Introduction

HCImage is designed to solve a wide range of imaging applications. It includes an extensive range of image processing tools that can be used during live image capture or post acquisition analysis. For greater control, HCImage allows image capture, processing and analysis with the ability to select from over 150 measurements. Data are saved in a hierarchical file structure, allowing images and measured data to be easily displayed in a variety of graphical formats or exported to Excel.

HCImage is optimized to take full advantage of the established DCAM camera drivers, maximizing the performance and usability of Hamamatsu cameras. This provides an easy-to-use, flexible solution to many applications in Life and Material Science; including particle sizing, intensity analysis over time, object tracking and multi-dimensional time-lapse.

Note: The goal of this manual is to cover all functionality of HCImage Software. Depending upon the level of HCImage you have (Live, DIA, IPA or Analysis) you will have access to different levels of scan and analysis functionality. Below we show the differences between the levels.

HCImage Levels

HCImage Live

HCImage Live is supplied with all Hamamatsu DCAM supported cameras. Includes DCAM-API camera drivers.

HCImage Live features:

Capture Presets save basic settings such as capture mode, channels, filters, exposure times, as well as output trigger settings and advanced camera properties. Presets can be saved and loaded when needed.
Menus have Japanese language option
Support for the ORCA-Quest
Support for the MAICO MEMS confocal
High Speed Streaming to DISK or RAM (circular buffer option)
Line Profile, plots pixel intensity values for monochrome or color images while live, on a single image or an image sequence. The data can then be exported to spreadsheet.
Includes capture for single images, or image sequences over time
Objects are identified by drawing manually or through intensity thresholding
Measurement of multiple objects with analysis of Area, Length and Intensity in a single image
Intensity Plot against time for a single object through an image sequence

HCImage DIA

HCImage Dynamic Intensity Analysis (DIA) is optimized for high-speed processing and intensity analysis over time, including live viewing of images and data simultaneously. It includes all functionality of HCImage Live, plus the ability to perform multi-dimensional acquisition and control a wide range of motorized devices (drivers included).

HCImage DIA features:

Automated capture of XYZλ scans over time
Modify camera exposure, focus and XYZ location during a time-lapse
Dual DCAM camera support for high speed simultaneous acquisition
Internal and external TTL control for acquisition and data synchronization
Run a 'Scheduled' time-lapse consisting of various scans such as: time, delay, TTL (in and out), Z (relative and absolute), auto-exposure, autofocus and camera options.
HCImage Visualizer can reconstruct and render a multi-dimensional data set for interactive 3-D viewing. HCImage Visualizer renders images using optimized software and hardware acceleration.
Ideally suited to live cell applications including co-localization, FRET, FRAP, FURA2, BCECF, Indo, SNARF as well as other dynamic measurement techniques. These applications all benefit from the ability to identify objects in the images for plotting intensity change over time. Critical details of an experiment are easily investigated by viewing a time course as an animation tightly linked to measured data. Custom measurements are available to deal with complex situations such as background correction on a field-by-field basis.

HCImage IPA

Image Processing and Analysis (IPA) broadens HCImage with customized icon driven workfiles (macros) for multiple applications. HCImage IPA also includes all the functionality of HCImage Live, plus the ability to perform multi-dimensional acquisition and control a wide range of motorized devices (drivers included).

HCImage IPA features:

Images are saved with measured data allowing dynamic interaction between images, objects, graphs, and tables to provide instant user feedback.
Custom measurements are derived with a built-in equation editor to expand over several measurements, including count, size, shape, position, intensity and color of objects in an image.
HCImage Visualizer can reconstruct and render a multi-dimensional data set for interactive 3-D viewing. HCImage Visualizer renders images using optimized software and hardware acceleration.
Motion tracking of multiple objects across time separated image sequences.

HCImage Analysis

HCImage Analysis includes all of the functionality of HCImage DIA and IPA.