Test strip indicator determination system, terminal device and method

Abstract

Problem: Provide a determination system, a terminal device, and a determination method that can automatically determine various types of indicators. Solution: A determination system that determines the state of an indicator whose optical characteristics change under a specific environment, and the determination system is provided with: an image acquisition component that acquires an image containing the indicator; a type information acquisition component that acquires information indicating the type of the indicator; a color information acquisition component that acquires color information before and after the indicator corresponding to the type changes; an extraction component that extracts a first area configured according to the color after the indicator changes in the image based on the color information; and a state determination component that determines the shape of the first area extracted by the extraction component and determines the state of the indicator based on the determination state corresponding to the type.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a determination system, a terminal device, and a determination method. Background Art

[0002] For example, various types of sterilization processes are performed to sterilize reusable articles in the medical field. A biological indicator or a physical indicator is used, for example, to determine whether the conditions required for sterilization have been met. Patent document 1 describes a device for measuring a sterilization level by measuring a measured color value of a color-changing portion of an indicator and converting the measured value into a sterilization level. Patent document 2 describes a device for determining an optical color change of an indicator. Summary of the invention

[0003] Issues to be resolved

[0004] When determining the change of the state of various indicators, visual determination is required, but there is a possibility of individual differences in determination and erroneous determination. Therefore, a determination system that can automatically determine various types of indicators is required.

[0005] Methods used to solve problems

[0006] A determination system according to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention is a determination system for determining the state of an indicator whose optical properties change under a specific environment, and the determination system is provided with: an image acquisition component, which acquires an image containing the indicator; a type information acquisition component, which acquires information indicating the type of the indicator; a color information acquisition component, which acquires color information of the indicator corresponding to the type before and after the change; an extraction component, which extracts a first area configured according to the color after the change of the indicator in the image based on the color information; and a state determination component, which determines the shape of the first area extracted by the extraction component and determines the state of the indicator based on the determination state corresponding to the type.

[0007] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a terminal device is a terminal device for determining the state of an indicator whose optical properties change under a specific environment, and the terminal device is provided with: an image acquisition component, which acquires an image containing the indicator; a type information acquisition component, which acquires information indicating the type of the indicator; a color information acquisition component, which acquires color information of the indicator before and after the change corresponding to the type; an extraction component, which extracts a first area configured according to the color after the change of the indicator in the image based on the color information; and a state acquisition component, which acquires the shape of the first area extracted by the extraction component and acquires the state of the indicator based on a determined state corresponding to the type.

[0008] A determination method according to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention is a determination method for determining the state of an indicator whose optical properties change under a specific environment, and the determination method is provided with: an image acquisition step, which acquires an image containing the indicator; a type information acquisition step, which acquires information indicating the type of the indicator; a color information acquisition step, which acquires color information before and after the indicator changes corresponding to the type; an extraction step, which extracts a first area configured according to the color after the indicator changes in the image based on the color information; and a state determination step, which determines the shape of the first area extracted by the extraction step and determines the state of the indicator based on a determination state corresponding to the type.

[0009] effect

[0010] One aspect of the present disclosure may automatically determine various types of indicators. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic component diagram of a determination system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an indicator.

[0013] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a screen of a terminal device.

[0014] Figure 4 It is a component block diagram that determines the system.

[0015] Figure 5 is an example of determining the state table.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing shape determination conditions.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a state determination condition.

[0018] FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing conditions for extracting the first region.

[0019] FIG. 9 is an example of a screen when the result of the status determination is presented.

[0020] Fig.10 is a flowchart showing the processing details of the determination system.

[0021] Fig.11 is a flowchart showing processing details of the state determination process.

[0022] Fig.12 is a flowchart showing processing details of the registration process.

[0023] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a screen when states of a plurality of indicators are determined.

[0024] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing conditions for displaying an image for alignment on a screen.

[0025] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing another indicator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same symbols are assigned to the same or similar elements, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0027] Reference Figure 1 A determination system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. The determination system 100 is a system for determining the state of an indicator that changes optical characteristics based on a specific environment. The determination system 100 has a terminal device 110 and a server device 120. The terminal device 110 captures an image of the indicator 1 after processing, and determines the state of the indicator 1 based on the image. The terminal device 110 is a device that can start an application to capture an image and perform various types of operations, such as a smart phone, a tablet terminal, a laptop personal computer of a touch panel type, etc. The server device 120 performs communication with the terminal device 110 and exchanges various types of information.

[0028] The indicator changes optical properties such as color, refractive index, etc. based on a specific environment. Examples of indicators include a disinfection indicator for confirming whether an appropriate disinfection step has been achieved, an indicator for confirming the status of a mask in use, an indicator that can determine the degree of contamination, cleanliness, cleanliness, etc. In the embodiment of the present invention, an example of determining an indicator 1 for disinfection is described, such as Figure 1As shown. Examples of indicators 1 for disinfection include physical indicators, biological indicators, and chemical indicators. Physical indicators are those that use some type of physical change (temperature, etc.). Biological indicators are those that detect actual bacteria by culture, etc. Chemical indicators are those that respond to important parameters to confirm that the desired conditions are achieved, such as penetration of the disinfectant (steam or EO gas), temperature, time, etc. The indicator 1 of the embodiment of the present invention is described as a chemical indicator (CI), but a physical indicator (PI) or a biological indicator (BI) may also be used appropriately.

