US 11,756,214 B2
Method and apparatus for tracking nematode worms
David Weinkove, Sedgefield (GB); Christopher D. Saunter, Sedgefield (GB); Bhupinder Virk, Sedgefield (GB); and Craig Manning, Sedgefield (GB)
Assigned to Magnitude Biosciences Ltd., Sedgefield (GB)
Appl. No. 17/286,167
Filed by Magnitude Biosciences Ltd., Sedgefield (GB)
PCT Filed Sep. 17, 2019, PCT No. PCT/GB2019/052601
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 16, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/079391, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 23, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1816991 (GB), filed on Oct. 18, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0358134 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. G06T 7/246 (2017.01); G06T 7/254 (2017.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01)
CPC G06T 7/248 (2017.01) [G06T 7/0016 (2013.01); G06T 7/254 (2017.01); G06T 2207/10016 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20224 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30004 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30168 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for tracking movement of nematode worms, the method comprising:
(i) providing a plurality of worms on a translucent substrate;
(ii) obtaining a first image of a field of view including the plurality of worms by transmission imaging;
(iii) obtaining a first difference image of the plurality of worms corresponding to an intensity difference between said first image and a background image of the field of view;
(iv) repeating the following steps (a) to (d) a plurality of N times, for n=1 to N:
(a) determining, from the first difference image, an nth pixel corresponding to a maximum intensity difference;
(b) selecting, from the first difference image, an nth block of pixels comprising the selected nth pixel;
(c) determining a coordinate associated with the selected nth block of pixels; and
(d) updating said first difference image by setting each pixel of said nth block of pixels in said first difference image to a value corresponding to a zero or low intensity difference;
(v) obtaining a sequence of M subsequent images of the field of view by transmission imaging; and
(vi) repeating the following steps (f) and (g) for each of the M subsequent images, for m=2 to m=M+1:
(f) obtaining an mth difference image of the plurality of worms corresponding to an intensity difference between the mth subsequent image and said background image; and
(g) repeating the following steps a plurality of N times, for n=1 to n=N:
determining, from the mth difference image, an nth pixel corresponding to a maximum intensity difference or a centre of the intensity difference distribution of a trial block of pixels positioned at the determined coordinate associated with the corresponding nth selected block of pixels of the (m−1)th difference image;
selecting an nth block of pixels of said mth difference image, said nth block of pixels comprising the determined nth pixel; and
determining a coordinate associated with the selected nth block of pixels of said mth difference image.