Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for automatically detecting malignancy-associated changes

US6493460B1 · kind B1 · utility

46Cited by
5References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 26, 1999
Grant dateDec 10, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 26, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06V20/69
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for detecting malignancy-associated changes. A sample of cells is obtained and stained to identify the nuclear DNA material. The sample is imaged with a digital microscope. Objects of interest are identified in the sample of cells based on the intensity of the pixels that comprise the object versus the average intensity of all pixels in the slide image. An exact edge is located for each object and variations in the illumination intensity of the microscope are compensated for. A computer system calculates feature values for each object and, based on the value of the features, a determination is made whether the cell exhibits malignancy-associated changes or not.

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