[0029] The indicator 1 is placed in the disinfection device 101 together with a medical instrument such as a surgical instrument (e.g., a scalpel) or a mechanical instrument (e.g., an endoscope), and then an autoclave disinfection or the like is performed. The indicator 1 displays whether appropriate disinfection has been performed based on the reaction state of the display part 2, which changes color based on the reaction combined with the disinfection process. As shown in FIG. 2 , the indicator 1 has a display part 2 and a base part 3. The base part 3 is configured so that the surface of the plate-like member is covered with a film and has a trapezoidal shape extending in the longitudinal direction. The display part 2 extending in the longitudinal direction is formed at the center position of the base part 3. Before the change, the display part 2 is all white (see FIG. 2 (a)). FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an image of an unreacted indicator 1 captured by the terminal device 110. For example, the indicator 1 is photographed under the condition of being placed on the back plate 7. The color of the display part 2 changes to a dark color by reacting to a function related to disinfection. As it is exposed to the disinfection process, the changed color continues to advance so as to extend from the end 2a side to the end 2b side. Note that, in the following description, a portion of the display in the component 2 in which the color is changed due to the reaction is referred to as a reaction portion 4, and a section in which no reaction and no color change is referred to as an unreacted portion 5. The reference line SL is set at a halfway position in the longitudinal direction of the display component 2. When the indicator 1 is observed after the sterilization process is completed, if the reaction portion 4 extends to the reference line SL, it can be determined that "sterilization is completed", and if it does not reach the reference line, it can be determined that "sterilization is not completed".

[0030] It should be noted that various types of information are provided on the surface of the base part 3 of the indicator 1, in the area on the outside of the display part 2. For example, the area on the end 2a side of the reference line SL on the surface of the base part 3 is displayed in white, and the area on the end 2b side is displayed in dark color. Thus, the user determines whether the reaction part 4 extends to the area on the end 2b side of the reference line SL indicating "sterilization completed". In addition, a plurality of information is provided on the surface of the base part 3. For example, "information A" includes a label name indicating the type of the indicator 1, etc. If the indicator 1 is used with steam sterilization, "information A" displays "chemical indicator" as the label name. "Information B" provides information (part number, etc.) indicating the type of the indicator 1. The aforementioned arrangement and information are examples, and other forms can be used.

[0031] Next, refer to Figure 3 Describe the display of the terminal device 110 ( Figure 3 10 is an example of a screen 10 displayed on the display (not shown). Figure 3 An example of a screen 10 when an application for performing determination of the pointer 1 is started is shown. The screen 10 has an image area 11 that displays an image of the pointer 1, and an operation area 12 that displays various types of information and operation buttons. The user incorporates an image by photographing the pointer 1 using a camera of the terminal device 110, and determines the state of the pointer 1 by performing an operation using the operation area 12. In addition, the user associates the determination result with various types of information, and registers the information in the server device 120.

[0032] The operation area 12 has an information display section 13, an information selection section 14, a registration candidate display section 16, and buttons 17. The information display section 13 displays the contents of "information A" and "information B" as information indicating the type of the indicator 1. The registration candidate display section 16 presents candidates of information to the user for registration. Figure 3In the example of , three icons, namely, chemical indicator (CI), biological indicator (BI) and associated information, are presented. The information selection part 14 is a part that selects the information to be deposited and displays the selected information. For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, determination is performed based on "chemical indicator", so "CI" is selected in the information selection part 14. The selection can be performed by the user, or the selection can be automatically performed by performing an image confirmation process on the image displayed on the image area 11. The image confirmation process can be performed by the terminal device 110, or the image confirmation process can be performed by the server device 120. The symbol "BI" displayed on the deposit candidate display part 16 is a part selected when determination is performed for "biological indicator". The associated information displayed on the deposit candidate display part 16 is a part selected when the associated information as an image described below is incorporated. Note that when depositing "biological indicator", there is a situation where time is required before the culture reaction, so this configuration allows the time from disinfection to determination to be also deposited. Button 17 is a button for operating when commanding shooting, making determination or incorporating records.

[0033] Next, refer to Figure 4 A block diagram of the determination system 100 is described. Figure 4 As shown, the server device 120 communicates with a plurality of terminal devices 110 via a network 130. The server device 120 provides at least an operation component 121 for performing various types of operations and a storage component for storing various types of information. The storage component 122 stores a determination state table 123 corresponding to the determination state of the type of indicator. The details of the determination state table 123 are described below. It should be noted that the embodiment of the present invention describes a configuration in which the server device 120 has a determination state table 123 and performs a process of determining the state of the indicator, but all or part of the determination state table 123 may be incorporated into the terminal device 110. In addition, a configuration in which the terminal device 110 performs all or part of various types of operation processes is also acceptable.

[0034] The terminal device 110 includes a display 111, an input component 112, a camera 113, a storage component 114, an information transmission and reception component 115, and a computing component 150. Figure 3 As shown, the terminal device 110 may have a touch panel type screen 10, in which a display 111 and an input component 112 are integrated. A camera 113 is a component for photographing the indicator 1 and incorporating (photographing) as image data. A storage component 114 is configured by an internal memory, an external memory, etc., and stores various types of information.

