TW201623625A - Image processing method, control program, recording medium and image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An image processing method comprising: a step for detecting, from an original image in which spheroids are captured, a spheroid-like object that includes spheroids out of objects in the original image; a step for implementing an erosion process using, as a structuring element for the spheroid-like object, a circle having a diameter found on the basis of the size of the spheroid-like object and having a surface area smaller than the spheroid-like object; and a step for implementing a dilation process using the structuring element for the spheroid-like object after the erosion process.

Description

Image processing method, control program, recording medium, and image processing device

This invention relates to an image processor implemented for capturing an image of an ellipsoid, and more particularly to a technique for distinguishing an ellipsoid included in an image from other objects.

In an experiment in medical or biological science, for example, a cell to be observed by a CCD camera or the like is imaged and imaged, and various image processing techniques are applied to the image data for observation or analysis. In other words, the cells of the observation target are placed in a state of a suitable container called a microplate or a dish, and the cells are photographed by a camera or the like for observation.

In this case, it is possible to reflect an image other than the observation object in the image. For example, an image of a strip of foreign matter caused by fine dust or impurities mixed in a factor gas environment, a container of a stain, or dirt may occur in the image. This image of foreign objects can hinder observation. As a technique for considering this problem, for example, it is described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2012-159794. In this technique, by taking an image of a container (well) in a state in which cells are not carried, a difference from an image in a state in which cells are present is obtained, and an image of foreign matter such as damage or impurities is removed.

In the above prior art, it is necessary to perform photographing of the container before and after carrying the cells, and the procedure is complicated. Furthermore, it is not possible to mix into or out of the container after taking it beforehand. The situation of things. Therefore, a technique that can directly distinguish an image of a cell from an image of a foreign object from an image captured in a state including cells and foreign matter is desired. In particular, in the case where the subject is a cluster of cells (ellipsoids) composed of a plurality of cells, it is expected to distinguish the image of the foreign matter by the agglutination of the cells, but such a technique has not yet been established.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for performing an image processing on an image of an ellipsoid to efficiently distinguish an ellipsoid from a foreign matter with excellent reproducibility.

In order to achieve the above object, the image processing method of the present invention includes the steps of: detecting an original image of an ellipsoid from a photograph, and detecting an ellipsoidal object including the ellipsoid in a target in the original image; The ellipsoidal object is subjected to an etching treatment, and the etching treatment is performed by using a circle having a diameter determined based on the size of the ellipsoidal object and having an area smaller than the ellipsoidal object as a structural element; The ellipsoidal object described above is subjected to expansion treatment using the above-described structural elements.

Here, "erosion treatment" is one of the morphological processing of an image, and means a process of shrinking a target region in an image. Further, "expansion processing" is one of morphological processing, and means processing for expanding an object region in an image.

Since the ellipsoid in the original image has a substantially circular image, it can be distinguished from the strip-shaped foreign object image based on the shape feature. If the image of the ellipsoid in the original image is separated from the image of the foreign object, it is easier to distinguish between them. However, in fact, there are many cases where the two are overlapped. In the invention configured as described above, the ellipsoidal region and the foreign matter region can be distinguished by the morphological image processing including the etching treatment and the expansion treatment.

In the present invention, by performing the etching treatment and the expansion processing, the shape of the ellipsoid in the original image is maintained and an image obtained by erasing the strip image is obtained. In these morphological processes, the size setting of the structural elements gives a large influence on the processing result. In the processing of the previous cell image, the size of the structural element is set by subjective judgment or trial by the operator. Of course However, if you want to set the optimal size, you must be more skilled, otherwise there will be a flaw in the processing results. In the present invention, a circle corresponding to the diameter of the detected ellipsoidal object size is used as a structural element. According to the novel insights obtained by the inventors of the present application, in this way, the size of the structural elements can be set simply and automatically, and the difference between the ellipsoid and the foreign matter can be efficiently performed by the morphological processing.

Moreover, in order to achieve the above object, the image processing apparatus of the present invention includes: an image acquisition unit that acquires an original image in which an ellipsoid is captured; and an image processing unit that performs image processing on the original image; The image processing mechanism performs the image processing described above. In the invention thus constituted, by performing the image processing described above, it is possible to easily and efficiently distinguish the image of the ellipsoid and the image of the foreign matter contained in the original image.

According to the present invention, the ellipsoid and the foreign matter can be efficiently distinguished by applying the structural element corresponding to the size of the ellipsoidal object detected in the original image to the morphological processing.

