Information Management of Confocal Microscopy Images: Traditional Text-Based Databases and Image Gallery Databases

Imaging methods, whether they use film, videotape, or digital capture methods, are only of use if you are able to readily categorize and retrieve the information and images that are produced. Modern imaging techniques are capable of generating large numbers of images of various dimensions and content. Major obstacles confronting the confocal microscopist include how to keep records of (1) how the various images were collected, (2) where they are stored, (3) what they look like, (4) the important features of the images, and (5) how to keep track of modifications of these images. The digital nature of confocal images lends them well to the use of computer-based databases for information storage, classification and retrieval. This chapter deals with these problems and the application of simple databases for maintaining and tracking images and information of confocal image datafiles.