Sperm sorting assistance device, projection device, and microscope system

Abstract

To provide a sperm selection assisting device, a projection device, a microscope system, etc. that efficiently assist in selecting good sperm suitable for intracytoplasmic sperm injection from sperm in a specimen. [Solution] A sperm sorting assistance device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires an observation image of sperm; a reception unit that accepts a sperm evaluation method; an evaluation unit that evaluates the sperm contained in the acquired observation image based on the evaluation method; and a display control unit that controls a projection device provided in the microscope to display, on an observation image presentation unit in the microscope, a composite image in which the evaluation results by the evaluation unit for at least one sperm in the observation image are displayed corresponding to each sperm, and which further displays the evaluation method.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sperm sorting assistance device, a projection device, and a microscope system. [Background technology]

[0002] Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a method of fertilization by directly injecting sperm into the cytoplasm of an egg, has been developed and put into practical use as one type of infertility treatment. ICSI involves immobilizing the sperm, aspirating the sperm, and injecting the sperm into the egg while observing the sperm and egg under a microscope, so ICSI is also known as micro-insemination.

[0003] To increase the success rate of ICSI, it is important to select sperm suitable for fertilization and inject them into the egg. However, the quality of the sperm obtained through the selection process largely depends on the experience of the embryologist, which can lead to discrepancies in fertilization success rates between embryologists. Therefore, a technique for objectively selecting good sperm is needed.

[0004] As one of such technologies, an AR microscope has been developed in which Augmented Reality (AR) technology is applied to a microscope to assist in work performed under the microscope (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 discloses a technology for switching the display position of specimen information on the image plane when certain conditions are met, in order to make it possible to easily grasp specimen information without interfering with the observation of the specimen image in an AR microscope. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 138279 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2021 / 200003 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-096267 [Patent Document 4] International Publication No. 2024 / 053632 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When embryologists select sperm, they may evaluate the quality of the sperm based on multiple indicators. In this case, using an AR microscope allows them to check the quality of the sperm they are observing while observing the sperm under the microscope. However, when switching between evaluation methods for sperm quality evaluation while observing sperm under an AR microscope, it can be difficult to recognize which evaluation method the evaluation results displayed in the microscope's field of view are based on.

[0008] An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a sperm selection assisting device, a projection device, a microscope system, etc. that efficiently assist in selecting good sperm suitable for ICSI from sperm in a sample.An object of another aspect of the present invention is to provide a sperm selection assisting device, a projection device, a microscope system, etc. that improve the efficiency or accuracy of sperm selection in ICSI. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A sperm sorting assistance device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises an acquisition unit that acquires an observation image of a sperm, a reception unit that receives a sperm evaluation method, an evaluation unit that evaluates the sperm contained in the acquired observation image based on the evaluation method, and a display control unit that controls a projection device provided in the microscope to display a composite image on an observation image presentation unit in the microscope, in which the evaluation result by the evaluation unit for at least one sperm is displayed in correspondence with each sperm in the observation image, and the composite image further displays the evaluation method.

[0010] This sperm selection assist device evaluates sperm quality based on the accepted evaluation method, displays the evaluation results on the sperm observation image in association with each sperm, and displays a composite image that further displays the evaluation method on the observation image display unit. By accepting the evaluation method for quality evaluation in this way, the user can perform quality evaluation using an appropriate method depending on the specimen and sperm selection situation. Furthermore, by displaying the evaluation method together with the evaluation results superimposed on the observation image, the user can easily recognize which evaluation method the displayed evaluation results are based on. This effectively assists in selecting good sperm suitable for ICSI from the sperm in the specimen.

[0011] A projection device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes the sperm sorting assistance device according to an aspect of the present disclosure. A microscope system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes the sperm sorting assistance device according to an aspect of the present disclosure or the projection device according to an aspect of the present disclosure, and an imaging device.

[0012] A sperm sorting assistance program according to one aspect of the present disclosure functions as an acquisition unit that acquires an observation image of a sperm, a reception unit that receives a sperm evaluation method, an evaluation unit that evaluates the sperm contained in the acquired observation image based on the evaluation method, and a display control unit that controls a projection device provided in the microscope to display, on an observation image presentation unit in the microscope, a composite image in which the evaluation result by the evaluation unit for at least one sperm is displayed in correspondence with each sperm in the observation image, and the composite image further displays the evaluation method.

