A PC-based system with TV input for automatic tracking of a single and contrast object in 2D in a homogeneous and stationary environment has been developed and applied to Morris water maze experiments. Further development of the system aimed at broader support of experiments, reduction of requirements on the stationarity and homogeneity of the scene background and on multiple-object tracking is discussed. The computer control of active light markers of the tracked object applicable to multiple-objects tracking in a time-sharing regime is also mentioned in the conclusion. The latter extension of the system can be applied to kinematic studies in biomechanics, sport and rehabilitation medicine.
A simple, vector-based graphics editor, designed for experimental data presentation, schematics, large structured chemical formulae etc. in a modest IBM PC, MS DOS environment is described. Its applications in semiautomatic image analysis, especially ¡n the implementation of design-based stereological methods for estimating global geometrical characteristics of studied samples and in 3D volume reconstruction from serial sections are discussed.
Custom made hard and software enhancement of an IBM PC is described which makes it possible to: i) provide patterned visual stimulation by using the EGA or higher level display, ii) average recorded potentials and iii) monitor the experiment simultaneously. The description is illustrated by examples from a study of retinal evoked potentials in the rat.
A software system STESYS for interactive and flexible generation of stereological test systems is described. STESYS enables to implement many of the recent unbiased stereological methods applied to biomedical research and clinical diagnosis by using a simple personal computer. Advantages of the STESYS software are illustrated by several examples of stereological measurements for estimating the number, total and mean cross-sectional area, volume and surface area.
The PC is and will remain a basic instrument in the laboratory arsenal in the next few years. The key role of the IBM PC and its clones prompted us to develop a universal multifunctional I/O board (CNIMCJL) for this computer. The board will make it possible to use the IBM PC for a wide range of tasks from a simple interface for laboratory processing of data to complex IBM PC-based instruments, e.g. a stimulator, signal analyzer, chart recorder. The present article summarizes the experience gathered during the design and application of the described I/O board in more than 10 different IBM PC-based laboratory and clinical systems listed in the Appendix. An example of the application of the I/O board is presented in the conclusion of this report together with the discussion of the future role of new Application-Specific Integration Circuits (ASICs) and single chip processors in this domain.