Dual-Platform Release of IPLab Software Opens Door to Simplified Time Lapse Applications

(FAIRFAX, VA - April 5, 1999) Scanalytics Inc., a subsidiary of CSP Inc. (Nasdaq:CSPI), is now shipping updated versions of its IPLab software, IPLab/Mac v3.2.4 and IPLab/Win v2.4. Available for Macintosh, Windows 95/98 and NT, IPLab software provides scientific image acquisition, visualization, analysis and laboratory automation in a single package. These releases introduce a new Time Lapse Acquire feature which allows scientists to capture and view intracellular events as they occur over a period of time. The Time Lapse Acquire feature further improves the Total Imaging Solutions offered by Scanalytics, Inc. by diversifying and simplifying Time Lapse image acquisition and analysis.

New Time Lapse Acquire Feature
Incorporated within the latest IPLab versions for both Macintosh and Windows is an innovative Time Lapse Acquire feature. Easily accessible under the Acquire Menu, this new option enables users to effortlessly acquire, visualize, and analyze a series of digital time lapse images. Time Lapse Acquire is designed for easy and accurate time lapse image data acquisition, and is specially equipped with five separate device-independent scripts for total control of external microscope hardware such as filter wheels and shutters.

Time Lapse Acquire allows users to easily define experiment time, and/or the number of images they wish to acquire during a particular experiment. Acquire Z-section sequences at user-defined distance over time, merge grayscale and multicolor fluorescence sequences, and animate the resulting image sequence for a presentation-quality movie with IPLab. Applications of time lapse imaging include GFP techniques, which study fluorescence in living specimens.

Features of IPLab for Windows and Macintosh IPLab can display, process and analyze image data in seven different data types, including four dimensional data (x-y-z-t). Enhancement features include contrast enhancement, pseudocoloring, 2-D filtering, background subtraction, and multi-channel color overlays. IPLab users can also calculate integrated intensity, mean, min, and max values plus several morphometry properties on object regions within their images.

IPLab lets users acquire grayscale and color images from virtually any video camera plus a variety of cooled CCD digital cameras. The image acquisition operation provides live display for focusing, automatic exposure control, and multi-dimensional image capture.

IPLab also enables users to easily develop their own scripts to control and program repetitive and complex protocols while saving time and increasing quality control. Users can assign functions and even macro scripts to their keyboard's F-keys. Using IPLab scripts, a complex experiment that requires movement of a microscope focus motor, filter cubes, stage and shutter in a precise manner can be completed easily and accurately.