[0035] The calculation part 150 is a part that performs various types of calculations of the terminal device 110. The calculation part 150 is configured by a processor, a memory, etc. The processor is a calculation device, such as a central processing unit (CPU), etc. The memory is a storage medium, such as a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), etc. The calculation part 150 loads the program stored in the ROM into the RAM, and performs various types of functions by causing the CPU to execute the program loaded into the RAM. The calculation part 150 includes at least an image acquisition part 151, a type information acquisition part 152, a color information acquisition part 153, an extraction part 154, and a state determination part 156.

[0036] The image acquisition component 151 acquires an image including the indicator 1. The image acquisition component 151 acquires an image captured by the camera 113. The image acquisition component 151 displays the acquired image on the image area 11 of the screen 10. In this article, the indicator 1 can be photographed under the condition of being placed on the back plate 7 (see Figure 2(b)), and then the image is acquired by the image acquisition component 151. The back plate 7 can be, for example, a specific material provided by the manufacturer of the indicator 1. For example, if the background of the indicator 1 in the image is different each time the photo is taken, there is a possibility of affecting the extraction process performed by the extraction component 154 to be described below. On the other hand, if the background of the indicator 1 in the image is universal, the accuracy of the extraction process can be improved. The color of the back plate 7 can be, for example, any color, but is preferably a color that is not included in the indicator 1. It should be noted that the color of the back plate 7 is not particularly shown in FIG. Figure 3 It is noted that it is also acceptable to photograph the indicator 1 without placing it on the back plate 7.

[0037] The image acquisition component 151 can capture the entirety of the indicator 1 in the image based on the color of the back plate 7 in the image. For example, depending on the settings and performance of the camera 113, even if the same color is captured, the color in the image may be slightly different for different terminal devices 110 or even for the same terminal device 110 using different photos. Therefore, the color in the image can be appropriately corrected by using the color of the back plate 7 in the image, which has a standard color. Therefore, the image acquisition component 151 corrects the color so that the color of the indicator 1 in the image is as close as possible for all images.

[0038] The type information acquisition component 152 acquires information indicating the type of the indicator. The type information acquisition component 152 automatically determines the type based on the image acquired by the image acquisition component 151. In other words, the type information acquisition component 152 determines the type by extracting and reading information indicating the type of the indicator 1 from the acquired image. For example, the type information acquisition component 152 reads "information A" and "information B" displayed on the indicator 1 from the image (see Figure 3 ), and automatically determines the type based on the content. Alternatively, the type information acquisition component 152 may acquire the type based on the information selected by the information selection part 14. In addition, the type information acquisition component 152 automatically determines the type based on the image, presents the type to the user, and then the user presses a confirmation button or the user changes the type to another type in order to confirm the type.

[0039] It should be noted that the information transmission and reception part 115 can transmit the type information confirmed as the type subjected to the determination by the type information collection part 152 to the server device 120, and can receive the determination status corresponding to the type. The determination status table 123 is stored in the storage part 122 of the server device 120. For example, the determination status table 123 has the following information: Figure 5 The information shown. Figure 5 The determination state table of the server device 115 contains the aspect ratio of the extracted shape (details described below), the background color of the indicator 1 (equivalent to the color of the unreacted portion 5), the color of the reaction portion 4, and information for image processing for each type of indicator 1. The image processing is information related to the filter for correcting the color in order to simplify the determination of the type of the indicator subject to determination. Alternatively, the information transmission and reception part 115 may receive the entire determination state table 123 of the server device 120 and store the table in the storage part 114.

[0040] The color information collection component 153 collects the color information of the indicator 1 before and after the change corresponding to the type. The color information before the indicator 1 changes is the color information of the display Figure 3 The color information of the unreacted part 5 in the indicator 1 after the color change is shown. Figure 3 The color information collecting component 153 collects the color information associated with the type collected by the type information collecting component 152. For example, the color information collecting component 153 may collect the color information associated with the type according to the following example: Figure 5 The determination state table shown collects color information. The color information collecting section 153 collects color information of the unreacted portion 5 and the reacted portion 4 associated with the type subjected to determination according to the determination state table.

[0041] The extraction section 154 extracts the first area including at least the color after the indicator changes (in other words, the color of the reaction portion 4) in the image to determine the state of the indicator 1 based on the color information acquired by the color information acquisition section 153. In addition, the state determination section 156 determines the state of the indicator based on the determination state corresponding to the type and the shape of the first area extracted by the extraction section 154.

[0042] Herein, examples of region extraction by the extraction component 154 and state determination by the state determination component 156 are described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. Note that, for ease of understanding, FIGS. 6 to 8 show the region extraction by the extraction component 154 and the state determination by the state determination component 156. Figure 4 The display part 2 of the indicator 1.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 6( a) and FIG. 6( b), the extraction unit 154 extracts the first region E1 including the color after the indicator 1 changes. The extraction unit 154 extracts the region of the image indicating the reaction portion 4 as the first region E1. The first region E1 has a substantially elongated shape. However, the upper edge E1a of the first region E1 is as shown in FIG. Figure 4 6( a) and 6( b). The first area E1 has an arc-shaped edge as shown, but the lower edge E1b is a straight line. In addition, the first area E1 has long edges E1c and E1d extending in the longitudinal direction. Here, if the lateral width of the first area E1 is the dimension L1 and the distance between the upper edge E1a and the reference line SL is the dimension L2, the ratio of "dimension L2 / dimension L1" (hereinafter also referred to as the reference ratio) is uniquely determined regardless of the size of the first area E1 in the image. If the vertical length of the first area E1 is the dimension L3, the aspect ratio of the first area E1 is expressed as "dimension L3 / dimension L1". The aspect ratio is uniquely determined regardless of the size of the first area E1 in the image. Therefore, the state determination component 156 determines the state of the indicator 1 based on the aspect ratio of the first area E1. Specifically, if it is determined that the aspect ratio is less than the reference ratio, as shown in FIG. 6( a), the state determination component 156 determines that the disinfection is not completed. If it is determined that the aspect ratio is greater than the reference ratio, the state determination component 156 determines that the disinfection is completed.

