PluTARC

PLuTARC is a an automated target-locking system for confocal microscopy. Included here are the files used for image processing, which can identify bright features against a dark background in 3D. The algorithm is based on the work of Crocker and Grier, but incorporates a number of changes so that both accuracy and performance are improved significantly.

In brief, plu_Centerfind2D.exe locates the 2D positions in each 2D image slice of a 3D confocal image stack. These 2D positions are linked together into 3D xyz positions using plu_Link3Dt.exe. plu_2Dto3D.exe is a utility to convert 2D TIFF images into 3D TIFF image stacks, which are the input format for plu_Centerfind2D.exe. Windows executables are available in the downloads section, and the complete source code can be found in the SVN repository (browse), (svn directions). Linux executables and cross platform build files are coming.

If you use this code in your research, please cite the following paper:

Peter J. Lu, Peter A. Sims, Hidekazu Oki, James B. Macarthur, and David A. Weitz, Target-locking acquisition with real-time confocal (TARC) microscopy, Optics Express 15, 8702 (2007).

The paper is freely available at:

http://www.opticsinfobase.org/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-15-14-8702

A webpage decribing the PLuTARC system is at:

http://www.physics.harvard.edu/~plu/research/PLuTARC/

A detailed description of the image processing algorithm and code, including performance and accuracy enhancements, including code fragments, sample images and extensive discussion, forms chapter 6 of Peter J. Lu's PhD dissertation, available at:

http://www.physics.harvard.edu/~plu/publications/