Assessment of unpurified dissociated pancreatic tissue has long been problematic due largely to the issue of islets embedded in exocrine tissue. These partially and fully embedded islets do not purify on density gradients with islets that are intact and free of contaminating tissue. To-date, imaging systems that have succeeded in removing subjectivity and bias from islet analysis have not had the capability of distinguishing free islets from embedded islets. However, the ability to assess ''free'' islet yield versus ''embedded'' islet yield provides valuable experimental information regarding the quality of an enzymatic dissociation. We have developed an algorithm for our OncorImage(R) system that has the capacity to differentiate and quantitate free or embedded islet area. The algorithm involves intensity-masking of the islet perimeter to assess the presence or absence of surrounding non-islet tissue. In our study, we defined an islet as free when less than 50% of its perimeter is occluded by exocrine tissue. If greater than 50% of the islet's perimeter is in contact with exocrine tissue, the islet is said to be embedded. We have examined porcine pancreatic islets at time points throughout enzymatic dissociations performed in the Ricordi dissociation system and have correlated our results with manual assessments. An algorithm that differentiates free and embedded islets allows for improved assessment of pancreatic islet release over time.