[0044] The lower edge E1b may be inclined, as shown in FIG. 6( c) and FIG. 6( d). In this case, the state determination component 156 determines the state of the indicator 1 by comparing the lengths of the long edge E1c and the long edge E1d. The state determination component 156 guides the aspect ratio based on the shorter of the long edge E1c and the long edge E1d. In this article, the long edge E1d is shorter, so the aspect ratio is expressed as "dimension L3 / dimension L1". In FIG. 6( c), the longer long edge E1c extends to the reference line SL, but the shorter long edge E1d does not reach the reference line SL. Therefore, the state determination component 156 determines that the aspect ratio is less than the reference ratio, and determines that the disinfection is not completed. In FIG. 6( d), the longer long edge E1c is shorter than that in FIG. 6( c), but both the long edges E1c and E1d reach the reference line SL. Therefore, the state determination component 156 determines that the aspect ratio is greater than the reference ratio, and determines that the disinfection is completed.

[0045] As shown in Figure 7, extraction component 154 extracts first area E1 and also extracts second area E2 in the image, and the second area includes the color before the indicator changes. In addition, state determination component 156 determines the state of indicator 1 based on whether there is overlap between first area E1 and second area E2. In this embodiment, when extracting first area E1, the user touches reaction part 4 on the screen, and when extracting second area E2, the user touches unreacted part 5 on the screen. Specifically, extraction component 154 extracts the area with the same color as the touch point T1 touched by the user, and defines the area as first area E1. In addition, extraction component 154 extracts the area with the same color as the touch point T2 touched by the user, and defines the area as second area E2. However, the upper edge of second area E2 is important because the upper edge is the area adjacent to first area E1, but the lower edge is not used for determination. Therefore, the lower edge of second area E2 is located at a position of a specific size from the upper edge. In Figure 7 (a) and Figure 7 (b), the lower edge 4a of reaction part 4 extends linearly in the lateral direction. In this case, the first area E1 will not overlap with the second area E2. Therefore, the state determination component 156 detects that the first area E1 and the second area E2 do not overlap, and therefore it can be determined that the lower edge 4a of the reaction part 4 extends linearly in the horizontal direction. In this case, it can be determined whether the disinfection is completed by determining the aspect ratio and reference ratio of the first area E1. It should be noted that it is also possible to eliminate the touch performed by the user in order to extract the configuration of the second area E2. In this case, it is also possible to extract the previously extracted first area E1 and extract the area satisfying a specific positional relationship in the image as the configuration of the second area E2. In addition, it is also possible to extract the configuration of the first area E1 without collecting the touch point T1 through user operation. For example, extraction can be achieved by setting the imaging conditions (position and size in the image) of the indicator 1 within a predetermined range or by performing image recognition.

[0046] On the other hand, in Fig. 7 (c) and Fig. 7 (d), the lower edge 4a of the reaction part 4 is inclined. In this case, the extraction component 154 extracts a rectangular area with the lowest point P1 as a reference as the first area E1 of the lower end portion of the reaction part 4. In addition, the extraction component 154 extracts a rectangular area with the highest point P2 as a reference as the second area E2 of the upper end portion of the unreacted part 5. The state determination component determines that the first area E1 and the second area E2 overlap, and based on this overlap, it is understood that the lower edge 4a of the reaction part 4 is inclined. The state determination component 156 collects the size L3 of the point P2 from the upper edge of the first area E1, and compares the reference ratio and the aspect ratio of "size L3 / size L1". In Fig. 7 (c), point P2 does not reach the reference line SL. Therefore, the state determination component 156 determines that the aspect ratio is less than the reference ratio, and determines that the disinfection is not completed. In Fig. 6 (d), point P2 does not reach the reference line SL. Therefore, the state determination part 156 determines that the aspect ratio is greater than the reference ratio, and determines that the sterilization is completed.

[0047] As shown in FIG8 , the extraction component 154 can extract the first area E1 based on the color histogram collected in the image displayed in the vicinity of the position (touch point T1) touched by the user in the screen displaying the image. For example, the extraction component 154 collects the color histogram in the area HE within a predetermined range around the touch point T1. In this case, the extraction component 154 can understand that there is a dark color of the reaction part 4 and a light color in the vicinity of the reaction part 4. The extraction component 154 specifies the color of the reaction part 4 according to the histogram, and extracts the area having the same color as the color as the first area. It should be noted that in the histogram, the light-colored point adjacent to the reaction part 4 in the longitudinal direction is the unreacted part 5, and therefore the extraction component 154 can extract the second area. As shown in FIG8(b), even if the user touches the outside of the reaction part 4, the extraction component 154 collects the histogram of the area HE in the vicinity of the touch point T1, and therefore the color of the reaction part 4 can be understood. It should be noted that if the color of the reaction portion 4 is similar to the color of the base member 3 or the back plate 7, the area for collecting the histogram can be limited to the range of the display member 2 or the indicator 1 to improve accuracy.

