STESYS: computer graphics SW supporting semi-automatic, interactive stereology

The morphometric measurement of biological tissue components is the main prerequisite for quantitative analysis in a number of studies in biomedicine. Stereological methods, based on rigorous mathematical concepts including sampling theory, enable one to obtain unbiased estimates of geomedical characteristics. Semi-automatic stereological measurements based on interaction of the chosen representative picture of the tissue section or projection with the test system, i.e. the specific raster which is superimposed, are extremely appealing in biomedicine, because the otherwise problematic automatic segmentation is avoided. We present a simple, flexible and user-friendly, custom-made IBM PC application software (SW) package which applies simple computer graphics to the generation of various types of test systems for semi-automatic stereological measurements. The aim of STESYS (Stereological TEst SYStem) is to enable the simple and flexible design of custom test systems, their preview, calibration, positioning, storage, superposition on a display, export into various image formats, and output to different printers and plotters providing a hard-copy suitable for producing test systems for direct measurements via an optical microscope or for a micrograph application.