STEREOLOGICAL ESTIMATION OF MEAN LINEAR INTERCEPT LENGTH USING THE VERTICAL SECTIONS AND TRISECTOR METHODS

A method for estimating the mean linear intercept length of anisotropi c microstructures using vertical sections is presented. A test system of cycloids and points is overlaid on the vertical sections, and the m ean linear intercept length is estimated from a simple counting proced ure - no length measurements are required. The vertical direction is e ither arbitrarily chosen or chosen perpendicular to most of the surfac e boundaries of the objects of interest. A design with the latter choi ce of the vertical direction and three vertical sections - a trisector - will optimize the precision of the estimate from only three vertica l sections. The method was applied to two metallic structures, but it may also be used in a biomedical context.