Adaptive coherent optical processing method and apparatus for recognizing and counting objects
First Claim
1. A method of recognizing and counting randomly sized, randomly located and randomly oriented objects of a distinct geometrical shape in a mass of objects of varying geometrical shapes, said method comprising the steps of:
- arraying said mass of objects in a non-overlapping field;
passing a beam of coherent light through said non-overlapping field such that said field scatters said beam of coherent light;
positioning a Fourier transform lens such that the lens collects light scattered by said non-overlapping field and forms a composite Fourier spectrum of said non-overlapping field;
measuring the intensity of the light at selected points in said composite Fourier spectrum; and
,combining said light intensity measurements by nonuniformly weighting each light intensity measurement made by a predetermined weighting factor, B; and
, summing said nonuniformly weighted light intensity measurements to provide an estimated count of the number of objects of a distinct geometrical shape located in said non-overlapping field.
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Abstract
Recognizing and counting geometrically distant objects, such as objects of a particular morphological type (e.g., reticulated red blood cells), located in a field of objects of varying types is disclosed. Coherent light is directed toward a monolayer of objects of various types. The light scattered by the objects is collected by a collecting lens and forms a composite Fourier spectrum at the focal plane of the lens. The Fourier spectrum is selectively analyzed on the basis that each object creates a unique portion of the composite Fourier spectrum, and that a family of objects that are geometrically similar have additive spectrums, when their population is large, randomly located, and nonoverlapping. The analysis is performed by making intensity measurements at radial points in the Fourier plane, weighting the measurements, and summing the result. The radial points and weighting factors are determined using regression techniques.
26 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of recognizing and counting randomly sized, randomly located and randomly oriented objects of a distinct geometrical shape in a mass of objects of varying geometrical shapes, said method comprising the steps of:
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arraying said mass of objects in a non-overlapping field; passing a beam of coherent light through said non-overlapping field such that said field scatters said beam of coherent light; positioning a Fourier transform lens such that the lens collects light scattered by said non-overlapping field and forms a composite Fourier spectrum of said non-overlapping field; measuring the intensity of the light at selected points in said composite Fourier spectrum; and
,combining said light intensity measurements by nonuniformly weighting each light intensity measurement made by a predetermined weighting factor, B; and
, summing said nonuniformly weighted light intensity measurements to provide an estimated count of the number of objects of a distinct geometrical shape located in said non-overlapping field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of recognizing and counting randomly sized, randomly located and randomly oriented cells of a distinct morphology, such as reticulocytes, in a mass of cells of varying morphology, such as a blood sample, said method comprising the steps of:
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arraying said mass of cells on a slide so as to form a non-overlapping field; passing a beam of coherent light through said non-overlapping field of cells such that said field scatters said beam of coherent light; positioning a Fourier transform lens such that the lens collects light scattered by said non-overlapping field of cells and forms a composite Fourier spectrum of said non-overlapping field; measuring the intensity of the light at selected points in said composite Fourier spectrum; and
,combining said light intensity measurements by nonuniformly weighting each light intensity measurement mode by a predetermined factor, B; and
summing said nonuniforly weighted light intensity measurements to provide an estimated count of the number of cells of said distinct morphology located in said non-overlapping field of cells. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. Apparatus for recognizing and counting randomly sized, randomly located and randomly oriented objects of distinct geometrical shape in a mass of objects of varying geometrical shapes, said appratus comprising:
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light means for producing a collimated coherent light beam; support means for supporting, in a non-overlapping field, a mass of objects of varying geometrical shapes in said coherent light beam; transform lens means, mounted on the side of said support means remote from the side receiving said coherent light beam, for collecting light scattered by the mass of objects supported by said support means in a non-overlapping field and forming said collecting light into a composite Fourier spectrum of the mass of objects forming said non-overlapping field; light detecting means mounted so as to detect the intensity of the light at selected points in the Fourier spectrum produced by said transform lens means and produce output signals having a parameter related to the intensity of the light detected at said selected points in said Fourier spectrum; and
,combining means connected to said light detecting means for receiving said output signals having a parameter related to the intensity of the light detected by said light detecting means, nonuniformly weighting selected ones of said received output signals and summing the resultant nonuniformly weighted signals to produce a combined output signal having a parameter related to the number of objects of a distinct geometrical shape located in said non-overlapping field. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of determining the vector positions, Xij, at which light intensity measuremments are to be made in a pattern recognition system for recognizing geometrically distinct objects that includes a source of coherent energy positioned so as to direct a beam of coherent energy through a mass of objects located in a monolayer field and a fourier transform lens positioned so as to collect energy scattered by the objects forming said monolayer field and form a composite fourier spectrum thereof, said method comprising the steps of:
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assuming a set of vector positions x'"'"'ij ; making energy intensity measurements at each assumed vector position x'"'"'ij, for each one of a training set of monolayer fields having a known parameter related to the objects to be recognized; performing a partial F-value test using the results of said measurements for each assumed vector position, x'"'"'ij ; and
,testing the results of each partial F-value test to determine if the result is greater than F1,N-k-1;
γ
where γ
is the gamma distribution point of Fisher'"'"'s F distribution of 1 and N-k-1 degrees of freedom, N is equal to the number of samples used in the training set and k is the total number of vector positions xij to be determined; and
,choosing the assumed vector positions, x'"'"'ij, to be vector positions, xij, at which measuremens are to be made if the result of their related partial F-value test is greater than F1,N-k-1;
γ
. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method of choosing the vector positions, xij, at which measurements are to be made in a pattern recognition system comprising the steps of:
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assuming a set of vector positions, x'"'"'ij, making energy intensity measurements at each assumed vector position, x'"'"'ij, for each one of a training set of items; performing a partial F-value test using the results of said measurements for each assumed vector positions, x'"'"'ij ; and
,testing the results of each partial F-value test to determine if the result is geater than F1,N-k-1;
γ
where γ
is the gamma distribution point of Fisher'"'"'s F distribution with 1 and N-k-1 degrees of freedom, N is equal to the number of samples used in the training set and k is the total number of vector positions xij to be determined; and
,choosing the assumed vector positions, x'"'"'ij, to be vector positions, xij, at which measurements are to be made if the result of their related partial F-value test is greater than F1,N-k-1;
γ
. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification