[Progress in microscopic image analysis and the trend of image cytometry].

Image cytometry has recently developed prominently based on the digital imaging of cell morphology brought about by great advances in microcomputer hardware and software, electronics etc. This method is characterized by the quantitation of both the amount of intracellular bioactive materials and cell morphology, and is expected to further advance many cell analysis techniques involving automated cytology, chromosome image analysis, automated histopathology, viable cell analysis, 3D image construction, etc. The present use is still minimal, and advances in both hardware and software for cyto-histologic recognition are essentially necessary. Perhaps by the end of this century, more sophisticated and faster machines for automated cyto-histologic analysis will appear, replacing many microscopic techniques of presently subjective observation in the biomedical field.