EP0610916A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for providing preferentially segmented digital images
Assignee: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
•
Filing: 1994-02-09
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2014-02-09
Abstract
Abstract A method for providing a preferentially segmented digital image of a specimen image having predetermined characteristics and containing an object of interest. A specimen image is obtained through a microscope set at a magnification value and digitized to create a digital specimen image. Preferential enhancement values are determined based upon the magnification value and the specimen characteristics, and then the digital specimen image is enhanced using the preferential enhancement values to accentuate the object dark features. This creates a dark feature enhanced image which is then binarized to yield an edge mask that consists of black object silhouettes on a white background. Detection of the edges of the object contained in the edge mask is then performed to create an edge overlay that can be used to obtain morphometric measurements or combined with the digital specimen image to create a preferentially segmented digital image suitable for densitometric measurement. The resulting morphometric and densitometric data is used to accurately classify objects of interest.
Inventors
- 👤 Brian S. Erler
- 👤 Alberto M. Marchevsky
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-10 01:48
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T5/00; G06T5/40; G06T5/73; G06T5/90; G06T5/92; G06T7/00; G06T7/0002; G06T7/0012; G06T7/10; G06T7/12; G06T7/136; G06V; G06V20/00; G06V20/60; G06V20/69; G06V20/695; G06T2207/00; G06T2207/10; G06T2207/10056; G06T2207/20; G06T2207/20172; G06T2207/20192; G06T2207/30; G06T2207/30004; G06T2207/30024
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
100 words
A method for providing an edge mask from a specimen image, obtained from a specimen on a slide that is magnified at a predetermined magnification value and has predetermined characteristics, comprising the steps of: digitizing the specimen image to provide a digital specimen image; determining first and second preferential enhancement values from the magnification value of the specimen image and from the characteristics of the specimen image; enhancing the digital specimen image based upon the first and second preferential enhancement values to create a dark feature enhanced image; and binarizing the dark feature enhanced image to create an edge mask.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of: detecting the edges of the edge mask to create an edge overlay.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as defined in claim 2, further comprising the step of: combining the edge overlay with the digital specimen image to create a preferentially segmented digital image.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising the step of: measuring the densitometric features of the preferentially segmented digital image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of: decalibrating the digital specimen image for glare and shading prior to enhancing the digital specimen image.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the step of decalibrating further comprising the steps of: obtaining a blank bright field image from the slide; obtaining a dark field image from the slide; decalibrating the digital specimen image for glare and shading prior to enhancing the digital specimen image based upon the blank bright field image and the dark field image.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as defined in claim 6, wherein: the step of decalibrating the digital specimen image for glare and shading implements the following equation New Digital Specimen Image = [(Digital Specimen Image-Dark Field Value) / (Blank Bright Field Image-Dark Field Image)] * 255.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
72 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein: the step of enhancing the digital specimen image based upon the first and second preferential enhancement values to create a dark feature enhanced image implements the following equation Dark Feature Enhanced Image = [(Digital Image²/k + Digital Image) n ]/k n-1 where "digital image" is the digital specimen image, "k" is the first preferential enhancement value and "n" is the second preferential enhancement value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of: measuring the morphometric features of the edge mask.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
220 words
A method for providing a preferentially segmented digital image representative of a specimen image with an edge overlay from a specimen stained with a dye on a slide and magnified at a predetermined magnification value, the method comprising the steps of: interposing an optical filter between the light source and the specimen slide; obtaining a blank bright field representation from the slide; digitizing the blank bright field representation to provide a blank bright field image; obtaining a dark field representation from the slide; digitizing the dark field representation to provide a dark field image; obtaining a specimen representation from the slide; digitizing the specimen image to provide a digital specimen image; decalibrating the digital specimen image for glare and shading based upon the blank bright field image and the dark field image to provide a decalibrated image; determining first and second preferential enhancement values from the magnification value of the specimen image and from the characteristics of the specimen image; enhancing the digital specimen image based upon the first and second preferential enhancement values to create a dark feature enhanced image; binarizing the dark feature enhanced image to create an edge mask; detecting the edges of the edge mask to create an edge overlay; and combining the edge overlay with the decalibrated image to create a preferentially segmented digital image.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as defined in claim 10, further comprising the step of: measuring the densitometric features of the preferentially segmented digital image.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
201 words
An apparatus for measuring the morphometric features of an object of interest in a specimen on a slide, having predetermined characteristics, comprising: means for converting a specimen image of the specimen magnified at a predetermined value into an electric signal; means for digitizing the electric signal into a digital specimen image; means for determining first and second preferential enhancement values from the magnification value of the specimen image and from the characteristics of the specimen image; means for obtaining a blank bright field image and a dark field image from the slide; means for decalibrating the digital specimen image for glare and shading based upon the blank bright field image and the dark field image to create a decalibrated image; means for enhancing the decalibrated image based upon the first and second preferential enhancement values to create a dark feature enhanced image; means for binarizing the dark feature enhanced image to create an edge mask; means for detecting the edges of the edge mask to create an edge overlay; means for combining the edge overlay with the decalibrated image to create a preferentially segmented digital image; means for measuring the morphometric features of the object of interest from the edge overlay.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising: means for analyzing the morphometric measurement to obtain a classification of the object of interest in the specimen; and means for displaying the classification of the object of interest.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising: means for measuring the densitometric features of the object of interest from the preferentially segmented digital image; means for analyzing the densitometric measurements to obtain a classification of the object of interest in the specimen; and means for displaying the classification of the object of interest.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.