1. A computer implemented method for reducing a noise component of image data comprising: stimulating a sensory response in a region of interest in a biological material with a stimulus to induce a neural response; detecting signals associated with the neural response in a plurality of cells that are spatially distributed within the biological material to generate detected neural response image data; recording the detected neural response image data; processing the neural response image data with a data processor, the data processor being programmed to process the neural response image data with an analytic representation to separate a stimulus response component and a noise component, the stimulus response component being represented by a vector having an order determined by a convergent iterative process; and generating processed neural response image data to generate reduced noise neural response image data.