IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20150139527A1
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikenaga, Yuichiro, Shiono, Toru, Hoshino, Tetsuro
• Granted Patent: US 9,294,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/133
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/4406 Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/46 Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters measuring colour temperature G01J5/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6417 Spectrofluorimetric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6439 with indicators, stains, dyes, tags, labels, marks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6456 Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/121 Correction signals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/365 Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes G02B21/361, G02B21/362 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/69 Microscopic objects, e.g. biological cells or cellular parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/603 controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes: an interface unit configured to input an image signal from an imaging apparatus that exposes a specimen dyed with a fluorescent dye to excitation light and images fluorescence by a color imaging element; and a color correction circuit configured to retain information on a percentage of each of a component of a second color and a component of a third color with respect to a component of a first color corresponding to the excitation light in the image signal, which is determined in advance based on color filter spectral characteristics of the color imaging element, and reduce each of an amount corresponding to the percentage of the component of the second color and an amount corresponding to the percentage of the component of the third color from the input image signal.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

an interface unit configured to input an image signal from an imaging apparatus that exposes a specimen dyed with a fluorescent dye to excitation light and images fluorescence by a color imaging element; and

a color correction circuit configured to retain information on a percentage of each of a component of a second color and a component of a third color with respect to a component of a first color corresponding to the excitation light in the image signal, which is determined in advance based on color filter spectral characteristics of the color imaging element, and reduce each of an amount corresponding to the percentage of the component of the second color and an amount corresponding to the percentage of the component of the third color from the input image signal.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the color correction circuit is configured to reduce the component of the first color from the input image signal.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the color correction circuit is a linear matrix transformation circuit.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising

a white balance adjustment circuit configured to reduce either one of the component of the second color and the component of the third color from the input image signal at a preceding stage of the color correction circuit.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the fluorescent dye is fluorescein.

6. An image processing method, comprising:

determining, based on color filter spectral characteristics of a color imaging element that exposes a specimen dyed with a fluorescent dye to excitation light and images fluorescence, a percentage of each of a component of a second color and a component of a third color with respect to a component of a first color corresponding to the excitation light in an image signal of the color imaging element; and

reducing each of an amount corresponding to the percentage of the component of the second color and an amount corresponding to the percentage of the component of the third color from the image signal input from the color imaging element.