[0013] The projection device, microscope system, and sperm selection assistance program accept a quality evaluation method, allowing users to perform quality evaluation using an appropriate method depending on the specimen and sperm selection situation. Furthermore, by displaying the evaluation method together with the evaluation results superimposed on the observation image, users can easily recognize which evaluation method the displayed evaluation results are based on. This effectively assists in selecting good sperm suitable for ICSI from the sperm in the specimen.

[0014] In addition, a program according to one aspect of the present disclosure can be installed or loaded onto a computer and / or device through various recording media such as optical disks such as CD-ROMs, magnetic disks, and semiconductor memories, or by downloading via a communication network, etc.

[0015] In this specification, the term "unit" does not simply mean a physical component, but also includes cases where the functions of that component are realized by software. Furthermore, the functions of one component may be realized by two or more physical components, or the functions of two or more components may be realized by one physical component. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a sperm selection assistance device, a projection device, a microscope system, etc. that efficiently assist in selecting good sperm suitable for intracytoplasmic sperm injection from sperm in a specimen. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall conceptual diagram of a microscope system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an example of a functional block diagram of a sperm selection assisting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 10 is an example of a screen displayed when the reception unit of the sperm selection assisting device according to the present embodiment receives an evaluation method. [Figure 4] 10 is an example of a composite image displayed by a display control unit of the sperm selection assisting device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is an example of a database storing sperm indices in a storage unit of the sperm selection assisting device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the physical configuration of a sperm selection assisting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of a microscope in a microscope system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8]FIG. 10 is a schematic conceptual diagram showing another example of the configuration of a microscope in the microscope system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of steps of a sperm selection method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is another example of a composite image displayed by the display control unit of the sperm selection assisting device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is another example of a composite image displayed by the display control unit of the sperm selection assisting device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is another example of a composite image displayed by the display control unit of the sperm selection assisting device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is another example of a composite image displayed by the display control unit of the sperm selection assisting device according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, proportions, etc. Parts in which the dimensional relationships and proportions differ from one another may be included.

[0019] [Microscope system] A microscope system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Here, Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the entire microscope system 1 according to this embodiment. The microscope system 1 according to this embodiment includes a sperm selection assistance device 10 according to this embodiment and a microscope 100. The sperm selection assistance device 10 and the microscope 100 are connected wirelessly or by wire.

[0020] In addition to the optical configuration, the microscope 100 includes a projection device 110 and an imaging device 120. In the microscope 100, an optical image magnified by the optical configuration is captured by the imaging device 120, and a digital image is obtained. In addition, a composite image generated by the sperm selection assist device is displayed by the projection device 110 on an observation image presentation unit (e.g., an eyepiece, a display, a monitor, etc.) of the microscope 100.

[0021] The microscope 100 observes a sample containing sperm. The sample includes sperm obtained from a patient or subject wishing to undergo ICSI. In addition to sperm, the sample may also include a sperm culture medium, a highly viscous liquid that inhibits sperm motility (e.g., a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solution), a substance for selecting mature sperm used in PICSI (physiologic intracytoplasmic sperm injection) (e.g., hyaluronic acid), eggs, etc. The sample may be placed in a dish made of, for example, glass or resin.

[0022] In the microscope 100, the sample is magnified by an optical configuration, and a magnified image is acquired by an imaging device 120. The optical configuration of the microscope 100 is adjusted so that the magnified image of the sample includes sperm of a size appropriate for quality assessment. The configuration of the microscope 100 will be described in detail below. Note that the projection device 110 may be integrated with the sperm sorting assistance device 10, in which case the microscope system 1 includes the sperm sorting assistance device 10 within the microscope 100.

[0023] The sperm selection assisting device 10 assists in sperm selection by analyzing the observation image of sperm captured by the imaging device 120. However, the sperm selection assisting device 10 may also acquire a separately captured observation image of sperm and assist in sperm selection for the sperm included in the observation image.

[0024] (Sperm selection assistance device) 2 is a functional block diagram of the sperm selection assisting device 10. The sperm selection assisting device 10 includes an acquiring unit 11, a receiving unit 12, an evaluating unit 13, a display control unit 14, an index calculating unit 15, a memory unit 16, and a recognition unit 17.

[0025] In the sperm selection assistance device 10, the acquisition unit 11 acquires observation images of sperm, and the reception unit 12 receives a sperm evaluation method. The evaluation unit 13 evaluates the sperm contained in the acquired observation images based on the received evaluation method. The display control unit 14 controls the projection device 110 provided in the microscope 100 to display, on the observation image presentation unit in the microscope 100, a composite image in which the evaluation results by the evaluation unit 13 are displayed in correspondence with each sperm on the observation image, and the composite image also displays the evaluation method.

