Abstract
Few softwares performing neuron tracing and 3D reconstruction from serial sections are available, but they are rather expensive. We have used the 3D reconstruction system developed originally in 80's. It is still working, but quite slow in performance. We developed a new Windows-based tracing software "NeuroShape" based on the same concept, and compared usability. The conventional bright-field microscope, video camera and digital linear scale are reused. A personal computer is linked to the camera and the scale via USB interfaces. The software is newly coded with Ruby, the interpreted scripting language. Microscopic view is shown overlaid on a video image captured. Users then trace the neuron structures specifying XY coordinates by mouse operation and Z coordinate by microscope focusing. Shrinkage correction is also available. To obtain 3D view, the virtual reality modeling language (VRML) is used. We reconstructed 3D models of neurons using the old and new system.Reconstructed images were almost the same and the new system "NeuroShape" saved lot of time for error correction. Final 3D views were shown interactively with nearly real-time response. We could build the system with few expense and stress the usefulness for exploring the 3D structure of neurons. [J Physiol Sci. 2007;57 Suppl:S148]
