places for exported images and tables. Templates and reports are created in .doc format and can be edited using standard functions of Microsoft® Word editor.

Phase analysis
Phase analysis function allows measuring of a partial share of certain color or grey level (phase) in the image. Up to four phases in a single image can be measured. A marking color can be selected for each phase. Another color or gray level can be easily added to the same phase and a threshold can be adjusted. Inversion of phases can also be performed. Overlapping areas from different phases can be marked as shared areas with user defined color or the overlapping can be turned off. A partial share (in %) of each phase is displayed in the table of measured values.

Work with snapshots
Snapshots are transferred to a computer and prepared for processing immediately after exposition. The application is designed to work with several images at the same time. One, two or four images can be displayed side-by-side in the main application window. All opened images are displayed in a "thumbnail panel" which makes work with several images easier. A "navigator" window facilitates orientation in a zoomed image that does not match a PC screen. Images can be easily edited with following functions:

• crop (the size of a cropped area can be defined in pixels or µm/mm)
• rotation (90° clockwise or counterclockwise)
• flip and mirror
• resize
• brightness and contrast adjustment
• color adjustment
• filters (sharpen, blur, negative, grey scale)
• marking of interesting spots with lines, arrows, circles, ellipses, rectangles and freehand drawings
• inserting text labels

The advantage of working with layers
All objects inserted in an image (drawings, measurements and annotations...) are stored in a separate layer "above the image“ and can be modified at any time (change of line color and thickness, size modification, relocation or deletion of objects) or hidden. The application allows taking back unlimited number of performed operations - unlimited undo. The whole object layer can be deleted or merged with the image. All measurements, drawings and text labels will be then visible in all applications for image processing.

Control panels of imaging devices
Every supported imaging device can be controlled by a dedicated control panel. The control panel contains a live image from the imaging device and control elements for setting the properties.

Snapshot acquisition from analog video sources
The CYTOTEL program is equipped with a control panel for snapshot acquisition from analog video sources and can work in conjunction with analog cameras, DVD, VCR or with other analog devices.

Time lapse image capturing
The "Timer" module allows time lapse snapshot acquisition (capturing images in defined time interval). This function is useful especially when observing dynamics of long-term processes. For example movement of objects (cells), grow of cultivated bacterial colonies, apoptosis, etc.

Time lapse video creation
The "Time lapse video" module is a standard part of CYTOTEL program. It can be used to create video clips from time lapse captured images. For example when several (or several thousands) snapshots of a moving object are acquired, the "Time lapse video" module can be used to create a video file from which the movement will be evident.

Dual monitor workstation support
Dual monitor workstations are supported by CYTOTEL program. The main program window can be displayed on a primary monitor, while the control panel of a digital imaging device with live the image from a microscope can be displayed on a secondary monitor.

Presentation mode - slideshow
Using the "Presentation mode" function, the full screen slideshow from the open images can be displayed.

Remote trigger
The remote trigger is an additional part of accessories which allows to acquire snapshots very comfortably and quickly just by pressing a trigger button. It is useful when a microscope is far from a computer or when working with dual monitor workstation. It is usefull especially in cojunction with RECORD IT module for real-time video recording.

Automatic update
The application is equipped with updating function that automatically searches and installs available updates from Internet.

Minimal system requirements (for Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system):

Minimal system requirements depend on the used capturing device.

OLYMPUS® is a registered trademark of OLYMPUS Corp.
Microsoft®, Windows® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
uEye® is a registered trademark of IDS Imaging Development Systems Inc.