Huygens Software refers to different image processing packages, available for multiple platforms. They are intended for restoration, interactive analysis and volume visualization of 2D, 3D, multi-channel and time series images from fluorescence microscopes.

The restoration is based on different deconvolution algorithms, that permit the recovery of objects from images that are degraded by blurring and noise. In microscopy the blurring is largely due to diffraction limited imaging by the instrument; the noise is usually photon noise.

Our Huygens software will significantly improve your microscopic images!!!

Huygens Essential makes high quality deconvolution available for
everyone, by combining the latest deconvolution algorithms with an easy
graphical user interface. The software improves dramatically the
resolution and contrast in your microscopic images while effectively
removing haze and noise. In this way, structures and details which would
otherwise remain hidden become clearly visible.

The wizard user interface guides you step by step through the
deconvolution process.


In the preprocessing stage the intelligent program will check the
microscopic parameters for possible problematic optical conditions of
your image.

During the deconvolution process, Huygens Essential will also correct
your data for spherical aberration, as well as bleaching in the case
of time series or wide-field images.

You are in charge!!! Whenever you are not fully satisfied with the
results, you can always stop the deconvolution process in every stage
and re-run it with different settings.

Multi channel images are processed sequentially, which allows you to
select the best result on each channel to compose the final result.

Time series deconvolution of 3D and 2D images (multi)-channel images
is also extremely easy to do by selecting the time series in one file.

The intelligent 4D-channel cropping tool allows you to trim along four
dimensions and delete uninteresting channels for a more efficient
operation by reducing the load of your computer's processing power. Even
when your system's memory is not sufficient to deconvolve your image as
a whole, your data can be split into bricks, which are then
deconvolved one by one before being combined again together for the end
result.

The Batch Processor allows you to restore in an easy manner huge amounts of
data in exactly the way you want them and offers various algorithms.
While giving your attention to your other work Huygens delivers you the
data you need quickly and reliably.

Visualization

The various Visualization Tools in Huygens Essential and Huygens Professional help you to
analyze your image for further details. With the Slicer you
can easily compare your result and the original image, or different
slices in your image. The MIP Renderer enables you to obtain a
spatial projection of your data from a given point of view. The SFP Renderer is also available for visualizing your object from different
angles and gives you a physically realistic detailed views of your 3D
data over time, while the Surface Renderer allows you to easily
analyze the different objects in your data. All this without needing expensive graphic cards, because our tools do not use conventional techniques of polygonal rendering.

Analysis

With the Colocalization Analyzer you can obtain
information about the amount of spatial overlap between structures in
different data channels and time points. As this overlapping can be
defined in many ways, Huygens gives you the colocalization coefficients
most commonly used in literature: Pearson, Overlap, and Manders M and
K.


The Object Analyzer is a great tool to label and analyze 3D and 4D single and multi-channel single objects and their statistics. With the 3D region of interest (ROI) selector tool you can limit the analysis to a certain volume only, but also crop your original data precisely like you want it for further analysis. Next to analyzing single objects or groups you can also analys the whole dataset in all its aspects by clicking on one single button.


The Object Stabilizer can measure and correct for cell motion, thermal drift, shaking, and other types of movement (x-y-z translation and axial rotation). Both the measurement and subsequent stabilization are done in 3D and at sub-pixel level. The Stabilizer not only stabilizes 2D or 3D time series, but it also allows the alignment of slices within a 3D stack.


Images show the sum of four time frames of an apoptotic cell stained with fluorescent H2B nuclear protein. Time interval between slices is 300 seconds. Courtesy of M. Varecha and M. Kozubek, Masaryk University, Czech Republic.

Advanced users and Facilities

Huygens Essential combines the power of deconvolution with a simplified, wizard-guided interface. For the more advanced users, Scientific Volume Imaging also offers Huygens Professional and Huygens Scripting which are the most powerful deconvolution packages available today, especially to process
very large data. Not only deconvolution is available here, but also many other image processing tools.

For imaging facilities, Huygens Core is available to provide a centralized image restoration center that can be controlled remotely, for example with a web interface.

Validation

The quality of the deconvolution algorithms in our software is backed by a long list of scientific publications. To mention some of them:

• Verschure P.J., van der Kraan I., Manders E.M.M. and van Driel R. Spatial relationship between transcription sites and chromosome territories. J. Cell Biology (1999) 147, 1, pp 13-24 ( get pdf).
• Visser A.E. and Aten J.A. Chromosomes as well as chromosomal subdomains constitute distinct units in interphase nuclei. J. Cell Science (1999) 112, pp 3353-3360 ( get pdf).
• Hell S.W., Schrader M. and Van Der Voort H.T.M. Far-Field fluorescence microscopy with three-dimensional resolution in the 100-nm Range. J. of Microscopy (1997) 187 Pt1, pp 1-7 ( get pdf).

Support

If you still encounter some problems with our user-friendly Huygens
Software, we provide first-line and online support to help you with your
image deconvolution and analysis. This has made Huygens Sofware
distinct compared to other Deconvolution packages in the market.

More information can be obtained via your local resellers or directly from our company.

More information

For detailed information on the way Huygens works, please read the following Huygens Deconvolution .

For more information about features and modules, see:

• Image Restoration
• Volume Visualization
• Interactive Analysis

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