[Progress on chromosome image analysis systems].

This is a review of the development of automated systems of chromosome analysis. The history of its development reflects the progress of image analysis systems and that of method of chromosome analysis in man. It can be chronologically summarized as follows. Period I: 1960s-early 1970s when chromosome banding methods were discovered. Period II: early 1970s-early 1980s when the first image analysis system of chromosome was commercialized. Period III: early 1980s-present. Research and development of the automated analysis system of radiation induced chromosome aberrations, conducted under the national project of cross-over research on underlying technology of nuclear energy, Science and Technology Agency, Japan, is briefly reported.