Detection of interacting cellular bodies

A data processing-system comprising

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, and
• a processor coupled to the computer readable storage medium, wherein responsive to executing the computer readable program code, the processor is configured to:
• determine or receive one or more first images and one or more second images of first cellular bodies interacting with second cellular bodies in a holding space, the holding space including a functionalized wall surface comprising the first cellular bodies, the one or more first images representing at least the first cellular bodies and the one or more second images representing at least the second cellular bodies, the one or more first images being obtained with a first imaging modality, the one or more second images being obtained with a second imaging modality, at least one of the first and second imaging modalities providing images on which the first respectively second cellular bodies can be uniquely determined, each pixel in each of the one or more first images being associated with a pixel in each of the one or more second images;
• detect a set of first pixels representing first cellular bodies in the one or more first images;
• detect groups of second pixels representing second cellular bodies in the one or more second images;
• determine, for each second cellular body represented by a respective group of second pixels, an interaction parameter between the respective second cellular body and one or more of the first cellular bodies based on the detected first and second pixels, the interaction parameter representing a contact surface between the respective second cellular body and the one or more first cellular bodies;
• and
• select groups of second pixels for which the determined interaction parameter is greater than or smaller than an interaction threshold.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code, when executed or processed by a computer, being configured to:

• determine or receive one or more first images and one or more second images of first cellular bodies interacting with second cellular bodies in a holding space, the holding space including a functionalized wall surface comprising the first cellular bodies, the one or more first images representing at least the first cellular bodies and the one or more second images representing at least the second cellular bodies, the one or more first images being obtained with a first imaging modality, the one or more second images being obtained with a second imaging modality, at least one of the first and second imaging modalities providing images on which the first respectively second cellular bodies can be uniquely determined, each pixel in each of the one or more first images being associated with a pixel in each of the one or more second images;
• detect a set of first pixels representing first cellular bodies in the one or more first images;
• detect groups of second pixels representing second cellular bodies in the one or more second images;
• determine, for each second cellular body represented by a respective group of second pixels, an interaction parameter between the respective second cellular body and one or more of the first cellular bodies based on the detected first and second pixels, the interaction parameter representing a contact surface between the respective second cellular body and the one or more first cellular bodies;
• and
• select groups of second pixels for which the determined interaction parameter is greater than or smaller than an interaction threshold.