Apparatus for the identification of free-lying cells
First Claim
1. A feature classifier apparatus for performing a plurality of stages of feature extraction and object classification on cells in a biological specimen, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) means for acquiring at least one image of a biological specimen;
(b) an initial stage classifier means for determining whether objects in the at least one image are object types of interest and other objects;
(c) a sequence of object classifiers wherein each object classifier has an object type of interest input, an object type of interest output and an other object type output, and wherein the object type of interest output is connected to the object type of interest input of a next classifier in the sequence; and
(d) a diagnostic classifier means for determining whether objects of interest from a final classifier in the sequence of classifiers are low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, potential high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, cancerous lesions or normal artifacts.
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Abstract
A free-lying cell classifier. An automated microscope system comprising a computer and high speed processing field of view processors identifies free-lying cells. An image of a biological specimen is obtained and the image is segmented to create a set of binary masks. The binary masks are used by a feature calculator to compute the features that characterize objects of interest including free-lying cells, artifacts and other biological objects. The objects are classified to identify their type, their normality or abnormality or their identification as an artifact. The results are summarized and reported. A stain evaluation of the slide is performed as well as a typicality evaluation. The robustness of the measurement is also quantified as a classification confidence value. The free-lying cell evaluation is used by an automated cytology system to classify a biological specimen slide.
93 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A feature classifier apparatus for performing a plurality of stages of feature extraction and object classification on cells in a biological specimen, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) means for acquiring at least one image of a biological specimen; (b) an initial stage classifier means for determining whether objects in the at least one image are object types of interest and other objects; (c) a sequence of object classifiers wherein each object classifier has an object type of interest input, an object type of interest output and an other object type output, and wherein the object type of interest output is connected to the object type of interest input of a next classifier in the sequence; and (d) a diagnostic classifier means for determining whether objects of interest from a final classifier in the sequence of classifiers are low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, potential high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, cancerous lesions or normal artifacts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A feature classifier apparatus for performing a plurality of stages of feature extraction and object classification on cells in a biological specimen, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) means for acquiring at least one image of a biological specimen; (b) an initial stage classifier means for determining whether objects in the at least one image are object types of interest and other objects; (c) a sequence of object classifiers wherein each object classifier has an object type of interest input, an object type of interest output and an other object type output, and wherein the object type of interest output is connected to the object type of interest input of a next classifier in the sequences; (d) an initial box filter means for determining whether objects are normal, potentially abnormal or artifacts; (e) a stage 1 classifier means for processing the normal and potentially abnormal objects into a potentially abnormal, artifact or normal object; (f) a stage 2 classifier means for determining whether the potentially abnormal objects from the stage 1 classifier are potentially abnormal, artifact or normal; (g) a stage 3 classifier for determining whether the potentially abnormal objects from the stage 2 classifier are potentially abnormal or are normal and artifact objects; and (h) a stage 4 classifier for determining whether the potential abnormal objects; and
from the stage 3 classifier are potentially abnormal or normal artifacts. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A feature classification apparatus for performing a plurality of stages of feature extraction and object classification on cells in a biological specimen, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) an initial box filter means for determining whether objects are normal and potentially abnormal or artifacts; (b) a stage 1 classifier means for processing the normal and potentially abnormal objects into a potentially abnormal, artifact or normal object; (c) a stage 2 classifier means for determining whether the potentially abnormal objects from the stage 1 classifier are potentially abnormal, artifact or normal; (d) a stage 3 classifier for determining whether the potentially abnormal objects from the stage 2 classifier are potentially abnormal or are normal and artifact objects; and (e) a stage 4 classifier for determining whether the potential abnormal objects from the stage 3 classifier are potentially abnormal or are normal artifacts. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A feature classifier apparatus for performing a plurality of stages of feature extraction and object classification on cells in a biological specimen comprising:
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(a) means for acquiring at least one image of a biological specimen; (b) an initial stage classifier means for determining whether objects in the at least one image are object types of interest and other objects; (c) a sequence of object classifiers wherein each object classifier has an object type of interest input, an object type of interest output and an other object type output, and wherein the object type of interest output is connected to the object type of interest input of a next classifier in the sequence; (d) a means for computing an atypicality index; and (e) a diagnostic classifier means for determining whether objects of interest in an output of a stage 3 classifier are low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, potential high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, cancerous lesions or normal artifacts.
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Specification