Method of counting microorganisms and device for accomplishing the counting
US6385272B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 28, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 7, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 28, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC12Q1/06
- WIPO fieldBiotechnology
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A filter on which living bacteria are captured is processed with an extraction reagent and a luminescence reagent. The state of luminescence of the filter is photographed by a television camera 1 including an optical system and an image acquisition means such as a charge coupled device. The number of luminous points is counted from data for the image of the luminous points of fluorescence originating in microbes through an image processing device 3 and a data-analyzing device 4. The result of the count is shown on a display 5. In the analysis of the data, when there exists a first luminous point adjacent to a second luminous point, the first and second luminous points are grouped and counted as one luminous point. A process for eliminating the effect of the diffusion of light from a luminous point of great luminance is performed. According to the above, errors in the count caused by the effect of the diffusion of light caused by a complicated shape of a luminous point originating in one microbe or by great luminance can be reduced.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.