[0048] State determination component 156 can present determination result on screen.For example, as shown in Fig. 9 (a) and Fig. 9 (b), if state determination component 156 determines that disinfection is finished or not finished, then display its main points on screen.In addition, there are some situations, due to insufficient use conditions etc., determine to be correct or unknown.For example, if the lower end of reaction part 4 quickly becomes too inclined, then state determination component 156 may not determine this determination.As shown in Fig. 9 (c), its main points are displayed on screen.

[0049] As described above, the state determination part 156 may determine the state of the indicator 1 and then transmit the determination result to the server device 120. The information transmission and reception part 115 associates the image information acquired by the image acquisition part 151, the determination result determined by the state determination part 156, and the supplementary information related to the indicator 1 performing the determination, and then transmits the information to the storage part 122 of the server device 120. Therefore, the supplementary information corresponding to the determination result of the disinfection and the image of the indicator 1 may be stored. The supplementary information may be acquired by, for example, imaging a voucher transferred with the instrument to be disinfected. The calculation part 150 may convert the supplementary information into data by performing OCR (optical feature recognition) on the captured image. Examples of the supplementary information include the name of the hospital, date and time, the product name of the instrument to be disinfected, the ID of the instrument group, the disinfection technology, the person performing the disinfection, and the like.

[0050] Next, we will refer to Figures 10 to 12 A method of performing determination based on the determination system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0051] like Fig.10 As shown, first, the computing component 150 of the terminal device 110 collects mode selection information (step S10). In S10, the computing component 150 collects information related to whether the determination mode of executing the determination of the indicator 1 is selected or whether the registration mode of registering information is selected. The computing component 150 determines whether the selected mode is the determination mode (step S20). In step S20, if it is determined to be in the determination mode, the computing component 150 performs the determination processing (step S30), and if it is determined to be in the registration mode, the computing component 150 performs the registration processing (step S40). After performing the processing, Fig.10 The process shown ends.

[0052] Reference Fig.11The content of the determination process S30 is described. First, the calculation part 150 receives a determination instruction from the user (step S100). Next, the image acquisition part 151 acquires an image containing the indicator 1 (step S110: image acquisition step). The type information acquisition part 152 acquires the type information of the indicator 1 and determines the type (step S120: type information acquisition step). The type information acquisition part 152 acquires the type information read from the image. In this article, the type information acquisition part 152 presents the type to the user on the screen and determines whether there is a correction instruction from the user (step S130). In step S130, if there is a correction instruction from the user, the type information acquisition part 152 acquires the type information based on the user's selection (step S140), and then the process proceeds to step S150. On the other hand, if there is no correction of the type information in step S130, and the input button is pressed, the process proceeds to step S150.

[0053] If necessary, the image acquisition component 151 performs image processing, such as image color correction, etc., based on the type of the indicator 1 (step S150). The color information acquisition component 153 acquires color information before and after the indicator 1 corresponding to the type is changed. The extraction component 154 extracts the first area E1 configured according to the color after the indicator 1 is changed in the image based on the color information (step S160: color information acquisition step, extraction step). The state determination component 156 compares the shape of the first area E1 extracted in step S160 with the determined state corresponding to the type, and then determines the state of the indicator 1 based on the comparison result (step S170: state determination step). The state determination component 156 displays the determination result on the screen and presents the user, associates the image, the determination result and the supplementary information, and stores the information in the storage component 122 of the server device 120 (step S180). Therefore, Fig.11 The process shown ends. Note that the second region E2 configured according to the color before the indicator 1 is changed may also be extracted in step S160, and step S170 may include adding whether the first region E1 and the second region E2 overlap to the determination state.

[0054] Reference Fig.12 Describe the registration process S40. Fig.12As shown, the image acquisition component 151 acquires an image of the indicator 1 captured by the camera (step S200). The type information acquisition component 152 reads the type from the read image of the indicator 1 and determines the type (step S210). The type information acquisition component 152 refers to the determination status table 123 of the storage component 122 of the server 20 to determine whether the identified type is registered in the determination status table 123 (step S220). In step S220, if it is determined that it is not registered in the determination status table 123, the type information acquisition component 152 collects the type information on the premise that the type is a new indicator 1 (step S230). It should be noted that in step S220, if it is determined that the type has been registered, then Fig.12 The process shown ends.

[0055] In step S230, if information on the type of the new indicator 1 is collected, the calculation component 150 collects the background color of the indicator 1 (the display color except for the display component 2), and then writes it into the determination state table 123 (step S240). In addition, the calculation component 150 collects the color of the reaction part 4, and then writes it into the determination state table 123 (step S250). In addition, the calculation component 150 collects information on the determination size, which indicates: in order to determine that the disinfection is completed, what shape the first area E1 of the indicator reaction part 4 must be, and then writes it into the determination state table 123 (step S260). When the process of step S260 is completed, Fig.12 The process shown ends.

