Microcomputer-based digital image analysis system for quantitative autoradiography.

A computerized image processing system utilizing an IBM-XT personal microcomputer with the capability of performing quantitative cerebral autoradiography is described. All of the system components are standard computer and optical hardware that can be easily assembled. The system has 512 horizontal by 512 vertical axis resolution with 8 bits per pixel (256 gray levels). Unlike other dedicated image processing systems, the IBM-XT permits the assembly of an efficient, low-cost image analysis system without sacrificing other capabilities of the IBM personal computer. The application of this system in both qualitative and quantitative autoradiography has been the principal factor in developing a new radiopharmaceutical to measure regional cerebral blood flow.