Abstract: A method for concentrating and isolating nucleated cells, such as a maternal and fetal nucleated red blood cells (NRBC's), in a maternal whole blood sample. The invention also provides methods and apparatus for preparing to analyze and analyzing the sample for identification of fetal genetic material as part of prenatal genetic testing. The invention also pertains to methods and apparatus for discriminating fetal nucleated red blood cells from maternal nucleated red blood cells obtained from a blood sample taken from a pregnant woman.

Abstract: A diagnostic system comprises a spectral image pickup means that picks up a spectral image in a predetermined wavelength region in a body cavity and obtains spectral image data, an image processing means that obtains, from the spectral image data, an index-value for discriminating between a diseased portion and a healthy portion, and generates and outputs an indicator image based on the index-value, and a monitor on which the indicator image is displayed, wherein, for each pixel of the spectral image, the image processing means defines ? obtained by a predetermined expression as the index-value, while using the spectral image data P1 at a first wavelength which is around a wavelength of 542 nm, the spectral image data P2 at a second wavelength which is around a wavelength of 558 nm and the spectral image data P3 at a third wavelength which is around a wavelength of 578 nm.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a device and a method for performing morphological analysis for erythrocytes, wherein the method for performing morphological analysis for erythrocytes comprises: collecting a morphological image of each of cells in a sample through a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) after amplifying the sample through an automatic microscope; segmenting and positioning the image and extracting target feature parameters after digitizing the image through an image-digital converter; isolating morphological feature parameters of each of the erythrocytes through a classifier established on the basis of the neural network, and normalizing each type of the morphological feature parameters of the erythrocytes through a feature fusion device established on the basis of fuzzy clustering; performing a statistical analysis on each type of normalized parameters obtained or performing a comprehensive statistical analysis according to a plurality of types of parameters, and expressing the result of the statistical analy

Abstract: A stain separation system of digital pathology images that performs transforming a digital image from a first color domain to an optical domain to form an optical domain image (ODI), identifying a plane containing two or more basis vector which contain the pixels of the ODI, determining a plurality of orthogonal vector within the identified plane, forming a histogram of the digital image represented by the orthogonal vectors and determining one or more final stain vectors by searching for candidate vectors in the plane that minimize a cost function of the histogram.

Abstract: An automated method for detecting circulating tumor cells in a microscopic image of a blood sample includes receiving, by a computer, a plurality of low-resolution images, each low resolution image providing a representation of the blood sample with one of a plurality of stains applied. The computer determines a threshold value for each of the plurality of stains based on the low resolution images and identifies a list of potential cells based on the threshold values. A gating process is performed on the list of potential circulating tumor cells to identify one or more likely or highly likely circulating tumor cells. The computer presents the subset of the low-resolution images in a verification interface comprising one or more components allowing a user to confirm that a respective low-resolution image included in the subset of the low-resolution images includes one or more circulating tumor cells.

Abstract: The invention relates to histology analyses, and in particular, to the assessment of pathological tissues to aid in the diagnosis of disease characterized by specific pathologies, for example cancer. The invention provides methods and apparatuses for analyzing tissue samples, as well as computer-readable media programmed with software for carrying out these diagnostic methods.

Abstract: A biometric information processing device includes, a biometric sensor configured to acquire a plurality of different biometric information elements; an authentication feature extracting unit configured to extract an authentication feature for use in authentication for each of the plurality of different biometric information elements acquired by the biometric sensor; a supplemental feature extracting unit configured to extract a supplemental feature relating to the authentication feature for each of the plurality of different biometric information elements; and a combined feature extracting unit configured to extract a combined feature in which a plurality of the supplemental features extracted by the supplemental feature extracting unit are reflected.

Abstract: A flow cytometry system includes an inertial particle focusing device including a plurality of substantially parallel microchannels formed in a substrate, each microchannel having a width to height ratio in the range of 2:3 to 1:4, an analyzer disposed adjacent the inertial particle focusing device such that the analyzer is configured to detect a characteristic of particles in the inertial particle focusing device, and a controller connected to the analyzer and configured to direct the detection of the characteristic of the particles.