[0056] Next, functions and effects of the determination system 100, the terminal device 110, and the determination method according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0057] The determination system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a determination system 100 for determining the state of an indicator 1 whose optical properties change under a specific environment, and the determination system is provided with: an image acquisition component 151, which acquires an image containing the indicator 1; a type information acquisition component 152, which acquires information indicating the type of the indicator 1; a color information acquisition component 153, which acquires color information of the indicator 1 before and after the change corresponding to the type; an extraction component 154, which extracts a first area E1 configured according to the color after the change of the indicator 1 in the image based on the color information; and a state determination component 156, which determines the state of the indicator 1 based on the shape E1 of the first area extracted by the extraction component 154 and the determination state corresponding to the type.

[0058] The determination system 100 is provided with an extraction part 154 that extracts a first area E1 configured according to the color after the indicator 1 changes in the image based on the color information collected by the color information collection part 153; and a state determination part 156 that determines the state of the indicator 1 based on the shape E1 of the first area extracted by the extraction part 154 and the determination state corresponding to the type. The first area E1 configured according to the color after the indicator 1 changes makes the shape change continue in a manner corresponding to the type based on the degree of progress of the reaction of the indicator 1. Therefore, based on the shape of the first area E1 and the determination state corresponding to the type, the determination system 100 can automatically determine the state of the indicator 1 by eliminating the subjectivity of the user. In addition, the determination system 100 can determine the state of the indicator 1 of various types by preparing the determination state corresponding to the type of the indicator 1. In addition, the user can use the determination system 100 to determine the state of the indicator 1 through a simple operation of capturing an image of the indicator 1. As described above, the determination system 100 can automatically determine the various types of indicators 1.

[0059] In the determination system 100, the first area E1 has a shape extending in the longitudinal direction, and the state determination part 156 determines the state of the indicator 1 based on the aspect ratio of the first area E1. Regardless of whether the projection of the indicator 1 in the image is large or small, the aspect ratio is constant. Therefore, regardless of how the indicator 1 is projected in the image, the state determination part 156 can determine the state.

[0060] In the determination system 100, the first area E1 has a long edge E1c and a long edge E1d extending in the longitudinal direction, and the state determination part 156 compares the lengths of the long edge E1c and the long edge E1d to determine the state of the indicator 1. In this case, even if the lower edge E1b of the first area E1 is inclined, the state determination part 156 can determine the state based on this situation.

[0061] In the determination system 100, the extraction part 154 extracts the second area E2 configured according to the color before the indicator 1 changes in the image, and the state determination part 156 determines the state of the indicator 1 based on whether the first area E1 and the second area E2 overlap. If overlap occurs, the state determination part 156 can understand the condition that the lower edge E1b of the first area E1 is inclined. Therefore, the state determination part 156 can appropriately determine the state based on the state.

[0062] In the determination system 100, the extraction component 154 may extract the first area E1 based on a color histogram collected from an image displayed in the vicinity of a position touched by a user in a screen displaying an image. In this case, even if the user does not touch the position of the first area E1 accurately, the extraction component 154 may extract the first area E1 by touching the approximate position.

[0063] In the determination system 100, the type information acquisition part 152 automatically determines the type based on the image acquired by the image acquisition part 151. In this case, the user can save time for selecting the type of the pointer 1.

[0064] The determination system 100 is provided with an information transmission and receiving component 115, which associates the image information acquired by the image acquisition component 151, the determination result determined by the state determination component 156 and the supplementary information related to the indicator 1 performing the determination, and then transmits the information to the storage component 122.

[0065] In the determination system 100, if the image acquisition part 151 acquires an image under the condition that the indicator 1 is placed on the back plate 7, the image acquisition part 151 performs correction on the color of the indicator 1 in the image based on the color of the back plate 7 in the image. Therefore, the state determination part 156 can determine the state of the indicator 1 based on the image of the correction state, and thus can accurately determine the state.

[0066] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a terminal device 110 is a terminal system 100 for determining a state of an indicator 1 whose optical properties change under a specific environment, and the determination system is provided with: an image acquisition component 151, which acquires an image containing the indicator 1; a type information acquisition component 152, which acquires information indicating the type of the indicator 1; a color information acquisition component 153, which acquires color information of the indicator 1 before and after the change corresponding to the type; an extraction component 154, which extracts a first area E1 configured according to the color after the change of the indicator 1 in the image based on the color information; and a state determination component 156, which determines the state of the indicator 1 based on the shape E1 of the first area extracted by the extraction component 154 and a determination state for the acquisition state corresponding to the type.

[0067] According to the terminal device 110 , functions and effects similar to those of the determination system 100 can be achieved.

[0068] A determination method according to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention is a method for determining a state of an indicator 1 whose optical properties change under a specific environment, and the determination method is provided with: an image acquisition step, which acquires an image containing the indicator 1; a type information acquisition step, which acquires information indicating the type of the indicator 1; a color information acquisition step, which acquires color information corresponding to the type of the indicator 1 before and after the change; an extraction step, which extracts a first area E1 configured according to the color after the indicator changes in the image based on the color information; and a state determination step, which determines the state of the indicator 1 based on the shape E1 of the first area extracted by the extraction step and a determination state corresponding to the type.

[0069] According to the determination method, functions and effects similar to those of the determination system 100 can be achieved.

[0070] The present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments.

[0071] As shown in FIG13 , a plurality of indicators 1 may be measured simultaneously in one operation. For example, the terminal device 110 simultaneously captures a plurality of indicators 1 and collects images of the plurality of indicators 1. In addition, the terminal device 110 simultaneously performs determination of the plurality of indicators 1. When the determination is completed, the terminal device 110 displays the determination result about the target indicator 1 at a position overlapping with the indicator 1 in the image, as shown in FIG13( b).

