Detection and localization of mouse induced pluripotent stem cell formation using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy images.

We present an automated method for detection and localization of mouse Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells formation by using the fluorescence microscopy images. The differentiated cells that possibly undergo reprogramming to iPS cells can be detected by this method for screening reagents or culture conditions in iPS induction. Our method includes image preprocessing to enhance the fluorescence microscopy images, followed by cell detection to detect isolated fluorescent (reprogramming or reprogrammed iPS) cells. Finally, a clustering technique is used to detect and localize the fluorescent cell clusters. A cluster formation indicates that the reprogramming iPS cells may become reprogrammed. The implementation results show that the automatic method can successfully detect and localize the mouse iPS cell formation, thereby yield a potential tool for helping iPS cell culture.