Method for detecting a response of each probe zone on a test strip

• US 7,197,169 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2003
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Transpacific IP Group Limited
• Inventors: Wang, Kuo-Jeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns; Andrew W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MACKOWEY, ANTHONY M
• Application Number:
  US10/334,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20040131238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 382/101, 382/102, 382/128, 382/129, 382/164, 382/168, 382/174, 382/183, 382169-172, 358/449, 358/464, 435/805, 435/4, 422/82.05, 422/56
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/27 using photo-electric detection G01N21/31 takes precedence; circuits for computing concentration logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8483 Investigating reagent band test-element handling not specific to a test method G01N33/4875; analytical elements specific to chemical analysis of biological material G01N33/52; autometer with reagent band G01N35/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/805 Test papers

Abstract

A method for detecting a response (grey level) of each probe zone on a test strip includes providing a test strip having a color pattern. The color pattern occurs in response to a solution contacting with the test strip and includes color lines arranged in sequence. Each color line represents a probe zone of the test strip. A whole image of the test strip is captured and is selected at least one scan line perpendicular to the color lines. A pixel position of the scan line having a minimum pixel value corresponding to a bottom edge of the test strip is set and the pixel position is used as a reference to identify respective pixel positions of the color lines on the scan line.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a response for a probe zone on a test strip, comprising:

providing a test strip having a light color base and a color pattern displayed thereon, said color pattern occurring in response to a tested solution contacting with said test strip and including a plurality of color lines displayed in sequence from a first portion of said test strip to a second portion thereof, the site of a said color line representing a probe zone of said test strip;

capturing an image of said test strip;

selecting at least one scan line from the image, said scan line being substantially perpendicular to the image of said color lines;

setting a pixel position of said scan line having a minimum pixel value corresponding to a first edge of said test strip; and

assigning respective pixel positions of said scan line corresponding to said color lines of said test strip by using said pixel position with the minimum pixel value as a reference and in accordance with the sequence of said color lines displayed on said test strip, thereby a response of a probe zone of said test strip related to a respective pixel value of one said pixel position corresponding to one said color line is obtained.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixel position of said scan line having a minimum red pixel value is set to correspond to the image of the first edge of said test strip.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixel position of said scan line having a minimum average pixel value formed of red, green, blue pixel values is set to correspond to the image of the first edge of said test strip.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said test strip has a white base.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said test strip is a kind of drug abuse test paper having a plurality of probe zones, wherein one probe zone has a color change in response to said tested solution and one or more other probe zones have a color change in response to a drug of abuse in said tested solution.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said tested solution includes a biological fluid collected from a subject.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said biological fluid includes a urine specimen fluid.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of said test strip is captured by a scanner associated with a charge-coupled device.

9. A method for selecting a reference to identify an image of a response of a probe zone on a test strip, comprising:

providing a test strip having a color pattern displayed thereon, said color pattern occurring in response to a tested solution contacting with said test strip and including a plurality of color lines displayed in sequence from a first portion of said test strip to a second portion thereof, the site of a said color line representing a probe zone of said test strip;

capturing an image of said test strip;

selecting at least one scan line from the image, said scan line being perpendicular to the image of said color lines; and

setting a pixel position of said scan line having a minimum pixel value corresponding to the image of a first edge of said test strip and using said pixel position corresponding to the first edge of said test strip as a reference to identify respective pixel positions of said color lines of said test strip on said scan line so as to identify the positions thereof on the image.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the pixel position of said scan line having a minimum red pixel value is set to correspond to the image of the first edge of said test strip.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the pixel position of said scan line having a minimum average pixel value formed of red, green, blue pixel values is set to correspond to the image of the first edge of said test strip.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said test strip has a white base.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said test strip is a kind of drug abuse test paper having a plurality of probe zones, wherein one probe zone has a color change in response to said tested solution and one or more other probe zones have a color change in response to a drug of abuse in said tested solution.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said tested solution includes a biological fluid collected from a subject.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said biological fluid includes a urine specimen fluid.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the image of said test strip is captured by a scanner associated with a charge-coupled device.

17. A method for detecting a response for a probe zone on a test strip, comprising:

providing a test strip having one or more color lines, wherein a said color line represents a probe zone of said test strip;

capturing an image of said test strip;

selecting at least one scan line from the image, said scan line being substantially perpendicular to said one or more color lines;

setting a pixel position of said scan line having a minimum pixel value corresponding to a first portion of said test strip; and

assigning respective pixel positions of said scan line corresponding to said one or more color lines by using said pixel position with the minimum pixel value as a reference, thereby a response of said probe zone related to a pixel value of one said pixel position corresponding to at least one said color line is obtained.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said test strip comprises two or more color lines, wherein one said color line has a color change in response to said tested solution and the other said color lines have a color change in response to one or more drugs of abuse in said tested solution.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein each of said other said color lines have a color change in response to a different drug of abuse in said tested solution.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said respective pixel positions corresponding to said one or more color lines are assigned by sequential positions of said one or more color lines.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the pixel position of said scan line having a minimum red pixel value is set to correspond to the image of the first portion of said test strip.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the pixel position of said scan line having a minimum average pixel value formed of red, green, blue pixel values is set to correspond to the first portion of said test strip.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein said test strip has a light color base.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein said test strip has a white color base.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein said test strip has a plurality of color lines.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said plurality of color lines are arranged substantially parallel to one another.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein said minimum pixel value corresponds to a first edge of said test strip.