Abstract: An automated method and system are provided for receiving an input of flow cytometry data and analyzing the data using one or more support vector machines to generate an output in which the flow cytometry data is classified into two or more categories. The one or more support vector machines utilize a kernel that captures distributional data within the input data. Such a distributional kernel is constructed by using a distance function (divergence) between two distributions. In the preferred embodiment, a kernel based upon the Bhattacharyya affinity is used. The distributional kernel is applied to classification of flow cytometry data obtained from patients suspected having myelodysplastic syndrome.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an identification unit configured to identify a retinal blood vessel based on a retinal image, a measurement unit configured to measure blood flow information for the blood vessel based on the retinal image, and a display control unit configured to display the measured blood flow information by at least one selected from a depth of the identified blood vessel, a size of the identified blood vessel, and a combination of both.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for determining the coagulation time of blood are shown. Surface waves are injected into a blood sample (30) therein, which blood sample contains fluorescent microspheres (32). The fluorescence of the microspheres is excited, and the movements of the microspheres are optically monitored. The time of coagulation can be determined using the deceleration or the standstill of the movement of the microspheres.

Abstract: A method includes determining, via a processor, functional information about tissue of interest in image data for a functional image acquisition based on reference information generated based on non-tissue of interest.

Abstract: A method of determining a required blood flow includes obtaining morphological information of a coronary artery in a cardiac image, segmenting the cardiac image into at least one myocardial region based on the morphological information of the coronary artery, and determining a blood flow required for each of the at least one myocardial region.

Abstract: A disclosed method includes: identifying an axis that is a straight or curved line inside of a space; first generating plural surface regions that are orthogonal to the identified axis; second generating, from a first vector provided at each vertex of an unstructured grid disposed inside of the space, a second vector at each point of plural points on a surface region for each of the generated plural surface regions; and displaying an arrow corresponding to the generated second vector.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments enable determination of spatial proximity between two or more features in biological tissue. An exemplary method includes identifying a morphological feature in an image of the biological tissue based on expression levels of a first biomarker indicative of the morphological feature, and receiving a result of a segmentation analysis performed on the image of the biological tissue identifying a set of morphological units in the image external to the morphological feature. An exemplary method includes determining an expression level of a second biomarker corresponding to each unit in the set of morphological units in the image of the biological tissue, and determining a spatial distance between the morphological feature and each unit in the set of morphological units.

Abstract: A computer implemented method identifying calcification in a patient image data set including blood vessels.

Abstract: The invention relates to a general composite compartmental model and a compartmental analysis procedure to extract non-invasively the concentration (Cp) of the imaging agent in plasma (301), in metabolites (304, 504) and in blood elements (303) (like red cells, platelets, plasma protein etc.) from time signal curves measured within a reference tissue region (200). This is made possible by deploying an injection function (SINJ(t)) as input which models the amount of imaging agent administered to the patient as a function of time. The invention allows the presentation of the plasma input function to the medical practitioner without the need for invasively drawing blood samples.

Abstract: To quantify the aggregation ability of various types of blood cells respectively within a short period of time. An apparatus for achieving the above-described object, which includes: a TV camera for taking an image of blood flow; an image processing section for identifying the types of blood cells contained in a blood cell retention part, in which blood cells are retained, from a blood flow image taken by the TV camera; and an aggregation ability calculation device for calculating at least one of the area, cell count and position of blood cells of each type as the aggregation ability of blood.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a non-contact system and method for determining cardiac function parameters from a vascular pattern identified from RGB and IR video signals captured simultaneously of a region of exposed skin of a subject of interest. In one embodiment, a video of a region of exposed skin is captured using a video camera that captures color values for pixels over visible channels and an IR camera that measures pixel intensity values in wavelength ranges of interest. Pixel intensity values are processed to generate a vascular binary mask that indicates pixel locations corresponding to the vascular pathways. The IR images are registered with corresponding data from the camera's visible channels such that pixels that correspond to the vascular pattern can be isolated in each frame of the video of visible color data. Once processed, pixels associated with the isolated vascular patterns are analyzed to determine desired cardiac function parameters.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus comprises a storage unit, a specifying unit, a calculation unit, and a display unit. The storage unit stores a three-dimensional image associated with a cardiac region of a subject. The specifying unit specifies a plurality of cardiac valves from a vascular region included in the three-dimensional image by image processing. The calculation unit calculates index values indicating open/close degrees of the cardiac valves. The display unit displays the index values.

Abstract: A data management system automatically manages image buffers to produce images for angiography using a first memory portion, a second memory portion and an image data processor. The first memory portion stores first image frame data representing minimum luminance values of individual pixels of a sequence of medical images. The second memory portion stores second image frame data comprising a difference between the minimum luminance values and corresponding maximum luminance values. The image data processor processes data representing an acquired X-ray image frame of a catheterized vessel using a stored frame of maximum or minimum pixel luminance values and the second image frame data to provide an image with enhanced visualization of a catheter in a vessel.