1‧‧‧ Camera unit (image acquisition unit)

2‧‧‧Image processing unit (image processing unit)

11‧‧‧ bracket (holding section)

12‧‧‧Lighting Department

13‧‧‧Photography Department

14‧‧‧Control Department

20‧‧‧Control Department

21‧‧‧ Input Department

22‧‧‧ Display Department

130‧‧‧Photographic Optics

131‧‧‧ Objective lens

132‧‧‧Open aperture

133‧‧‧ imaging lens

134‧‧‧ camera device

141‧‧‧Mechanical drive department

142‧‧‧AD converter

143‧‧" interface

201‧‧‧CPU

202‧‧‧Graphic processor (image processing mechanism)

203‧‧‧Image memory

204‧‧‧ memory

205‧‧‧ interface

1341‧‧‧Light-receiving components

C1‧‧‧ approximate circle

C2‧‧‧ approximate circle

C3‧‧‧Minimum inclusion circle

C4‧‧‧ approximate circle

C5‧‧‧ approximate circle

De‧‧‧diameter

D3‧‧‧diameter

Li‧‧‧Lights

OA‧‧‧ optical axis

OB‧‧‧ target

Ra‧‧‧ ellipsoid area

Rb‧‧‧ foreign object area

Rc‧‧‧ area

Rd‧‧‧Area

W‧‧‧ Kong Well

WP‧‧‧ Orifice

S101~S110‧‧‧Steps

S201~S208‧‧‧Steps

Fig. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an image processing apparatus of the present invention.

2A to 2C are views showing the principle of the area separation processing of the present embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing the image processing of this embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing the area separation processing.

5A to 5D are diagrams schematically showing an image processing procedure of the area separation processing.

Fig. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an image processing apparatus of the present invention. The image processing apparatus includes: an image pickup unit 1 that captures a sample injected into a liquid called a hole portion of the hole W formed on the upper surface of the orifice plate WP; and the image processing unit 2, which is photographed Like implementing image processing.

Orifice WP is commonly used in the field of drug development or biological science, in the form of flat The upper surface of the plate is provided with a plurality of wells W having a substantially circular cross section and a transparent, flat or round bottom. The number of the wells W in one orifice plate WP is arbitrary, but for example, 96 (a matrix arrangement of 12 × 8) can be used. The diameter and depth of each well W are typically about several mm. Further, the size of the orifice plate or the number of the wells to be used as the object of the image pickup unit 1 is not limited to those of the above, and may be, for example, 384 holes.

Each of the wells W of the orifice plate WP is filled with a specific amount of a liquid as a culture liquid, and cells or bacteria cultured in the liquid under specific culture conditions are set as the subject of the imaging unit 1. The culture solution may be one in which an appropriate reagent is added, or may be gelled after being injected into the well W in a liquid state.

The imaging unit 1 includes a holder 11 , an illumination unit 12 , an imaging unit 13 , and a control unit 14 . The holder 11 abuts on the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the orifice plate WP of the well W with the sample and the liquid, and holds the orifice WP in a substantially horizontal posture. The illuminating unit 12 is disposed above the bracket 11 , and the imaging unit 13 is disposed below the bracket 11 . The control unit 14 has a function of controlling the operations of the respective units.

The illumination unit 12 emits the illumination light Li toward the aperture plate WP held by the holder 11. As the illumination light Li, for example, white light can be used. The sample placed in the well W of the orifice plate WP is illuminated from above by the illumination unit 12.

An imaging unit 13 is provided below the orifice plate WP held by the holder 11. In the imaging unit 13, an objective lens 131 is disposed at a position directly below the orifice plate WP. The optical axis OA of the objective lens 131 is oriented in the vertical direction, and the aperture stop 132, the imaging lens 133, and the imaging device 134 are further provided in the order from the top to the bottom along the optical axis OA of the objective lens 131. The objective lens 131, the aperture stop 132, and the imaging lens 133 are arranged such that the centers of the respective ones are arranged in a line in the vertical direction, and these constitute the imaging optical system 130 as a whole. Further, in this example, the respective portions constituting the imaging unit 13 are arranged in a row in the vertical direction, but the optical path may be folded back by a mirror or the like.

The imaging unit 13 can be moved by the mechanical drive unit 141 provided in the control unit 14. Specifically, the objective lens 131, the aperture stop 132, and the aperture stop 132 that constitute the imaging unit 13 are driven by the mechanical drive unit 141. The imaging lens 133 and the imaging device 134 are integrally moved in the horizontal direction, and the imaging unit 13 is moved in the horizontal direction with respect to the well W. When the object to be photographed in one of the wells W is imaged, the mechanical drive unit 141 positions the imaging unit 13 in the horizontal direction such that the optical axis of the imaging optical system 130 coincides with the center of the well W.

