EP0644414A2
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EP
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Classification and examination device of particles in fluid
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1994-08-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-08-03
Abstract
Abstract A particle image in a sample 63 is formed at an imaging position 56 by an objective lens 55 of a microscope, projected on the image picking up plane of a TV camera 58 via projection lens 57 and is subjected to photo-electric conversion. Image signals from the TV camera 58 are supplied to an image memory 75 via an A/D converter 74 as well as to an image processing control unit 76. Image signals outputted from the image memory 75 are supplied to a characteristic picking out unit 78 and there a plurality of characteristics of the particle concerned are picked out. The picked-out characterstics are supplied to the classification unit 79 and there classification of the sediment components is performed via a neural network with a learning capability. Accordingly, the classification unit 79 performs provisionally an automatic classification of the objective sediment components by making use of the inputted characteristic parameters. Whereby the device which allows accurate and fast automatic component particle analysis even for patient specimens containing a variety of components in high concentration is realized.
Inventors
- 👤 Hideki Asai
- 👤 Hideyuki Horiuchi
- 👤 Ryohei Yabe
- 👤 Norio Oowada
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 20:54
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N15/00; G01N15/10; G01N15/14; G06; G06V; G06V10/00; G06V10/10; G06V10/12; G06V10/14; G06V10/141; G06V20/00; G06V20/60; G06V20/69; G16; G16H; G16H30/00; G16H30/40; G16H50/00; G16H50/20; G01N2201/00; G01N2201/12; G01N2201/129; G01N2201/1296; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S706/00; Y10S706/902; Y10S706/924
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A calssification and examination device of particles in fluid having an image picking up unit which picks up images of respective particles dispersed in a specimen flowing in a flow cell and an image processing unit which analyzes the picked up particle images, classifies the particles and displays the same, characterized in that, said image picking up unit (3) picks up colored images of the respective particles ; and, said image processing unit (4∼9) converts each of the colored particle images into at least one binary image signal based on a color standard, calculates a plurality of characteristic quantities of the respective particles based on the binary image signal, automatically and provisionally classifies the respective particles based on the characteristic quantities and displays the colored particle images in a manner grouped according to classification results.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
55 words
A classification and examination device of particles in fluid according to claim 1, characterized in that, said image processing unit (4∼9) comprises a first means which stores the colored particle images and the automatic classification results, and a second means which correlates the colored pareticle images and the automatic classification results and stores the same.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
A classification and examination device of particles in fluid according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that, said image processing unit comprises a third means which stores either the colored particle images or the automatic classification results together with related data with the specimen inputted by a user operator.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
A classification and examination device of particles in fluid according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that, said image processing unit (4∼9) comprises a fourth means which stores both the colored particle images and the automatic classification results together with related data with the specimen inputted by a user operator.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
62 words
A classification and examination device of particles in fluid according to one of claims 1 through 4, characterized in that, said image processing unit (4∼9) comprises a fifth means which arranges at least one colored particle image associated with the automatic classification results according to a predetermined order of classification types and displays the same on a screen at the same time.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
A classification and examination device of particles in fluid according to one of claims 1 through 5, characterized in that, said image processing unit (4∼9) comprises a sixth means which displays the colored particle images and the automatic classification results on a screen at the same time while correlating the both each other.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
A classification and examination device of particles in fluid according to one of claims 1 through 6, characterized in that, said device further comprises means for permitting reclassification and learning based on the displayed colored particle images and the automatic classification results thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A classification and examination device of particles in fluid according to claim 7, characterized in that, a neuronetwork is used for the reclassification and the learning.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A classification and examination device of particles in fluid according to one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that, the reclassification and the learning are designed to be performed manually.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
A classification and examination device of particles in fluid according to one of claims 1 through 9, characterized in that, the specimen is urine and the particles to be classified are sediments in the urine.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
120 words
A classification and examination device of particles in fluid which detects particles in fluid and picks up images of the detected particles, characterized in that, the classification and examination device of particles in fluid comprises : a characteristic picking out unit (78) which picks out a plurality of characteristics from the image picked up particles ; a type identifying unit (79) which identifies types of particles based on a plurality of the picked out characteristics of the particles ; a storage unit (81) which stores at least an image of a particle of which said type identifying unit (79) fails to identify the type thereof ; and a display unit (82) which displays the image stored in said storege unit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
119 words
A classification and examination device of particles in fluid which detects particles in fluid and picks up images of the detected particles, characterized in that, the classification and examination device of particles in fluid comprises : a characteristic picking out unit (78) which picks out a plurality of characteristics from the image picked up particles ; a type identifying unit (79) which identifies types of particles based on a plurality of the picked out characteristics of the particles ; a storage unit (81) which stores the picked up particle images and the identified types of the particles by said type identifying unit (79) ; and a display unit (82) which selectively displays the image stored in said storage unit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
A classification and examination device of particles in fluid according to claim 11 or claim 12, characterized in that, said type identifying unit (79) identifies types of the particles based on a neural network logic having a self learning capacity.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
270 words
A classification and examination device of sediments in urine comprises : means (65, 67, 68, 69, 64, 55, 70, 71, 72, 77) for detecting sediment in urine flowing through a flow cell (1, 54) ; means (2, 3, 10, 77, 51, 52, 61, 60, 62, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58) for picking-up a colored still image of the sediment in response to the detection by said detecting means (65, 67, 68, 69, 64, 55, 70, 72, 77) ; means (4, 5, 74) for converting the picked-up colored still image of the sediment into at least one binary coded image signal ; means (7, 78) for picking out a plurality of characteriatic quantities of the binary coded image signal of the sediment ; means (8, 79) for classifying the detected sediment and for identifying the type of the detected sediment including identification failure based on a plurality of the picked-out characteristic quantities of the detected sediment, said classification and identification means (8, 79) being constituted by a neurocomputer having a learning capability ; means (12, 14, 81) for storing at least an image signal of a sediment determined as identification failure in said classification and identification means (8, 79) ; means (15, 20, 80, 82) for displaying the image of the sediment of identification failure stored in said storage means (12, 14, 81) for identification of the sediment by a user operator ; and means (17, 25, 26, 83, 80) for inputting the type of the sediment of identification failure identified by the user operator for informing the same to said classification and identification means (8, 79) for helping learning therein.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
292 words
A classification and examination device of sediments in urine comprises : means (65, 67, 68, 69, 64, 55, 70, 71, 72, 77) for detecting sediment in urine flowing through a flow cell (1, 54) ; means (2, 3, 10, 77, 51, 52, 61, 60, 62, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58) for picking-up a colored still image of the sediment in response to the detection by said detecting means (65, 67, 68, 69, 64, 55, 70, 72, 77) ; means (4, 5, 74) for converting the picked-up colored still image of the sediment into at least one binary coded image signal ; means (7, 78) for picking out a plurality of characteriatic quantities of the binary coded image signal of the sediment ; means (8, 79) for classifying the detected sediment and for identifying the type of the detected sediment including identification failure based on a plurality of the picked-out characteristic quantities of the detected sediment, said classification and identification means (8, 79) being constituted by a neurocomputer having a learning capability ; means (12, 14, 81) for storing the image signal of the sediment together with the classification and identification result of the sediment determined in said classification and identification means (8, 79) ; means (15, 20, 80, 82) for displaying the image of the sediment stored in said storage means (12, 14, 81) in association with the classification and identification result thereof for reviewing the same by a user operator ; and means for inputting a correct and/or subclassified type of the sediment determined by the user operator when the type of the sediment determined in said classification and identification means (8, 79) being improper for informing the same to said classification and identification means (8, 79) for helping learning therein.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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