Abstract: A variation of a method for estimating a quantity of a blood component in a fluid canister includes: within an image of a canister, identifying a reference marker on the canister; selecting an area of the image based on the reference marker; correlating a portion of the selected area with a fluid level within the canister; estimating a volume of fluid within the canister based on the fluid level; extracting a feature from the selected area; correlating the extracted featured with a concentration of a blood component within the canister; and estimating a quantity of the blood component within the canister based on the estimated volume and the concentration of the blood component within the canister.

Abstract: Disclosed is an imaging system that stores and retrieves very large scanned digital images, as in applications that automatically scan biological samples using a computer-controlled digital camera microscope. Slide data is entered, zelle data is captured and compressed and a zelle database file is loaded. Furthermore, an image database file is loaded and it is determined whether another zelle is to be stored. The image can be retrieved by accessing the zelle database, reading a zelle record, reading an image file, loading the display buffer, and determining whether another zelle is to be loaded.

Abstract: A device for determining objects in a color recording has an identifier, a feature extractor and a classifier. The identifier is implemented to identify the connected regions whose size or shape correspond to a predetermined condition from a plurality of connected regions existing in a binary image derived from a color recording based on a size or a shape of these connected regions. The feature extractor is implemented, for each of the identified connected regions, to extract a feature set from the color recording. The classifier is implemented to classify the identified connected regions into at least two disjunct groups based on the extracted feature sets for the identified connected regions.

Abstract: A method for determining a mean cell volume for a blood sample includes: illuminating the sample with incident light at a plurality of illumination wavelengths and obtaining a two-dimensional image of the sample at each of the plurality of illumination wavelengths; identifying a plurality of cells that appear in each of the images; for each one of the plurality of cells, determining an integrated optical density corresponding to each of the plurality of illumination wavelengths; for each one of the plurality of cells, determining a cell volume based on the integrated optical densities corresponding to each of the plurality of illumination wavelengths; and determining the mean cell volume for the blood sample from the cell volumes for each one of the plurality of cells.

Abstract: A method for analyzing the placenta in two or three dimensions comprising: selecting one or more placental samples to be analyzed; obtaining a digital image of each placental sample; and performing an analysis on the digital images, wherein a mathematical algorithm is applied to the digital image. The results of the analysis are correlated with data on health outcomes in infants, children, or adults and are used to assess future health risks to a patient.

Abstract: This blood examination apparatus examines cancer cells mixed in an examination object which is flowing blood, and includes: a flow cell through which the examination object is made to flow; an imaging optical system which light output from the examination object in an examination region in the flow cell enters, the imaging optical system forming an image of the light on a first image plane; a first Fourier transformation optical system which optically two-dimensionally Fourier-transforms the image formed on the first image plane by the imaging optical system to form the Fourier-transformed image on a second image plane; a spatial light filter which selectively allows a portion in a certain range around an optical axis of the first Fourier transformation optical system of the image formed on the second image plane by the first Fourier transformation optical system to pass through; and a second Fourier transformation optical system which optically two-dimensionally Fourier-transforms the portion which has passe

Abstract: A method for imaging a flowing media within static regions includes obtaining a plurality of signals using the speckle properties of the flowing media. The plurality of signals are compared to one another such as by subtraction. The static regions are removed from the plurality of signals by the comparison. The remaining signals are combined (such as by summing) to produce an image of the flowing media.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of post-processing medical image data is provided. The method includes receiving tracked image data representative of multiple blood vessels, generating a binary tree structure for the multiple blood vessels based on a parent-child relationship between branches of the multiple blood vessels, generating a likelihood model for determining a validity of the branches of the multiple blood vessels, and generating a likelihood score for each branch based on the respective branch's compatibility with the likelihood model. The method also includes generating a reconstructed tree for the multiple blood vessels. Compatible branches are included in the reconstructed tree, while invalid branches are not included in the reconstructed tree.

Abstract: Automated localization of a valid area of a blood smear and, thus, localization requiring less effort and being more objective is enabled in that a picture of the blood smear pixels are classified at least into first pixels, which represent blood cells, and second pixels, which do not represent the blood cells, and the valid area is then found on the basis of a local frequency of pixel clusters of at least Amin first pixels, Amin being a minimum threshold for a number of first pixels of a pixel cluster, and a local average size of the pixel clusters for laterally distributed areas of the blood smear.