Moreover, the image pickup unit 13 is moved in the vertical direction by the mechanical drive unit 141, and the image pickup unit focuses on the object to be imaged. Specifically, the objective lens 131, the aperture stop 132, the imaging lens 133, and the imaging device 134 are integrally moved up and down by the mechanical drive unit 141 so that the focus of the objective lens 131 is on the inner surface of the well W in which the sample is the sample. mobile.

Further, when the imaging unit 13 is moved in the horizontal direction, the mechanical drive unit 141 moves the illumination unit 12 and the imaging unit 13 integrally in the horizontal direction. In other words, the illumination unit 12 is disposed such that its optical center substantially coincides with the optical axis OA of the imaging optical system 130, and moves in the horizontal direction in conjunction with the imaging unit 13 including the objective lens 131 in the horizontal direction. Thereby, the illumination conditions are all constant when shooting any well W, and the shooting conditions are maintained well.

The sample in the well W is taken by the imaging unit 13. Specifically, the object that is emitted from the illumination unit 12 and is incident on the liquid from above the well W illuminates the object. Then, the light transmitted downward from the bottom surface of the well W is condensed by the objective lens 131, and finally passes through the aperture stop 132 and the imaging lens 133, and finally the image of the object is imaged on the light receiving surface of the imaging device 134 by imaging. The light receiving element 1341 of the device 134 is received by light. The light receiving element 1341 is a one-dimensional image sensor that converts one-dimensional image of a subject imaged on the surface thereof into an electrical signal. As the light receiving element 1341, for example, a CCD sensor can be used.

The image signal output from the light receiving element 1341 is sent to the control unit 14. That is, the image signal is input to the AD converter (A/D) 142 provided in the control unit 14 and converted into digital image data. The digital image data thus obtained is output to the outside via the interface (I/F) 143.

The image processing unit 2 includes a control unit 20 having a CPU 201 that controls the operation of each unit of the apparatus. Moreover, the control unit 20 has a graphics processor (GP) 202 that is responsible for image processing, an image memory 203 for storing and storing image data, and a memory 204 for use. The program to be executed by the CPU 201 and the GP 202 or the data generated by the data is stored in memory. In addition, the CPU 201 can also function as the graphics processor 202. Further, the image memory 203 and the memory 204 may be integrated.

Further, an interface (I/F) 205 is provided in the control unit 20. The interface 205 is responsible for information exchange with the user and external devices. Specifically, the interface 205 and the interface 143 of the imaging unit 1 are connected by a communication line, and the control command for controlling the imaging unit 1 by the CPU 201 is transmitted to the imaging unit 1. Further, the image data output from the AD converter 142 of the image pickup unit 1 is received.

Further, for the interface 205, for example, an input device such as an operation button, a mouse, a keyboard, or a tablet, or an input unit 21 in which these are combined is connected. The operation input from the user accepted by the input unit 21 is transmitted to the CPU 201 via the interface 205. Further, for example, the display unit 22 having a display device such as a liquid crystal display is connected to the interface 205. The display unit 22 displays an image corresponding to the image signal given from the CPU 201 via the interface 205, and presents a message such as a processing result to the user.

Further, the image processing unit 2 having the above configuration is substantially the same as the configuration of a general personal computer. That is, as the image processing unit 2 of the image processing apparatus, a general-purpose computer device can be used.

Next, the operation of the image processing apparatus configured as above will be described. In the image processing apparatus, it is possible to perform imaging of cells, bacteria, cell clusters (ellipsoids) cultured in the wells W of the well plate WP, and to provide images for various observations and analysis. . Here, the use of the image processing apparatus for photographing an ellipsoid cultured in a culture solution injected into a well W is considered.

The ellipsoid in the culture solution is substantially spherical, and the ellipsoid is a substantially circular image in the captured two-dimensional image. In the case where there are a plurality of ellipsoids in the well W, each of them is a substantially circular image, but the shape and size thereof are not necessarily the same. In addition, in the captured image, in addition to the image of the ellipsoid, it may be reflected in the culture solution or attached to the table. A strip image of foreign matter such as fibrous impurities or dust on the surface, damage to the bottom surface of the well W, or dirt.

Since the shape characteristics of the ellipsoid image and the image of the foreign object are greatly different, it is considered that the discrimination is relatively easy. However, when shooting in a state where the two are overlapped, it is not easy to distinguish two areas. Hereinafter, an image processing method capable of realizing the present embodiment will be described.

