Patent · US Expired

Computational methods for the segmentation of images of objects from background in a flow imaging instrument

US7190832B2 · kind B2 · utility

112Cited by
58References
49Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 17, 2002
Grant dateMar 13, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 11, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2015/1497
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In automated computation-based interpretation of images, the accuracy and reliability of the detection and delineation of objects, known as “object segmentation,” is implemented so as to provide efficient performance. In a multi-step process, objects are first detected and captured into regions of interest (ROIs). Sets of pixels belonging to respective objects are then identified. Preferably object detection is achieved using both a two-dimensional (2D) low pass filter and a 2D edge enhancement filter. Two different gradient based edge enhancement filters are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention defines a (ROI) by first determining the center of objects by executing a plurality of decimations on the filtered image data, and then establishing object boundaries. In a second embodiment the ROI is defined by generating an amplitude histogram of the filtered image data, and for histograms exceeding a threshold determining by pixel which rows are to be included in the ROI.

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