Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for investigating and controlling an object

US5403735A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
8References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 24, 1991
Grant dateApr 4, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 24, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S435/808
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In order to investigate an object, such as a culture of micro-organisms, the object is repeatedly captured at two different magnifications by a suitable image pick-up device. The images at the two different magnifications are then analysed by a suitable picture image recognition device and the results of the repeated analysis are compared, thereby to derive a measurement of the change in the object with time. Thus, for a culture of micro-organisms, the number of cells can be determined at one magnification and the number of microscopic spherical bodies can be determined at another magnification, to obtain a measure of the activity of the culture. Preferably, one or more conditions of the object are then controlled on the basis of the measurement of change.

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