Method for automatically detecting degenerated regions in stained thin section slides

• US 7,760,925 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kurashiki Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka Bioscience Institute
• Original Assignee: Kurashiki Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka Bioscience Institute
• Inventors: Eguchi, Naomi, Taneda, Shuuichi, Sakurai, Yasuhisa, Hikawa, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abdi; Amara
• Application Number:
  US10/593,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20080159603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: 382128-129, 382/167
• US Class Current: 382/129
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/46 Measurement of colour; Colour measuring devices, e.g. colorimeters measuring colour temperature G01J5/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/462 Computing operations in or between colour spaces; Colour management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/463 Colour matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30024 Cell structures in vitro; Tissue sections in vitro
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/94 based on local image properties, e.g. for local contrast enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/693 Acquisition

Abstract

In a method for automatically detecting degenerated regions in many stained thin section specimens (40), color region information is obtained on a degenerated region and on a non-degenerated region on image data of a standard specimen in a stained thin section slide. Next, color region information is obtained on a non-degenerated region on image data of a specimen. Next, the image data of the specimen is compared with the image data of the standard specimen to calculate a color correction quantity to match tone and brightness of the non-degenerated region in the specimen with the counterparts in the non-degenerated region in the standard specimen, and the image data of the specimen is corrected with the color correction quantity. Next, a degenerated region is extracted in the corrected image data of the specimen based on the color region information in the standard specimen.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a degenerated region comprising:

obtaining color region information on a degenerated region on image data of a standard specimen in a stained thin section slide;

obtaining color region information on a non-degenerated region on the image data of the standard specimen;

obtaining color region information on a non-degenerated region on image data of a specimen;

comparing the image data of the specimen with the image data of the standard specimen to calculate a color correction quantity to match tone and brightness of the non-degenerated region in the specimen with the counterparts of the non-degenerated region in the standard specimen, and correcting the image data of the specimen with the color correction quantity; and

extracting a degenerated region in the corrected image data of the specimen based on the color region information of the degenerated region in the standard specimen.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of calculating a score on the corrected image data of the specimen.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a position and a shape of the non-degenerated region in the image data of the standard specimen; and

designating a non-degenerated region in the specimen with a matching calculation based on data of the position and the shape of the non-degenerated region of the standard specimen.

4. An apparatus for detecting a degenerated region comprising:

a first device which obtains color region information on a degenerated region on image data of a standard specimen in a stained thin section specimen;

a second device which obtains color region information on a non-degenerated region on the image data of the standard specimen;

a third device which obtains color region information on a non-degenerated region on image data of a specimen;

a color corrector which compares the image data of the specimen with the image data of the standard specimen to calculate a color correction quantity to match tone and brightness of the non-degenerated region in the specimen with the counterparts of the non-degenerated region in the standard specimen, and corrects the image data of the specimen with the color correction quantity; and

an extractor which extracts a degenerated region in the corrected image data of the specimen based on the color region information of the degenerated region in the standard specimen.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a scanner which acquires a series of images seamlessly on an entire specimen on the slide; and

an automatic slide carrier which carries stocked slides one by one to said scanner and discharges and stocks the slides after the scan of said scanner.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the slide is held in a case having a side thickness larger than the slide.