Make images overlap

Posted by Tomas Karlsson-2 on Jun 12, 2011; 7:59pm
URL: http://imagej.273.s1.nabble.com/Make-images-overlap-tp3684297.html

Dear all.

Is there a  plugin or macro for making the elements of to images overlap ( elements in image 2 being roughly at the same coordinates as in image 1)? ( I have searched online but could not find any)

The procedure i was thinking of is to load the two images, ask the user to select to 2 points ( forming a vector) on the first image, then mark the two corresponding points on the second image. Then based on these marked points do a translate and a rotate to make the images overlap (i.e. Transform the second image so the two vectors overlap) . ( More points can be used to improve accuracy).  

The reason:

I am working for a research group that has a protocol for analyzing muscle fibers. This protocol requires overlapping fibers from two slides with different stainings. Previously this used be done by loading the master slide in the microscope, capturing images of the areas of interest.  Then load the second slide in the microscope, navigate to  and capture corresponding areas of the second slide. In order to make the fibers of the different slides overlap the user needed to rotate the camera or stage since its impossible to place the fibers on the slides in a identical angle.

Now we have now a fully automated microscope witch supports automated tile-scaning but because of the motorized stage and tile-scaning function lacks the ability to easily rotate the slides. This however presents the opportunity to do tile-scaning and then using software to align the fibers of the two slides  (i am aware that doing the whole slide might run into memory constraints and accuracy problems, but even for a 2x2 tile-scan this approach should prove to be a good timesaver, and roughly as accurate).

Any help or opinions is appreciated, With best regards,

Tomas