TWO- AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL AUTORADIOGRAPHIC IMAGING UTILIZING CHARGE COUPLED DEVICES

A two- and three-dimensional autoradiographical imaging system is provided which includes a charge coupled device for detecting the emission of radioactively labeled substances from materials such as tissue samples, brains of humans or animals, or substances used in electrophoresis applications. In a first aspect, a radioactively labeled substance is included in a tissue sample. The tissue sample is sequentially imaged by a charge coupled device and a sectioning tool such as a microtome to produce a plurality of two-dimensional images. A three-dimensional image of the tissue sample is generated by further processing of the plurality of two-dimensional images derived from the charge coupled device. In a further aspect of the invention, a charge coupled device is utilized to provide realtime imaging of metabolic or physiological parameters involved in brain activity. A charge coupled device is positioned adjacent a portion of brain tissue desired to be examined, the brain tissue having a radioactively labeled substance therein for detection by the charge coupled device. A two-dimensional realtime image is produced using the charge coupled device for use in clinical or behavioral studies.