Abstract: The invention provides analysis algorithms for quantitative assessment of microvasculatory video sequences that provide vessel thickness, vessel length and blood velocity per vessel segment. It further provides a method of for calculating the functional microvasculatory density and blood velocity as distributed over vessels with different thickness, in the field of view.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a specification unit configured to specify a vascular region based on a movement of a blood cell in a moving image of an ocular portion captured by an ophthalmologic imaging apparatus including an adaptive optics system, and a determination unit configured to determine presence of an abnormality based on the specified vascular region.

Abstract: A system generates medical image data representing smaller vessels including capillaries of a region of patient anatomy. An image data processor identifies pixels of larger vessels in individual images of difference images where the larger vessels have a size exceeding a predetermined threshold size. The image data processor generates an enhanced visualization small vessel image comprising substantially peak luminance values of individual pixels exclusive of pixels of the identified larger vessels. A peak luminance value of an individual pixel is generated in response to a peak luminance value of luminance values of pixels, spatially corresponding to the individual pixel and present in images comprising the plurality of temporally sequential individual difference images. An output processor outputs substantially peak luminance values as a vessel image.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the hematocrit of a blood sample disposed within an analysis chamber, the method comprising the steps of: a) imaging at least a portion of the sample that contains one or more red blood cells contacting the interior surfaces of the chamber and one or more areas void of red blood cells; b) determining a representative optical density value for a plurality of image units optically aligned with portions of the red blood cells that are in contact the interior surfaces, and assigning an optical density first boundary value to those image units; c) determining a representative optical density value of a plurality of image units optically aligned with the one or more regions of the sample devoid of red blood cells, and assigning a second optical density boundary value to those image units; and d) determining the hematocrit of the sample.

Abstract: A system and method of determining hemodynamic parameters of a patient is described. A background image data set is obtained prior to the administration of a contrast agent. A series of image data sets is obtained during the first passage of the bolus through a parenchymal volume. The pre-contrast-agent image is subtracted from image data sets obtained during the first passage of the contrast agent bolus, so that the amount of contrast agent in the volume may be determined. The time series of the amount of contrast agent is computed to determine the arterial input function (AIF) which may be used to determine a tissue impulse response, and hemodynamic parameters such as cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV) and mean transit time (MTT).

Abstract: A method for determining a mean cell volume for a blood sample includes: illuminating the sample with incident light at a plurality of illumination wavelengths and obtaining a two-dimensional image of the sample at each of the plurality of illumination wavelengths; identifying a plurality of cells that appear in each of the images; for each one of the plurality of cells, determining an integrated optical density corresponding to each of the plurality of illumination wavelengths; for each one of the plurality of cells, determining a cell volume based on the integrated optical densities corresponding to each of the plurality of illumination wavelengths; and determining the mean cell volume for the blood sample from the cell volumes for each one of the plurality of cells.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of detecting centerline of a vessel is provided. The method comprises steps of acquiring a 3D image volume, initializing a centerline, initializing a Kalman filter, predicting a next center point using the Kalman filter, checking validity of the prediction made using the Kalman filter, performing template matching, updating the Kalman filter based on the template matching and repeating the steps of predicting, checking, performing and updating for a predetermined number of times. Methods of automatic vessel segmentation and temporal tracking of the segmented vessel is further described with reference to the method of detecting centerline.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying reticulocytes within a blood sample is provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying platelets within a whole blood sample. The method includes the steps of: a) adding at least one colorant to the whole blood sample, which colorant is operable to tag platelets; b) disposing the blood sample into a chamber defined by at least one transparent panel; c) imaging at least a portion of the sample quiescently residing within the chamber to create one or more images; and d) identifying one or more platelets within the sample using an analyzer adapted to identify the platelets based on quantitatively determinable features within the image using a analyzer, which quantitatively determinable features include intensity differences.

Abstract: A method of determining a volume of a platelet includes: (a) illuminating the platelet with incident light at a plurality of illumination wavelengths; (b) obtaining at least one two-dimensional image of the platelet corresponding to each illumination wavelength; (c) for each illumination wavelength, determining a mean optical density and a maximum optical density for the platelet; (d) determining an area of the platelet; (e) for each illumination wavelength, determining a volume of the platelet; (f) for each illumination wavelength, determining an integrated optical density for the platelet; and (g) determining the volume of the platelet based on a weighted combination of the area of the platelet, the volumes of the platelet corresponding to each of the illumination wavelengths, and the integrated optical densities for the platelet corresponding to each of the illumination wavelengths.