[0072] In addition, as shown in FIG14 , the type information acquisition component 152 may display an alignment image SE corresponding to the acquired type on the screen. For example, the terminal device 110 displays the alignment image SE so that alignment is performed in the image of the target indicator 1 at a stage before image capture. The user adjusts the position, angle, etc. of the terminal device 110 so that the indicator 1 in the image matches the alignment image SE. As shown in FIG14 (a), when the indicator 1 in the image is set at a position deviating from the alignment image SE, the user aligns the terminal device 110 so that the indicator 1 in the image matches the alignment image SE, as shown in FIG14 (b). Therefore, for each measurement, the state determination may be performed after the angle or size of the indicator 1 in the image is adjusted to a certain extent.

[0073] As described above, in the determination system 100, the type information acquisition part 152 displays the alignment image SE corresponding to the acquired type on the screen. Therefore, the state determination part 156 can determine the state of the indicator 1 in the alignment condition in the image, and thus can accurately determine the state. As described above, the imaging condition (position / size in the image) of the indicator 1 is within a predetermined range, and therefore, the configuration can be such that the first area E1 is extracted without acquiring the touch point T1 by the user operation.

[0074] It is not limited to the target indicator as described above, and any other type of indicator can be used. For example, the indicator shown in FIG. 15 is an indicator set on a hazardous gas mask. In other words, there is a respirator designed to filter or adsorb pollutants present in the air in order to protect people from the effects of harmful air pollutants. The indicator shown in FIG. 15 is used as an indicator to notify the end of the service life of the respirator. When the adsorbent of the harmful air pollutant (sample) is exhausted, the end of the service life can be identified by the change (usually a color change) that occurs when the indicator is exposed to the sample. With the indicator, not only the length of the extent to which the indicator gas has penetrated the indicator can be determined, but also the concentration after the indicator changes can be comprehensively determined. The state determination component adjusts multiple determination states in consideration of the use environment of the indicator. For example, for the indicator shown in FIG. 15 (a), the length of the reaction part 4 is short but the color is dark, and for the indicator shown in FIG. 15 (b), the length of the reaction part 4 is long but the color is light. For example, in a use environment where the length of the reaction part 4 is important, the state determination component determines that in the case of the indicator in FIG. 15 (b), even if the color of the reaction part 4 is light, the mask use is impossible. As described above, the determination may be performed in consideration of a plurality of determination states.

[0075] It should be noted that the state determination component can refer to the indicator usage environment and adjust the determined state of any other type of indicator, not just the indicator shown in Figure 15. As described above, in the determination system 100, the state determination component 156 also refers to the usage environment of the indicator 1 to adjust the determined state. Therefore, the state determination component 156 can consider the usage environment to more accurately determine the state.

[0076] In addition, in the determination system 100, the color information acquisition part 153 may acquire a reference color in the indicator from the image acquired by the image acquisition part 151, and the extraction part 154 may extract the first area E1 by comparing the reference color and the color after the indicator is changed. For example, for an indicator of a different type from the embodiment, the reference color is displayed in a part other than the display part 2 of the indicator, and when the color of the reaction part is the same as the reference color, it is determined that the disinfection is completed. In this case, the extraction part 154 may refer to the reference color in the image and extract the first area E1 based on the reference color.

[0077] In addition, in the aforementioned embodiment, state determination is performed based on the aspect ratio of the first area indicating the reaction part. However, as long as the shape of the extracted first area is used to perform state determination, there is no specific restriction on the specific determination state. In addition, the shape of the first area is not specifically limited. For example, the first area can be not only a rectangle, but also a trapezoid, a parallelogram, a rhombus, a square, etc. Affine transformation parameters can be used as parameters for determining the state. When a general square projection is transformed into a rectangle, the parameters are affine transformation parameters. In addition, the area and aspect ratio of the rectangle can be used to perform state determination. In addition, the size and ellipticity of the circle can be used to perform state determination. The area and perimeter of the contour line of the first area, the number of pixels included in the contour line, and the aspect ratio (width / height of the circumscribed rectangle) can be used to perform state determination. In addition, the area of ​​the minimum circumscribed rectangle, the width (ratio of the contour area to the minimum circumscribed rectangle area), the Feret ratio (maximum Feret diameter / width of the contour line), the circularity (4π*contour area / square of the contour line perimeter), the convex hull (contour points surrounding the convex hull), the convex hull area, the compactness (ratio of the contour area to its convex hull area), the diameter of a circle having an area equal to the contour area, the median stroke width for stroke width conversion, and the distribution of stroke width values ​​generated using the stroke width conversion can be used to perform state determination. It is noted that the aspect ratio (width / height of the circumscribed rectangle), the Feret ratio, the circularity, and the compactness can be measured regardless of the viewing angle of the indicator in the image, and are therefore more preferred as determining the state. It is noted that the configuration can be such that determination is performed by combining the aforementioned parameters.

