Analyzing and mining image databases.

Image mining is the application of computer-based techniques that extract and exploit information from large image sets to support human users in generating knowledge from these sources. This review focuses on biomedical applications, in particular automated imaging at the cellular level. An image database is an interactive software application that combines data management, image analysis and visual data mining. The main characteristic of such a system is a layer that represents objects within an image, and that represents a large spectrum of quantitative and semantic object features. The image analysis needs to be adapted to each particular experiment, so 'end-user programming' will be desirable to make the technology more widely applicable.