2A to 2C are views showing the principle of the area separation processing of the present embodiment. This area separation processing is a process for separating an object in which an image of an ellipsoid in an image and an image of a foreign object are integrated into an ellipsoid region and a foreign matter region. Fig. 2A is a schematic view showing an example of an image in which an ellipsoid and a foreign object overlap. The image object OB captured by the ellipsoid and the foreign matter includes: an ellipsoid region Ra corresponding to the ellipsoid and having a shape close to a circle; and a foreign matter region Rb corresponding to the strip connected to the ellipsoid region Ra foreign matter. Further, as shown in the figure, there is a case where a plurality of foreign matter regions Rb are connected to one ellipsoid region Ra. In addition, in the pattern diagram shown here, the difference between the ellipsoidal region Ra and the foreign matter region Rb is obvious, but in the actual image, the boundary between the ellipsoid region Ra and the foreign matter region Rb in the target object OB is difficult to self-image content. Judge.

As a method of separating the ellipsoid region Ra and the foreign matter region Rb from such an image object OB, a morphological process of applying an image is considered. That is, as shown in FIG. 2B, the image object is shrunk by the etching process of the circle C1 having the specific diameter De as a structural element. Thereby, the foreign matter region Rb having a relatively elongated shape is erased from the image, and the region Rc in which the peripheral portion of the ellipsoid region Ra is eliminated is left. Next, as shown in FIG. 2C, an expansion process is performed in which a circle C2 having the same diameter De as that in the case of the etching treatment is used as a structural element, and a region Rd in which the region Rc is expanded is obtained. This region Rd can be regarded as a person having the same shape as the ellipsoid region Ra, except that the foreign matter region Rb is removed from the original image target OB.

Since the morphological processing on the image is known, detailed description is omitted. However, in order for this morphological processing to function effectively, it must be appropriately set as a structural element. The dimensions of the circles C1, C2 (specifically, the diameter De). That is, if the diameter De of the structural element is too small, the foreign matter region Rb is not sufficiently removed and remains. Further, if the diameter De of the structural element is too large, the shape reproducibility of the ellipsoid region Ra is poor, and the smaller ellipsoid region Ra is eliminated in the etching treatment.

In the prior art, in order to solve the above problems and to effectively function the morphological processing, the size of the structural elements can be determined by the subjective judgment of the skilled person, or the size can be changed in multiple stages, and the trial processing can be performed to find the best. size. However, such operations require a lot of labor and there is no way to avoid deviations in processing results. Especially in the case where there are a plurality of image objects to be processed, the manner in which such manual operations are performed is not practical.

In view of this problem, the inventors of the present application conducted experiments using various cells forming an ellipsoid, and obtained the following findings. In other words, for the image object having the ellipsoid region Ra and the foreign matter region Rb attached thereto, the morphological processing of the structural element having the size calculated based on the specific rule using the size of the ellipsoid region Ra can be applied. The ellipsoid region Ra and the foreign matter region Rb are well distinguished.

More specifically, for example, when the ellipsoidal region Ra is regarded as a circular shape, a circle having a diameter (1/4) or more (1/3) or less of the diameter of the circle is used as a structural element, and etching treatment and expansion are sequentially performed. deal with. Thereby, the shape reproducibility of the ellipsoid region Ra can be improved, and the foreign matter region Rb can be suppressed from remaining and effectively removed. Hereinafter, the image processing of the present embodiment in which the ellipsoid region and the foreign matter region are distinguished based on such a viewpoint will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5A to 5D.

Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing the image processing of this embodiment. Further, Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing the area separation processing. Furthermore, FIGS. 5A to 5D are diagrams schematically showing an image processing procedure in the processing. This processing is realized by the CPU 201 executing a control program previously stored in the memory 204 to control each part of the apparatus. The various processes for the image are performed by the graphics processor 202, but at least a portion of it can also be executed by the CPU 201.

First, the ellipsoid as the object to be photographed is carried on the well W together with the culture solution. The orifice plate WP is carried into the image pickup unit 1 and fixed to the holder 11 (step S101). Then, the imaging optical system 13 is positioned with respect to the hole W to be imaged, and imaging is performed by the imaging device 134 (step S102). Thereby, the original image including the ellipsoid is obtained.

The image processor 202 performs specific image processing on the original image thus obtained, and detects an area of the image object included in the original image (step S103). The extraction of the target in the original image can be applied to a known technique. For example, a method of distinguishing a background area from a target area by applying an original image to an appropriate threshold value may be applied.