[0078] In an embodiment of the present invention, the determination process may be performed by a desktop personal computer and a scanner, a digital camera, a smart phone or other image input device, instead of using a smart phone, a tablet terminal, a notebook personal computer of a touch panel type or other terminal device 110 to perform the registration process of the culture medium information. In this case, the personal computer and the image input device may be connected based on a predetermined communication standard, and then the determination process may be performed integrally using the personal computer and the image input device. The image data collected in advance by the image input device may be stored in a memory card or other physical memory, and then the determination process may be performed while the stored image data is captured by the personal computer.

[0079] It should be noted that a part of the various calculations performed by the calculation part 150 may be performed by the server device 120. In other words, the terminal device 110 may transmit information required for the calculation to the server device 120. The server device 120 may perform the calculation, and then the terminal device 110 may receive the calculation result from the server device 120. For example, the server device 120 may determine the state of the indicator based on the determination state corresponding to the type and the shape of the first area E1 extracted by the extraction part. The calculation part 150 of the terminal device 110 is provided with a state collection part, which collects the state of the indicator 1 by collecting the determination result determined by the server device 120. It should be noted that in the aforementioned embodiment, the state determination part 156 is used as an information collection part, which determines the state on the indicator 1 by itself, and then collects the state of the indicator 1 by collecting the determination result.

[0080] Explanation of symbols

[0081] 1Indicator

[0082] 2Display components

[0083] 3 Base parts

[0084] 4. Post-reaction part

[0085] 5 Unreacted part

[0086] 7 Back Panel

[0087] 10 Screen

[0088] 100 confirmed system

[0089] 110 terminal equipment

[0090] 111 Display

[0091] 112 Input components

[0092] 113 Camera

[0093] 114 Recording Components

[0094] 115 Information transmission and reception components (information transmission components)

[0095] 120 server equipment

[0096] 150 computing components

[0097] 151 Image acquisition component

[0098] 152 type information collection components

[0099] 153 Color information collection component

[0100] 154 Extraction Parts

[0101] 156 Status determination component (information collection component).

Claims

1. A determination system for determining a state of an indicator, the indicator changing optical properties based on a specific environment, the determination system comprising: An image acquisition component, which acquires an image including the indicator; A type information collecting component, collecting information showing the type of the indicator; A color information collecting component, collecting color information corresponding to the type of the indicator before and after the change; an extracting component, for extracting, based on the color information, a first region of the image including a color after the indicator changes; as well as a state determination unit that determines a state of the indicator based on a determination state corresponding to the type and a shape of the first area extracted by the extraction unit, wherein the first region has a shape extending in the longitudinal direction; and The state determination means determines the state of the indicator based on an aspect ratio of the first area, wherein the first region has a first long edge and a second long edge extending in the longitudinal direction; and The state determination component determines the state of the indicator by comparing the length of the first long edge with the length of the second long edge.

2. The determination system according to claim 1, wherein: The extracting means extracts a second region in the image including the color of the indicator before the indicator changes; and The state determination section determines the state of the indicator based on whether there is an overlap between the first area and the second area.

3. The determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The state determination section also refers to a usage environment of the indicator and adjusts the determination state.

4. The determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The extracting section extracts the first area based on a color histogram acquired from the image displayed in the periphery of a position touched by a user on a screen displaying the image.

5. The determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The type information acquisition component automatically determines the type based on the image acquired by the image acquisition component.

6. The determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 2 further includes an information transmission component, which associates the image information collected by the image acquisition component, the determination result determined by the state determination component, and the supplementary information related to the indicator that performs the determination, and then transmits the information to the storage component.

7. The determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The type information collecting component displays an image for alignment corresponding to the collected type on a screen.

8. The determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: The color information acquisition component acquires a reference color in the indicator from within the image acquired by the image acquisition component; and The extracting component extracts the first area by comparing the changed color of the indicator with the reference color.

9. The determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein: When the image acquisition component acquires the image under the condition that the indicator is placed on a back plate, the image acquisition component corrects the color of the indicator in the image based on the color of the back plate in the image.

10. A terminal device for determining a state of an indicator, the indicator changing optical characteristics based on a specific environment, the terminal device comprising: An image acquisition component, which acquires an image including the indicator; A type information collecting component, collecting information showing the type of the indicator; A color information collecting component, collecting color information corresponding to the type of the indicator before and after the change; a state acquisition component that acquires the shape of the first area through the color after the indicator in the image changes based on the color information, and acquires the state of the indicator determined based on the determined state corresponding to the type, wherein the first region has a shape extending in the longitudinal direction; and a state determining component that determines the state of the indicator based on the aspect ratio of the first area, wherein the first region has a first long edge and a second long edge extending in the longitudinal direction; and The state determination component determines the state of the indicator by comparing the length of the first long edge with the length of the second long edge.

11. A method for determining a state of an indicator, the indicator changing optical characteristics based on a specific environment, the method comprising: An image acquisition step, acquiring an image including the indicator; a type information collecting step of collecting information showing the type of the indicator; A color information collecting step, collecting color information corresponding to the type of the indicator before and after the indicator changes; as well as An extraction step of extracting a first area of ​​the image including a color after the indicator changes based on the color information; as well as a state determining step of determining the state of the indicator based on the determined state corresponding to the type and the shape of the first area extracted by the extracting means, wherein the first region has a shape extending in the longitudinal direction; and The state determination step determines the state of the indicator based on an aspect ratio of the first area, wherein the first region has a first long edge and a second long edge extending in the longitudinal direction; and The state determination step determines the state of the indicator by comparing the length of the first long edge with the length of the second long edge.

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