Three-dimensional reconstruction from serial sections. V. Calibration of dimensional changes incurred during tissue...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Anatomical Imaging
• Morphometrics

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3-D) reconstructions from serial tissue sections provide numerical data for computer graphics and morphometric analysis.
• Accuracy of morphometric measures like volume and surface area is often compromised by artifacts during tissue processing and image capture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce simple methods for quantifying geometric distortions in 3-D reconstructions from serial tissue sections.
• To assess the net distortion introduced during tissue preparation and image processing.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of fiducials (reference marks) to measure net distortion during tissue preparation (dehydration, polymerization, sectioning, mounting).
• Estimation of geometric distortion introduced during image capture and data processing.
• Application of methods to dog and sheep hearts.

Main Results:

• Tissue processing of dog and sheep hearts resulted in a net areal change of +/- 5%.
• Substantial shrinkage during tissue processing appears to be largely counteracted by expansion during sectioning and mounting.
• The developed methods allow for the quantification of distortions in 3-D reconstructions.

Conclusions:

• The described methods provide a means to measure and potentially correct for geometric distortions in 3-D reconstructions.
• Accurate morphometric analysis is achievable by accounting for tissue preparation and image capture artifacts.
• These techniques may be applicable to other semi-solid tissues for improved 3-D reconstruction accuracy.