Unlocking the Full Power of Your Yokogawa CQ1 and CQ3000 with Cell Path Finder

In high-content imaging, capturing stunning cellular images is just the beginning. The real value lies in what you can extract from those images: insights that drive discovery, guide decisions, and accelerate translational outcomes.

This is where Yokogawa’s Cell Path Finder (CPF) comes in. CPF is a powerful, AI-driven image analysis suite designed to transform your CQ1 and CQ3000 image data into actionable biological information.

What Is Cell Path Finder?

Cell Path Finder is Yokogawa’s intuitive and flexible image analysis software tailored for high-content screening. It enables researchers to move from raw images to robust quantification and phenotypic insights with ease.

Built with machine learning-based segmentation, multi-parametric analysis, and seamless compatibility with Yokogawa’s advanced spinning disk confocal systems, CPF provides the missing link between imaging and understanding.

_{Figure: High-quality raw images (left) obtained with the Yokogawa CQ1 (middle). Precise object segmentation was achieved using Yokogawa's Cell path finder (right)}

Seamless Workflow Integration

Already using the CQ1 or CQ3000? CPF integrates directly with:

• Image acquisition metadata
• 3D Z-stack data
• Multi-well, multi-timepoint experiments

This tight integration simplifies the process of selecting fields, aligning channels, and applying batch analysis across experiments.

Custom Classifiers for Phenotypic Screening

Need to identify rare phenotypes or screen compound libraries?
CPF lets you train classifiers using your own data. Simply label a few example cells, and the algorithm learns to distinguish populations based on multiple parameters.

This is particularly powerful for:

• Drug screening
• Toxicity profiling
• Functional genomics
• Cell cycle analysis
  
  

Best Practices: Getting the Most from CPF with Your CQ1/CQ3000

Here are some tips to optimize your workflow:

1. Design with the End in Mind
   Before acquisition, define your biological question and which features matter most. CPF is most powerful when analysis goals are clear.
   
   
2. Optimize Imaging for Analysis
   Ensure your CQ1 or CQ3000 settings (exposure, Z-stack resolution, binning) are tuned to capture the detail needed for segmentation.
   
   
3. Use Preprocessing Wisely
   Leverage CPF’s preprocessing tools, such as background subtraction and flat-field correction, to improve signal-to-noise ratio.
   
   
4. Build Reusable Templates
   CPF supports analysis templates, so you can reuse validated workflows across experiments, saving time and improving reproducibility.
   
   
5. Validate with Visual Overlays
   Always check your segmentation and classification results visually. CPF makes it easy to overlay masks and classifier outputs on your original images for verification.

From Beautiful Images to Biological Insight

The CQ1 and CQ3000 deliver crisp, high-resolution images that capture the complexity of live or fixed cells. But it is Cell Path Finder that transforms these images into quantitative insight, making it a critical component of any Yokogawa imaging workflow.

Whether you are studying cell morphology, analyzing compound responses, or mapping subcellular localization, CPF provides the analytical power to turn images into data, and data into discovery.