The graphics processor 202 further extracts the image object from which the ellipsoidal object corresponding to the ellipsoid region is extracted (step S104). The image object detected in step S103 may include a person including only an ellipsoid, a foreign object including an ellipsoid, and an ellipsoid and a foreign object overlapping. In the above, an object including an ellipsoid, that is, an object including only an ellipsoid, and an object in which an ellipsoid and a foreign object are overlapped are taken as an ellipsoidal object.

As a method of extracting an ellipsoidal object including the ellipsoid region Ra, various image objects capable of detecting a circular region unique to the ellipsoid are considered. For example, an object having a circularity of a specific value or more can be set as an ellipsoidal object. Further, an object having a larger area than a circle having a predetermined specific size may be an ellipsoidal object. Further, since the foreign matter region is generally relatively small and the area thereof is relatively small, the target having an area of a specific value or more can be an ellipsoidal target. On the contrary, it is also possible to set a condition for finding a target object containing only foreign matter, and to treat an object that does not conform to the condition as an ellipsoidal object.

One of the ellipsoidal objects thus extracted is selected (step S105), and the smallest inclusion circle of the target is specified (step S106). Next, when the area ratio of the area including the smallest circle to the area of the target is greater than or equal to a specific threshold value of 1 (YES in step S107), the target becomes the area separation processing target of step S108. If the area ratio is smaller than the threshold (NO in step S107), step S108 is skipped. The reason is that it will not contain foreign matter areas. The target object is excluded from the object of the regional separation process, and its image information is saved. Furthermore, it also helps to shorten the processing time.

The relationship between the target and the minimum inclusion circle is shown in Fig. 5A. The minimum inclusion circle of the target object OB is a circle C3 having the smallest diameter among the circles including the entire object OB. As shown in the figure, when the foreign matter region Rb extends longer from the ellipsoid region Ra, the diameter D3 of the smallest containing circle C3 is increased more than the diameter of the ellipsoid region Ra, and the minimum containing circle C3 becomes more targets OB. Outside the background area. Therefore, the area of the minimum containing circle C3 is increased with respect to the area of the object OB.

On the other hand, when the target object OB does not include the foreign matter region Rb and only the ellipsoid region Ra is included, the size of the minimum inclusion circle C3 is not much different from the size of the ellipsoid region Ra, and the area ratio is close to 1. It can be considered that the area ratio is less than 1 in principle. As described above, if the area ratio of the target object OB to the minimum inclusion circle C3 is close to 1, it can be determined that the target object OB does not include the foreign matter region Rb, and if the area including the minimum inclusion circle C3 is sufficiently larger than the area of the target object OB, it can be judged. The foreign matter region Rb is included for the target object OB. Therefore, an appropriate threshold value (for example, 1.1) larger than 1 is set for the area ratio of the two, and the target object OB having the area ratio of the threshold or more is set as the object of the area separation processing. Further, in the embodiment, when the area ratio is equal to the threshold value, the target object is also treated, but whether or not such an object is set as the processing target is arbitrary.

When the area ratio of the minimum inclusion circle C3 to the target object OB is larger than the threshold value, the area separation processing shown in FIG. 4 is performed on the target object (step S108). First, an approximate circle of the approximate ellipsoid region is specified for the target (step S201). The approximate circle system is similar to the circle in which the ellipsoid region Ra of the object OB is approximated by a circle, and is considered to have a circle having the same size as the ellipsoid region Ra.

Fig. 5B shows an example of an approximate circle. The ellipsoidal region Ra in the target object OB is set to be close to the shape of a circle, and as a method of making it approximate to a circle of the same size, for example, there is a circle C4 indicated by a broken line in the figure, and the use does not exceed the target object OB and falls on Having a circle inside its outline The method of the largest diameter circle (herein referred to as the "maximum inner circle"). Further, for example, a circle having the same area as the area of the object OB including the ellipsoid region Ra and the foreign matter region Rb (herein referred to as "area equivalent circle") may be set as the circle C5 shown in the figure. Approximate circle.

Based on the approximate circle thus obtained (the maximum inner circle or the area is equivalent), the diameter of the circle which is the structural element of the morphological processing is determined (step S202). As described above, it is understood that the morphological treatment in this case has (1/6) or more (1/2) or less, more preferably (1/4) or more (1/3) or less of the diameter of the ellipsoidal region Ra. A good result is obtained when the diameter of the circle is used as a structural element. However, since the ellipsoid region Ra and the foreign matter region Rb are not distinguished at this point of time, the size of the ellipsoid region Ra cannot be specifically specified. Therefore, the diameter of the above approximate circle can be regarded as the diameter of the ellipsoidal region Ra. In other words, the diameter of the circle as the structural element is set to be approximately (1/6) or more (1/2) or less of the circle diameter. Here, it is set to a value equal to or less than (1/4) (1/3) of the circle diameter.