Abstract: CPU 12 reads out the bloodstream associated values of target voxel of subject's standardized brain bloodstream images (step S34). CPU 12 sorts the bloodstream associated values in descending order (step S35). CPU 12 rejects bloodstream associated values that are ranked top 10% and bottom 40% (step S36). When the subjects are 20 for example, bloodstream associated values of highest 2 subjects and of lowest 8 subjects are rejected. CPU 12 calculates and stores mean value and standard deviation of remaining bloodstream associated values after the rejection (step S37). CPU 12 calculates mean value and standard deviation of bloodstream associated values for each voxel as target voxel (steps S31, S32, S33 and S38). Then, the alternative normal brain database of brain bloodstream image is obtained.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining at least one hemoglobin related parameter of a whole blood sample is provided.

Abstract: An automated, highly sensitive, specific and potentially quantitative detection method using an automated microscope for identifying and enumerating rare cancer cells in blood and other fluids.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus comprises a storage unit, a specifying unit, a calculation unit, and a display unit. The storage unit stores a three-dimensional image associated with a cardiac region of a subject. The specifying unit specifies a plurality of cardiac valves from a vascular region included in the three-dimensional image by image processing. The calculation unit calculates index values indicating open/close degrees of the cardiac valves. The display unit displays the index values.

Abstract: A method and device are provided for counting cells in a sample of living tissue, such as an embryo. The method involves obtaining a microscopic image of the unstained tissue that reveals cell boundaries, such as a differential interference contrast (DIC) image, and an optical quadrature microscopy (OQM) image which is used to prepare an image of optical path length deviation (OPD) across the cell cluster. The boundaries of individual cells in the cell cluster are modeled as ellipses and used, together with the maximum optical path length deviation of a cell, to calculate ellipsoidal model cells that are subtracted from the OPD image. The process is repeated until the OPD image is depleted of phase signal attributable to cells of the cell cluster, and the cell count is obtained from the number of cells subtracted.

Abstract: Adaptive volume rendering is provided for medical diagnostic ultrasound. The opacity of B-mode data is set relative to the opacity of Doppler data. The opacities for the different types of data are set as a function of ray depth. For example, the opacity of B-mode data near a tissue border is set to be more opaque than for tissue away from the border, and the opacity for flow data near a flow border is set to be less opaque than for flow away from the border. An image is rendered using a rendering parameter set as a function of ray depth, B-mode information and Doppler information. Other processes for enhancing and/or using rendering may be used.

Abstract: A method of identifying individual cells in an image of a cytological preparation. The method includes the steps of obtaining an image of a cytological preparation including a plurality of cells; identifying a first region of the image, the first region having a region boundary encompassing at least one lobe, wherein the first region includes at least one cell; detecting at least one circle within the first region, where the at least one circle substantially covers the at least one lobe of the first region; and if the first region has more than one circle, splitting the region into at least two subregions.

Abstract: Methods for identifying and quantifying recurrent and deterministic patterns in digital images are provided. The methods, which are based on Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA), generate similarity or dissimilarity distance matrices for digital images that may be used to calculate a variety of quantitative characteristics for the images. Also provided are methods for identifying and imaging spatial distributions of time variable signals generated from dynamic systems. In these methods a time variable signal is recorded for a plurality of area or volume elements into which a dynamic system has been sectioned and RQA is used to calculate one or more RQA variables for each of the area or volume elements, which may then be used to generate a two or three dimensional image displaying the spatial distribution of the RQA variables across the system.

Abstract: A lesion area detection unit detects an abnormal peripheral structure (lesion area), a pulmonary blood vessel extraction unit extracts a branch structure (pulmonary blood vessel) from the three-dimensional medical image, an associated blood vessel identification unit identifies an associated branch structure functionally associated with the abnormal peripheral structure based on position information of each point in the extracted branch structure, and an associated lung parenchymal area identification unit identifies an associated peripheral area (lung parenchyma) functionally associated with the identified associated branch structure based on the position information of each point in the extracted branch structure.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a test preprocessing method includes, detecting a brightness of a specimen based on image of the specimen acquired by capturing the specimen before test processing of the specimen, and detecting a chylous state of the specimen based on the brightness, and detecting a hue of the specimen based on the image, and detecting a hemolytic state of the specimen based on the hue.