Computerized cell image processing in healthcare

The visual interpretation of images is at the core of most medical diagnostic procedures and the final decision for many diseases, including cancer, is based on microscopic examination of cells and tissues. Through screening of cell samples the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer have been reduced significantly. The visual interpretation is, however, tedious and in many cases error-prone. Therefore many attempts have been made at using the computer to supplement or replace the human visual inspection by computer analysis and to automate some of the more tedious visual screening tasks. The computers and computer networks have also been used to manage, store, transmit and display images of cells and tissues making it possible to visually analyze cells from remote locations. In this presentation these developments are traced from their very beginning through the present situation and into the future.