Image processing apparatus, method, and program

摘要

An image processing apparatus, a method, and a program for allowing cells to be quantitatively observed. A computer obtains a cell membrane image obtained by performing fluorescent observation on a cell membrane of a cell serving as a sample and a tricellular tight junction (tTJ) image obtained by performing fluorescent observation on a protein localized in a tTJ of the cell. The computer derives the size of area of a region of the cell by identifying the region of each cell from the cell membrane image, derives the size of area of the region of the protein localized in the cell from the tTJ image, and dividing the obtained size of area of the region of the protein by the size of area of the region of the cell, thus calculating an index of adhesion strength of the cells. The invention can be applied to an observation system.

主权项

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
a processor programmed to:
automatically identify, on the basis of a first observation image representing localization of a first protein obtained by observing the first protein localized in a tricellular tight junction of epithelium cell, a region of the first protein in the first observation image;automatically identify on the basis of a second observation image obtained by observing the epithelium cell, the region of each of the cells constituting the epithelium cell in the second observation image; andautomatically calculate, on the basis of quantitative information related to the region of the first protein identified and quantitative information related to the region of the cell identified, an index representing adhesion strength of the cells.