Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
177 words
A method of forming a two-dimensional concentration distribution image of specific ions to be assayed in a living cell, on the basis of the variation in fluorescent spectrum or excitation spectrum of a fluorescent probe, said method comprising the steps of: administering a fluorescent probe into a cell; obtaining a fluorescence intensity distribution image by determining fluorescence light from the fluorescent probe in a region including the cell; measuring the cell optically, thereby obtaining a cell image of the cell selected from the group consisting of a bright-field image, a phase contrast image, a Nomarski differential interference contrast image, and a polarization image; determining a background fluorescence value from a profile of the fluorescence intensity image and a profile of the cell image; forming a two-dimensional concentration distribution image of the ions to be assayed, by image processing including a subtraction of the background fluorescence value from the fluorescence intensity distribution image; and subjecting the cell image and the two-dimensional concentration distribution image of the ions to image processing, thereby displaying both images in an overlapping manner.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
177 words
A method of forming a two-dimensional concentration distribution image of specific ions to be assayed in a living cell, on the basis of the variation in fluorescent spectrum or excitation spectrum of a fluorescent probe, said method comprising the steps of: administering a fluorescent probe into a cell; obtaining a fluorescence intensity distribution image by determining fluorescence light from the fluorescent probe in a region including the cell; measuring the cell optically, thereby obtaining a cell image of the cell selected from the group consisting of a bright-field image, a phase contrast image, a Nomarski differential interference contrast image, and a polarization image; determining a background fluorescence value from a profile of the fluorescence intensity image and a profile of the cell image; forming a two-dimensional concentration distribution image of the ions to be assayed, by image processing including a subtraction of the background fluorescence value from the fluorescence intensity distribution image; and subjecting the cell image and the two-dimensional concentration distribution image of the ions to image processing, thereby displaying both images in an overlapping manner.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of obtaining a cell image is carried out prior to the step of obtaining a fluorescence intensity distribution image by determining fluorescence light.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein a two-dimensional concentration distribution image of calcium ions in a living cell is formed by use of the fluorescent probe selected from the group consisting of fura-2, Quin-2, and Indo-1.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein image data of the two-dimensional ion concentration distribution image is subjected to affine transformation, in order to make the coordinate system of the two-dimensional ion concentration distribution image coincide with the coordinate system of the data of the cell image.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said cell image is a monochromatic image, and said two-dimensional ion concentration distribution image is a multi-color image having colors corresponding to ion concentrations.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the overlapped display of the cell image and the two-dimensional ion concentration distribution image is performed by means of an exclusive-OR operation.