[0026] In the embodiment described below, when the evaluation unit 13 evaluates the quality of sperm, the index calculation unit 15 calculates an index related to the quality of sperm contained in the observation image. The calculated index and sperm quality are stored in the memory unit 16, and the recognition unit 17 recognizes, identifies, and / or tracks the sperm. However, the sperm selection assist device 10 does not have to have at least any of the functions of the index calculation unit 15, the memory unit 16, and the recognition unit 17, and any of the acquisition unit 11, the reception unit 12, the evaluation unit 13, and the display control unit 14 may have any of the functions of the index calculation unit 15, the memory unit 16, and the recognition unit 17.

[0027] The acquisition unit 11 acquires an observation image of a sample containing sperm captured by the imaging device 120. The acquisition unit 11 acquires the observation image as a digital image or a digital video. Typically, the acquisition unit 11 acquires the observation image captured by the imaging device 120 in real time. However, the acquisition unit 11 may also acquire an observation image captured in the past by the imaging device 120. The observation image captured in the past may be an edited observation image in which time intervals in which sperm were not captured are deleted.

[0028] The acquired observation image includes the time interval during which at least one sperm was captured. In this specification, the "time interval" of the observation image and the video image refers to the time interval defined by each frame of the observation image and the video image, and consists of one or more frames. The above-mentioned time interval may be a time interval consisting of one or more frames, but is preferably a time interval consisting of two or more frames. By having a time interval consisting of two or more frames, it is possible to identify the movement of the sperm from the time interval, and therefore it is possible to evaluate the quality of the sperm based on their motility. Note that when the time interval consists of one frame, it is possible to evaluate the quality based at least on the morphology of the sperm. Furthermore, when two or more frames are included, it is preferable that at least two or more frames that are adjacent in time are included.

[0029] The acquired observation image may include a time interval consisting of frames containing at least one sperm, but preferably includes a time interval consisting of frames containing multiple sperm. Furthermore, the observation image may be acquired while changing the imaging location and / or imaging field of view. This aspect allows for relative evaluation of sperm at different locations in the sample, enabling more objective selection of good sperm suitable for ICSI from the sperm in the specimen.

[0030] The acquisition unit 11 may be realized by a communication unit 10d described later.

[0031] The reception unit 12 receives a sperm evaluation method. The evaluation unit 13 evaluates the sperm quality based on the evaluation method received by the reception unit 12. Sperm quality refers to the properties of each sperm related to the fertilization success rate, blastocyst formation rate, implantation rate, and / or birth success rate when used in ICSI. High sperm quality means that the fertilization success rate, blastocyst formation rate, implantation rate, and / or birth success rate when used in ICSI are relatively high.

[0032] At least one index related to sperm quality may be, for example, an index described in the WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen (Sixth Edition) published by the World Health Organization (WHO). Such an index may include, for example, at least one of sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation, or an index calculated from two or more of these. The value of each index for each sperm may be calculated, for example, by the index calculation unit 15 described below.

[0033] Sperm motility may be evaluated based on the speed of movement and the linearity of the movement trajectory, etc., specifically, the speed of movement, linear velocity, curved velocity, and the linearity of the movement trajectory, etc. Sperm morphology may be evaluated based on, for example, the shape of the sperm head, the shape of the sperm tail, and the balance of their defects and sizes, specifically, the number of head vacuoles, the head length-to-width aspect ratio, and / or morphological abnormalities and the number of abnormalities, etc. The degree of sperm DNA fragmentation may be evaluated by comprehensively considering sperm motility, such as the speed of movement and the linearity of the movement trajectory, and sperm morphology, specifically, the degree of sperm DNA damage and / or the number of damaged areas, etc.

