CSL has assembled a high-resolution, wide dynamic range CCD camera imaging system and has made it available for use by NIH researchers. A Photometrics CCD camera, Macintosh IIfx computer and a Gordon Instruments lightbox are available for high resolution imaging. The principal component of the system is a Photometrics CCD camera. The camera, with a thermoelectrically cooled Kodak CCD image sensor, can capture images of 1320 x 1035 spatial resolution and a pixel resolution of 12 bits. Cooling the camera reduces image noise and extends the system's dynamic range. Images can be captured and viewed on the Macintosh using IPLab software, Digital Image Processing Station and IMAGE, a program written by Wayne Rasband of NIMH. DCRT was originally encouraged in the report by the NIH Advisory Committee on Computer Usage to evaluate this technology and make it available at NIH. The system's high resolution makes it a superior tool for quantitatively evaluating medical images. CSL is assisting researchers in using the camera-computer system for imaging a variety of medical and biological mediums, primarily gels and film. Work in progress includes cataloging dental film, and acquiring and processing 2D gels with high resolution. During the coming year DCRT/CSL anticipates using the camera for electrophoretogram digitization, film digitization, and microscopy. The best software for each technique will be examined and made available.
