Patent · US Active

Methods and apparatus for determining label count during specimen characterization

US11313869B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
14References
20Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateApr 13, 2017
Grant dateApr 26, 2022
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 13, 2038

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2035/00772
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method of characterizing a serum and plasma portion of a specimen in regions occluded by one or more labels. The characterization may be used for Hemolysis, Icterus, and/or Lipemia, or Normal detection. The method captures one or more images of a labeled specimen container including a serum or plasma portion, processes the one or more images to provide segmentation data and identification of a label-containing region, and classifying the label-containing region with a convolutional neural network (CNN) to provide a pixel-by-pixel (or patch-by-patch) characterization of the label thickness count, which may be used to adjust intensities of regions of a serum or plasma portion having label occlusion. Optionally, the CNN can characterize the label-containing region as one of multiple pre-defined label configurations. Quality check modules and specimen testing apparatus adapted to carry out the method are described, as are other aspects.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.