DISPLAY CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20130321459A1
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hayakawa, Tomohiro, Kunihiro, Takeshi, Matsui, Eriko
• Granted Patent: US 10,311,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30024 Cell structures in vitro; Tissue sections in vitro
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0016 involving temporal comparison
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/215 Motion-based segmentation

Abstract

The present technology relates to a display control apparatus and a method, an image processing apparatus and a method, and a program that enable easy and noninvasive observation of an object to be observed. A first display control unit configured to perform display control of a cell image with one or a plurality of images including cells, and a second display control unit configured to perform display control such that a part or all of a motion amount generated for each of subregions with the one or the plurality of images is associated with each of the subregions, and is superimposed on the cell image and is displayed, are provided. The present disclosure can be applied to a display control apparatus or an image processing apparatus.

Claims

1. A display control apparatus comprising:

a first display control unit configured to perform display control of a cell image with one or a plurality of images including cells; and

a second display control unit configured to perform display control such that a part or all of a motion amount generated for each of subregions with the one or the plurality of images is associated with each of the subregions, and is superimposed on the cell image and displayed.

2. The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the cells are cells passively or actively moving, and

the second display control unit displays a part or all of the motion amount to express a state of propagation of a motion of the cells.

3. The display control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second display control unit displays the state of propagation of a motion of the cells as a time-dependent change of a distribution of the motion amount in the cell image.

4. The display control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second display control unit expresses the time-dependent change of a distribution of the motion amount by displaying, for each of a plurality of times of day, a two-dimensional map on a curved surface or on a plane, the two-dimensional map expressing the distribution of the motion amount.

5. The display control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second display control unit expresses a position of the motion amount in the cell image as a position on the two-dimensional map, and expresses an absolute value of the motion amount in color, density, or pattern.

6. The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the cell image is a moving image, and

the second display control unit superimposes, on each of frame images of the cell image, a part or all of the motion amount corresponding to the frame image, and displays a superimposed image.

7. The display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second display control unit displays an evaluation result of a distribution of the motion amount along with the motion amount.

8. A display control method of a display control apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

performing display control of a cell image with one or a plurality of images including cells by a first display control unit; and

performing display control by a second display control unit such that a part or all of a motion amount generated for each of subregions with the one or the plurality of images is associated with each of the subregions, and are superimposed on the cell image and displayed.

9. A program causing a computer to function as:

a first display control unit configured to perform display control of a cell image with one or a plurality of images including cells;

a second display control unit configured to perform display control such that a part or all of a motion amount generated for each of subregions with the one or the plurality of images is associated with each of the subregions, and are superimposed on the cell image and displayed.

10. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a motion amount generation unit configured to generate a motion amount of one or a plurality of images including cells for each subregion; and

an evaluation unit configured to evaluate a state of propagation of a motion of the cells using a part or all of the motion amount generated by the motion amount generation unit.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the evaluation unit displays, as an image, a comparison result of the state of propagation of a motion of the cells indicated by the motion amount with a case where it is certain that the motion of the cells is normal.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the evaluation unit quantitatively evaluates a change of the state of propagation of a motion of the cells by obtaining a difference of the motion amount of the cell image with the case where it is certain that the motion of the cells is normal, and by evaluating the difference.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the evaluation unit evaluates a change of a motionless region that does not have a motion in the cell image.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the evaluation unit evaluates a change of a speed of displacement of a region where the motion amount is large.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the evaluation unit evaluates a change of a locus of a center of gravity of the motion amount.

16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the evaluation unit evaluates a histogram regarding a speed and a direction of a motion of the cell image.

17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the evaluation unit evaluates the state of propagation of a motion of the cells during an observation period of a few hours to a few days.

18. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the evaluation unit evaluates the state of propagation of a motion of the cells so as to detect occurrence of an irregular pulse of cardiomyocytes regardless of occurrence of QT prolongation that is prolongation of time between Q wave and T wave of the cardiomyocytes.

19. An image processing method of an image processing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a motion amount of one or a plurality of images including cells for each subregion by a motion amount generation unit; and

evaluating a state of propagation of a motion of the cells by an evaluation unit using a part or all of the generated motion amount.

20. A program causing a computer to function as:

a motion amount generation unit configured to generate a motion amount of one or a plurality of images including cells for each subregion; and

an evaluation unit configured to evaluate a state of propagation of a motion of the cells using a part or all of the motion amount generated by the motion amount generation unit.