When the diameter of the circle as the structural element is increased, the removal effect of the foreign matter is improved. On the other hand, if the diameter of the circle as the structural element is reduced, the shape reproducibility of the ellipsoidal region is improved. The size of the structural element can be appropriately set according to the size of the ellipsoid and the foreign matter, the purpose of the treatment, and the like. In either case, the dimensions of the structural elements can be set according to the size of the ellipsoidal region, thereby preventing the smaller ellipsoids from being erased by the erosion treatment. Further, in the case where the approximate circle is larger than the ellipsoidal region Ra, in order to avoid the disappearance of the ellipsoid region due to the etching treatment, it is also desirable that the diameter of the circle as the structural element is smaller than the approximate circle diameter (1/2).

The erosion processing and the expansion processing are sequentially performed using the structural elements thus set (steps S203 and S204). Thereby, as shown in FIG. 2C, the region Rd corresponding to the ellipsoid region Ra is reproduced on the image, and on the other hand, the foreign matter region Rb is erased from the image. The purpose of erasing the foreign matter region Rb from the image is achieved at this point in time. Moreover, the purpose of extracting only the ellipsoidal region Ra from the target OB is also achieved at this point in time.

Further, in the area separation processing of this embodiment, it is intended to retain image information of both the ellipsoid region Ra and the foreign matter region Rb, and to clearly distinguish the regions. That is, the ellipsoid region Ra specified in the process up to step S204 is expanded to an appropriate size, for example, only one pixel amount (step S205), and the result is subtracted from the original image (step S206). Further, the number of enlarged pixels may be, for example, 2 pixels.

By subtracting the ellipsoid region Ra from the target OB of the original image, as shown in FIG. 5C, a region other than the ellipsoid in the target, that is, the foreign matter region Rb is extracted. At this time, if the ellipsoidal region Ra is enlarged and then subtracted, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 5C, a gap in which only the ellipsoidal region Ra is enlarged can be formed between the ellipsoidal region Ra and the foreign matter region Rb. Separate the two. If only the foreign matter region Rb is simply taken, it is not always necessary to enlarge the ellipsoid region Ra.

Furthermore, by extracting the image of the foreign object region Rb, the image of the ellipsoid region Ra captured by the expansion process (step S204) is additively synthesized, as shown in FIG. 5D, and the ellipsoid region can be simultaneously saved. The image information of the Ra and foreign matter region Rb, and the two regions are clearly separated images (step S207). This image is the image to be obtained in the process.

This composite image is stored in the image memory 203 (step S208). Alternatively or in addition thereto, the image of the ellipsoid region Ra obtained in the process of step S204 (FIG. 2C) and the image of the foreign matter region Rb obtained in the process of step S206 (FIG. 5C) may be stored in the figure. Like memory 203.

Returning to Figure 3, the description of the flow chart follows. The above-described processing (steps S105 to S108) is performed for all of the captured ellipsoidal objects (step S109). The diameter of the circle used as the structural element is individually set for each target. Therefore, a circle having a larger diameter is used for a target containing a larger ellipsoid region, or a circle having a smaller diameter is applied as a structural element to an object including a region of a smaller ellipsoid. Therefore, the smaller ellipsoid is not eliminated by the erosion treatment, and the respective objects can be appropriately treated to effectively distinguish the ellipsoid region from the foreign matter region.

The processed image is stored in an appropriate form via the interface 205 except for being stored in the image memory 203 (step S110). For example, the processed image is displayed on the display unit 22 and presented to the user. Or, output to the external device or external via the interface 205 Memory media.

Further, by performing the morphological processing, there is a fear that the image information in the target object OB disappears, but it can be avoided, for example, by the following method. In the first method, by performing the above-described morphological processing on the binarized original image, a mask code indicating the range of the ellipsoid region Ra and the foreign matter region Rb is created, and the mask code is applied to the original multi-value original image. For example, image information of the ellipsoid region Ra and the foreign matter region Rb is restored. The second method restores the pixel of the region to be inflated when the expansion process is performed, by the pixel value of the original image.

