Table 1.

Steps used to identify objects in confocal images of the corneal stroma

Step	Process	Purpose
1	Inhomogeneity correction	Adjust local brightness to make brightness uniform across field.
2	Sigma filter	Reduce high-frequency noise.
3	Adaptive histogram equalization and low-pass filter	Redistribute intensities in image uniformly across full intensity range.
4	Threshold, 70% full range	Convert to binary image.
5	Mathematical morphology	Remove very small objects (noise), smooth edges of large objects, open bridges, and close gaps.
6	Subdivide each object	Separate cells that overlap (Table 2).
7	Sort objects by size	Objects can be addressed individually. Each object can be used as a mask to the original or processed images.