US 12,333,726 B2
Specimen analysis method and image processing method
Maki Hirai, Kyoto (JP); Hiroshi Ogi, Kyoto (JP); Shunta Ishihara, Kyoto (JP); Takahiro Tsujikawa, Kyoto (JP); and Kyoko Itoh, Kyoto (JP)
Assigned to SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd., Kyoto (JP); and Kyoto Prefectural Public University Corporation, Kyoto (JP)
Filed by SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd., Kyoto (JP); and Kyoto Prefectural Public University Corporation, Kyoto (JP)
Filed on Aug. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/405,843.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-141765 (JP), filed on Aug. 25, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0067938 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. G06T 7/00 (2017.01); G01N 15/01 (2024.01); G01N 15/10 (2024.01); G01N 15/14 (2024.01); G01N 15/1429 (2024.01); G06T 7/187 (2017.01); G06T 7/30 (2017.01); G06V 10/22 (2022.01)
CPC G06T 7/0014 (2013.01) [G01N 15/1429 (2013.01); G06T 7/187 (2017.01); G06T 7/30 (2017.01); G06V 10/22 (2022.01); G01N 15/01 (2024.01); G01N 2015/1006 (2013.01); G01N 2015/1497 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10056 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30024 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A specimen analysis method, comprising:
obtaining a plurality of specimen images by successively applying a plurality of types of staining to a specimen to be evaluated and imaging the specimen after staining for at least two types of staining;
extracting an inner region being a closed region surrounded by a cell membrane and corresponding to inward of the cell membrane of a cell in the specimen by inputting at least one of the specimen images to a learning model constructed by machine learning in advance and obtaining an output image;
separating each extracted inner region as an individual cell included in the specimen from other inner region of other cells;
specifying a cell region corresponding to the individual cell by expanding the extracted inner region outwardly, and
performing image cytometry for the specified cell region based on the specimen images,
wherein the inner region is extracted based on the plurality of specimen images aligned with each other by executing alignment utilizing positions corresponding to each other among the plurality of specimen images,
wherein, for specifying the cell region:
an image processing which expands each point on a contour of the extracted inner region outwardly is performed until an expansion amount at the point reaches a predetermined specified value or a point on an expanded contour of the inner region contacts the other expanded inner region; and
a total region of the inner region and an expanded region by the image processing is specified as the cell region, and
wherein the inner region is extracted based on a combination of a plurality of the specimen images of different types of staining including a staining in which the cell membrane is selectively stained.