As described above, in the above embodiment, the imaging unit 1 and the image processing unit 2 function as an "image processing device" of the present invention as a whole. The imaging unit 1 functions as the "image acquisition means" of the present invention, and the holder 11 and the imaging unit 13 function as the "holding unit" and the "imaging unit" of the present invention, respectively. Further, the image processing unit 2, in particular, the graphics processor 202 functions as an "image processing means" of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in addition to the above without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, in the region separation processing of the above-described embodiment, the ellipsoid region Ra is approximated to a circle and the size of the structural element is determined. However, in general, the ellipsoid region is preferably approximated by the ellipse. The reason is that it is also possible to cause the ellipsoidal region to deviate from the circular shape due to the curvature of the ellipsoid or the overlapping of a plurality of ellipsoids on the image. By approximating the ellipsoid according to the ellipse, a better accuracy approximation can be achieved in this case, and the size of the structural element can be set more ideally.

In this case, the diameter of the circle as the structural element is preferably set based on the short diameter of the approximate ellipse. The reason is that the short diameter of the ellipse does not differ greatly from the true size of the ellipsoid when the ellipsoidal region is deviated from the circle due to the above reasons. On the other hand, the long diameter may significantly exceed the true value of the ellipsoid. size. By determining the diameter of the circle based on the smaller size, ie the short diameter, it is avoided that the ellipsoid is eliminated from the target.

Further, for example, the image processing apparatus according to the above embodiment includes the image pickup unit 1 as the "image acquisition means", but the apparatus that does not include the photographing function can also be applied to the present invention. Bright. In other words, in the image processing unit 2 of the above-described embodiment, the image data is received from the outside by the interface 205 to obtain the original image, and the message interfacing surface 205 has a function as an "image obtaining means". Thus, the present invention can effectively function in an aspect in which an image processing apparatus that does not have a camera unit receives an original image data from an external device or an external memory medium.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is implemented by the CPU 201 executing a control program stored in advance in the memory 204. However, as described above, the image processing unit 2 of the embodiment can use a general-purpose computer device. Therefore, the present invention can be provided to a user on the premise of being readable in such a computer device, as a control program for causing the computer device to execute the image processing described above, or to record it in an appropriate recording medium. . Thereby, for example, a novel function can be added to the already used imaging device.

As described above, in the case of the specific embodiment, in the case of a plurality of ellipsoidal objects having different sizes, it is preferable to set structural elements having different sizes. The original image may contain ellipsoids of various sizes. By applying structural elements corresponding to the respective sizes, the effect of removing the foreign matter image by the morphology processing and the shape reproducibility of the ellipsoidal image can be improved.

The size of the ellipsoidal object can be expressed, for example, by approximating the size of the approximate ellipse of the ellipsoidal object. The ellipsoid image is substantially circular, but there is a shape irregularity at the peripheral portion. Therefore, it is not always straightforward to specify its size strictly, and it is necessary to find a more convenient way to replace it. For example, the ellipse size of the ellipsoidal object can be approximated as the size of the ellipsoidal object. Thereby, the size of the structural element can be determined according to a simple calculation.

Specifically, for example, the ellipse having the largest area among the ellipse included in the outline of the ellipsoidal object is set to be approximately elliptical. Alternatively, an ellipse having the same area as the ellipsoidal object may be an approximately elliptical. The processing can be simplified by practically applying and applying an image processing algorithm corresponding to the approximate ellipse method.

In such a case, the diameter of the circle which can be a structural element is (1/6) or more (1/2) or less, and more preferably (1/4) or more (1/3) or less of the short diameter of the approximately elliptical shape. The way it is structured. According to the experiment of the inventors of the present application, it is understood that when the size of the structural element is within the above range, a good treatment result can be obtained. That is, the shape reproducibility of the ellipsoidal image can be maintained, and the image of the strip-shaped foreign matter can be effectively removed.

Further, for example, the approximate ellipse may be an approximate circle that approximates an ellipsoidal object. Since the ellipsoid system is substantially circular, the size can be expressed with sufficient accuracy according to the circular approximation. Also, the processing becomes simpler than when an approximate ellipse is used.

Furthermore, the present invention may include, for example, a step of detecting a non-ellipsoidal region different from the ellipsoid in the target image in the original image based on the difference image between the image after the expansion process and the original image. By performing the etching treatment and the expansion treatment, the strip-shaped foreign matter image is erased and the ellipsoid image is retained. Furthermore, by taking the difference between the processed image and the original image, the ellipsoid image is eliminated and the image of the foreign object is captured.

Further, for example, the configuration may include a step of including a minimum inclusion circle of the ellipsoidal object detected in the specific original image, and the smallest inclusion circle of the ellipsoidal object in the ellipsoidal object If the ratio of the area to the area of the ellipsoidal object is greater than 1 and greater than a specific value, the erosion treatment and the expansion treatment are performed. In this way, the original image information can be saved by using an ellipsoidal object that does not contain foreign matter and does not need to be processed as a processing target.

