Patent ID: 8542899

Claim:
A method comprising: specifying a class network; specifying a process hierarchy; acquiring a digital image of tissue that includes nuclei, first cell components and second cell components, wherein the nuclei are marked with a first fluorophore, the first cell components are marked with a second fluorophore, and the second cell components are marked with a third fluorophore, and wherein the digital image includes pixel values indicative of a first intensity of the first fluorophore, a second intensity of the second fluorophore, and a third intensity of the third fluorophore; generating a data network based on the class network and the process hierarchy, wherein the data network includes nucleus objects, first cell component objects and second cell component objects, wherein the class network defines the second cell component objects to be located spatially within the nucleus objects, wherein pixel values indicative of the first intensity of the first fluorophore are associated in the data network with the nucleus objects, pixel values indicative of the second intensity of the second fluorophore are associated in the data network with the first cell component objects, and pixel values indicative of the third intensity of the third fluorophore are associated in the data network with the second cell component objects; counting how many first cell component objects and second cell component objects are contained in each of the nucleus objects using the data network; and displaying a graphical representation indicating a ratio of first cell component objects to second cell component objects contained in each of the nucleus objects.