System for counting colonies of micro-organisms in petri dishes and other culture media
US6381353B1 · kind B1 · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 30, 1996 |
| Grant date | Apr 30, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 30, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T7/60
- WIPO fieldBiotechnology
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A method for counting objects in an image includes the steps of: (a) providing an image including at least one object defined in the image in shades of at least one color; (b) identifying objects in the image having a shade of color which exceeds a threshold shade so as to provide a number of identified objects; (c) evaluating objects of the number of identified objects based upon object criteria to determine whether each object satisfies the criteria and can be counted, or does not satisfy the criteria and is suspect and needs further analysis; (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) for objects which are suspect at shades of color increasingly exceeding the threshold shade until all objects satisfy the criteria; and (e) providing a count of the objects, whereby accuracy of the count is enhanced. Each object is preferably tested for one or more criteria including object size, visibility, color, surface quality and shape.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.