Patent ID: 8712139

Claim:
A method for segmenting images of cells to measure morphology or distribution of the cells within a multi-layered, multi-dimensional cell population, comprising the steps of: providing one or more images comprising a plurality of pixels; identifying one or more three dimensional (3D) clusters of cells in the images, wherein each 3D cluster of cells comprises multiple layers of cells; finding a z-component of a cluster center for one or more of the 3D clusters of cells which comprises: creating a max index image, wherein each pixel corresponds to an image slice containing a maximum value at an x, y location; generating a histogram of one or more max indices around a border of one or more of the clusters derived from a mask generated in a step of segmenting the cluster; and locating a mode of the histogram and identifying one or more centers of one or more of the clusters based on the mode; and automatically segmenting one or more of the 3D clusters of cells into one or more individual cells using one or more models.