These image processing methods can be executed using a general-purpose computer. Accordingly, the present invention can be provided to a user as a control program for causing a computer to perform the above processing.

Moreover, in the image processing apparatus of the present invention, the image obtaining means may include a holding portion that holds the carrier that carries the ellipsoid, and an imaging portion that captures the support to establish the original image. Thereby, the original image can be obtained for various ellipsoids.

The invention has been described above on the basis of specific embodiments, but the description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. If the invention is described with reference to the invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art In the other embodiments, various modifications of the disclosed embodiments are carried out in the same manner. Therefore, it is to be understood that the appended claims are intended to be within the scope of the invention

The present invention is suitable for the use of an ellipsoid for the purpose of observation, analysis, etc., and can be used, for example, in various experiments in the fields of medical treatment, drug development, and biological sciences.

1‧‧‧ Camera unit (image acquisition unit)

2‧‧‧Image processing unit (image processing unit)

11‧‧‧ bracket (holding section)

12‧‧‧Lighting Department

13‧‧‧Photography Department

14‧‧‧Control Department

20‧‧‧Control Department

21‧‧‧ Input Department

22‧‧‧ Display Department

130‧‧‧Photographic Optics

131‧‧‧ Objective lens

132‧‧‧Open aperture

133‧‧‧ imaging lens

134‧‧‧ camera device

141‧‧‧Mechanical drive department

142‧‧‧AD converter

143‧‧" interface

201‧‧‧CPU

202‧‧‧Image Processor (Image Processing Organization)

203‧‧‧Image memory

204‧‧‧ memory

205‧‧‧ interface

1341‧‧‧Light-receiving components

Li‧‧‧Lights

OA‧‧‧ optical axis

W‧‧‧ Kong Well

WP‧‧‧ Orifice

Claims (15)

An image processing method comprising the steps of: detecting an original image of an ellipsoid from a photograph, and detecting an ellipsoidal object including the ellipsoid in a target in the original image; and the ellipsoid target Performing an erosion treatment using a circle having a diameter determined based on the size of the ellipsoidal object and having an area smaller than the ellipsoidal object as a structural element; and the ellipsoid shape after the erosion treatment The object is subjected to expansion processing using the above-described structural elements. The image processing method of claim 1, wherein the structural elements having different sizes from each other are provided for each of the plurality of ellipsoidal objects having different sizes. The image processing method of claim 1, wherein the size of the ellipsoidal object is represented by an approximate ellipse size of the ellipsoidal object. The image processing method according to claim 3, wherein the ellipse having the largest area among the ellipse of the outline of the ellipsoidal object is set as the approximate ellipse. The image processing method of claim 3, wherein the ellipse having the same area as the ellipsoidal object is set as the approximate ellipse. The image processing method according to claim 3, wherein the diameter of the circle as the structural element is (1/6) or more (1/2) or less of the short diameter of the approximate ellipse. The image processing method according to claim 6, wherein the diameter of the circle as the structural element is (1/4) or more (1/3) or less of the approximate elliptical short diameter. The image processing method according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the approximate ellipse is an approximate circle of an approximate ellipsoidal object. The image processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the step of detecting a difference image based on the image after the expansion processing and the original image A non-ellipsoidal region different from the above ellipsoid in the target image in the original image. The image processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising: a step of specifying a minimum inclusion circle of the ellipsoidal object detected in the original image; and for the ellipsoid object When the area ratio of the smallest circle containing the ellipsoidal object to the ellipsoidal object is larger than a specific value greater than 1, the etching treatment and the expansion treatment are performed. A control program for causing a computer to execute the steps of the image processing method of any one of claims 1 to 7. A recording medium which is a computer readable person and records a control program of the request item 11. An image processing apparatus comprising: an image acquisition unit that acquires an original image captured by an ellipsoid; and an image processing unit that performs image processing on the original image; and the image processing mechanism executes The following processing: detecting an ellipsoidal object including the ellipsoid in the original image; performing an etching treatment on the ellipsoidal object, the etching having a diameter determined based on a size of the ellipsoidal object And a circle having a smaller area than the ellipsoidal object is used as a structural element; and the expansion process using the structural element is performed on the ellipsoidal object after the etching treatment. An image processing apparatus comprising: an image acquisition unit that acquires an original image in which an ellipsoid is captured; and an image processing unit that performs image processing on the original image, and the image processing unit executes The above image processing is the same as the image processing method of any one of claims 1 to 7. The image processing device of claim 13, wherein the image obtaining mechanism comprises: a holder that holds the carrier that carries the ellipsoid; and an imaging unit that captures the carrier and establishes the original image.