Résumé : Our work uses 1080 images sequence obtained from "in vitro" samples taken every 4 min from a microscope under phase contrast technique. These images are in JPEG format and are 500×700 pixels size with a compression rate of 3:1. We developed an algorithm and characterize it over several image operations against the tracking effectiveness and its robustness respect mitosis and cell shape change. Image equalization, dilation and erosion were the image processing procedures founded to provide best tracking results. Equalization procedure, for example, required a time delay of 5 sec for a size target of 60x90 pixels and 9 sec for size target of 89x100 pixels. This algorithm was implemented into a FPGA which controlled our optical correlator in order to performance all Fourier operations by optical method. Our results showed that the use of the optical correlator can reduce the time consuming in the image process until for 90% which able us to track cells in vascular structure. © 2009 SPIE.