Long-term, real-time and label-free live cell image processing and analysis based on a combined algorithm of CellPose and watershed segmentation
Jiang Jiang,
Zhikun Zeng,
Jiazhao Xu,
Wenfang Wang,
Bowen Shi,
Lan Zhu,
Yong Chen,
Weiwu Yao,
Yujie Wang,
Huan Zhang
Affiliations
Jiang Jiang
Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
Zhikun Zeng
School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
Jiazhao Xu
School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China
Wenfang Wang
Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
Bowen Shi
Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
Lan Zhu
Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
Yong Chen
Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China
Weiwu Yao
Department of Imaging, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 1111, Xianxia Road, Shanghai, 200036, China; Corresponding author. Department of Imaging, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 1111, Xianxia Road, Shanghai, 200036, China.
Yujie Wang
School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China; State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, No. 1, Dongsanlu, Erxianqiao, Chengdu, 610059, China; Department of Physics, College of Mathematics and Physics, Chengdu University of Technology, No. 1, Dongsanlu, Erxianqiao, Chengdu, 610059, China; Corresponding author. School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.
Huan Zhang
Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China; Corresponding author. Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China.
Developing a rapid and quantitative method to accurately evaluate the physiological abilities of living cells is critical for tumor control. Many experiments have been conducted in the field of biology in an attempt to measure the proliferation and movement abilities of cells, but existing methods cannot provide real-time and objective data for label-free cells. The quantitative imaging technique, including an automatic segmentation algorithm for individual label-free cells, has been a breakthrough in this regard. In this study, we develop a combined automatic image processing algorithm of CellPose and watershed segmentation for the long-term and real-time imaging of label-free cells. This method shows strong reliability in cell identification regardless of cell densities, allowing us to obtain accurate information about the number and proliferation ability of the target cells. Additionally, our results also suggest that this method is a reliable way to assess real-time data on drug cytotoxicity, cell morphology, and cell movement ability.
