US 11,852,587 B2
Microfluidic device observation apparatus
Yoshinori Ohno, Kyoto (JP)
Assigned to Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto (JP)
Appl. No. 17/261,113
Filed by Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto (JP)
PCT Filed Jul. 23, 2018, PCT No. PCT/JP2018/027553
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 18, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/021603, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0285880 A1, Sep. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. G01N 21/64 (2006.01); G06T 7/12 (2017.01); G06T 7/181 (2017.01); G01N 21/41 (2006.01); G01N 35/08 (2006.01); G01N 37/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/6452 (2013.01) [G06T 7/12 (2017.01); G06T 2207/30072 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A microfluidic device observation apparatus configured to observe a microfluidic device where, in at least a partial region of the microfluidic device, a plurality of flow paths having same width are arranged in parallel, the microfluidic device observation apparatus comprising:
an image acquiring unit configured to acquire an image of at least the partial region of the microfluidic device; and
a processor configured to:
select an extracted pixel from a plurality of pixels forming the acquired image based on luminance values of the pixels, using a predetermined criterion,
detect a plurality of feature pixel groups among a plurality of extracted pixel groups each including a predetermined number of the extracted pixels that are continuously arranged in a line shape, where the plurality of feature pixel groups are parallel to each other with a predetermined degree or higher,
select flow path boundary pixel groups among the plurality of feature pixel groups, where a distance between the flow path boundary pixel groups corresponds to a width of the flow paths, and
identify positions of boundaries of the plurality of flow paths based on a position of the flow path boundary pixel groups in the image and extract an image of each of the flow paths.