Image processing and pattern recognition algorithms for evaluation of crossed immunoelectrophoretic patterns (crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis analysis manager; CREAM)

A computerized method for automatic evaluation and comparison of crossed immunoelectrophoretic and crossed radioimmunoelectrophoretic patterns that requires limited hardware resources has been developed. For the initial reading of the plates an ordinary video camera is used. Feature extractors that allow the computer to recognize a point on the precipitation curve as being a peak point have been developed. After this automatic procedure the program allows for an interactive menu-driven proofreading phase during which it is possible to force the system to take into consideration any number of extra points along the precipitation curve in the curve-fitting process. The system has been tested on crossed immunoelectrophoretic patterns as well as crossed radioimmunoelectrophoretic patterns and it has been shown that the system can recognize the same precipitation curves on different immunoplates and autoradiographs. In addition, the system reports the mean, the variance, and the area of the precipitation curves, thus allowing not only a qualitative comparison of two or more plates but also a quantitation of individual antigens or antibodies.