Tokyo, Japan – November 7, 2019 –  LPIXEL Inc., a leader in image analysis and processing in life science and medical research, announced today the upgrade of ImaChek, the automated image checking system for detecting inappropriately manipulated and duplicated images in life science publications. 

Ever since its inception, LPIXEL has been on a journey to alleviate the problems associated with research integrity, with special focus on images, by developing technology that flags inappropriately altered and reused images in scientific papers. This round of updates will come with improved detection capabilities, and a brand new feature that extracts images directly from the paper. The addition of this feature is designed to automate all of the steps in the manuscript review process for checking images. The introduction of ImaChek to universities and research institutions is anticipated to play a critical role in maintaining the quality and reliability of the paper prior to publication.

Background
Protecting Institutions from Intentional Misconduct and Honest Error
Research misconduct that involves inappropriately manipulated and duplicated images continues to be a problem. Incidences of misconduct that have been reported in the past include cases that have been caused by intentional misconduct and from honest error, where authors were genuinely unaware of the proper practices for image processing. By preventing misconduct derived from honest error, ImaChek can improve the quality of scientific papers, protect the author’s careers and trust of the academic community.

ImaChek Functions
1. PDF documents which contain images can be uploaded directly to the system prior to publication
2. The system can automatically detect manipulated and duplicated images in scientific papers
3. A full report outlining the detection results can be downloaded

ImaChek Features
1. Enhance and maintain the quality of scientific papers
Checks for signs of manipulation and duplication that come from honest error and deliberate misconduct
2. Protect the reputation of institutions
Images can be checked in advance to prevent the onset of research misconduct
3. Reduce checking time for faster publication
The image inspection process is automated and more efficient

LPIXEL will deploy ImaChek to universities and research institutions nationwide, and will contribute to  protecting the integrity of research by establishing partnerships with editorial management systems.

About LPIXEL
LPIXEL is a University of Tokyo startup that specializes in providing advanced image analysis and processing technology for the life sciences. Ever since its inception, LPIXEL has been developing solutions tailored to detecting inappropriately manipulated and duplicated images used in scientific papers. LPIXEL’s work in protecting the integrity of research with focus on image data has been featured in a case book published by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). LPIXEL also holds an impressive track record of providing seminars at over 120 universities and research institutions across Japan for educating life science researchers on the proper practices for processing images. For more information, please visit https://lpixel.net/en/

Contact Details
LPIXEL Inc.
TEL：+81-3-6259-1972　Email：imachek＠lpixel.net