[0034] Furthermore, the evaluation unit 13 (described later) can individually evaluate the quality of each sperm included in the observation image, and can also relatively evaluate the quality of multiple sperm included in the observation image. Hereinafter, evaluating the quality of each sperm individually will be referred to as absolute evaluation, and relatively evaluating the quality of multiple sperm will be referred to as relative evaluation. Because the evaluation unit 13 can perform both absolute and relative evaluation, the user can perform quality evaluation using an appropriate method depending on the specimen and sperm sorting situation. For example, by evaluating sperm quality in a specimen using absolute evaluation, it is possible to obtain the distribution of sperm quality in the specimen and objectively select sperm that are judged to be good. Furthermore, by evaluating sperm quality using relative evaluation, it is possible to select sperm with relatively high quality within the observation field, thereby further improving the quality of the selected sperm. Furthermore, it is possible to select sperm with relatively high quality even from a specimen that contains many sperm with poor quality and does not contain sperm generally considered to be good.

[0035] Therefore, the receiving unit 12 may receive information regarding whether the sperm evaluation method will be absolute evaluation, which evaluates based on the index values ​​of the sperm to be evaluated, or relative evaluation, which evaluates the quality of sperm in a population based on the index values. Alternatively, or in addition to the information, the receiving unit 12 may receive the type of index to be used for the evaluation. Examples of the type of index include at least one of indexes related to sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation, or an index calculated from two or more of these indexes.

[0036] An example of a screen displayed when the reception unit 12 receives an evaluation method will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The reception unit 12 receives a sperm evaluation method from a user, and at that time, for example, a screen for assisting input of the evaluation method may be displayed on the display unit of the sperm selection assistance device 10 (corresponding to the display unit 10f described below). Fig. 3 is an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 10f. Note that this screen may be displayed on the display unit of the projection device 110 or the microscope 100 instead of or in addition to the display unit 10f of the sperm selection assistance device 10.

[0037] The screen shown in Fig. 3 has a button object displayed at the top for selecting whether to perform the evaluation using absolute evaluation or relative evaluation. By selecting the absolute evaluation or relative evaluation button, the user can select to perform the evaluation using that method. Note that this object may also have a button labeled "OFF" for selecting not to display the evaluation results in the display control unit 14.

[0038] In addition, the screen shown in Figure 3 has an input field at the bottom for accepting the type of index to be used for evaluation. In Figure 3, fields for inputting thresholds to be used for absolute evaluation and relative evaluation are displayed, but instead of or in addition to these fields, a button object for simply selecting only the type of index to be used for evaluation may be displayed. Alternatively, instead of or in addition to these fields, a field for inputting a conditional formula for evaluating sperm as superior or inferior may be displayed. Furthermore, when the absolute evaluation or relative evaluation button is selected from the icons at the top of the screen, a field for inputting a threshold to be used for absolute evaluation or relative evaluation may be displayed corresponding to the selected button.

[0039] On the screen shown in FIG. 3, when an absolute evaluation or relative evaluation button is selected and a valid value is entered in the absolute evaluation or relative evaluation field corresponding to the selected button, the evaluation method may be set to perform absolute evaluation or relative evaluation using the index corresponding to the entered field. For example, when absolute evaluation is selected using the button object at the top of the screen, a value of 60% is entered in the field corresponding to "DNA normality probability ≧" in the absolute evaluation column of the input field at the bottom of the screen, and "1.2" and "1.8" are entered in the field corresponding to "≦head aspect ratio ≦," the evaluation method is set to absolute evaluation based on the degree of DNA fragmentation and morphology. More specifically, the evaluation method is set to evaluate sperm with a DNA normality probability of 60% or more and a head aspect ratio of 1.2 to 1.8 as excellent, and evaluate sperm that do not satisfy these conditions as inferior.

[0040] Therefore, the evaluation methods accepted by the reception unit 12 include information on whether the evaluation will be performed using absolute evaluation or relative evaluation, the threshold value to be used in absolute evaluation, the threshold value to be used in relative evaluation, the conditions for evaluating something as superior or inferior in absolute evaluation, and the conditions for evaluating superiority or inferiority in relative evaluation.

[0041] The threshold used in the absolute evaluation may be set corresponding to at least one of the indices calculated by the index calculation unit 15. The threshold used in the relative evaluation may be a percentage (e.g., top 50% or more, top 75% or more, or top 90% or more, etc.) or a number (e.g., top 5, top 3, top 2, or top 1, etc.) based on the number of cells of multiple spermatozoa in the population.

[0042] The conditions for evaluating a quality as superior or inferior in absolute evaluation may include one or more combinations of at least one of the indices calculated by the index calculation unit 15 and a threshold value set corresponding to the indices. The conditions for evaluating the quality as superior or inferior in relative evaluation may include one or more combinations of at least one of the indices calculated by the index calculation unit 15 and a threshold value set corresponding to the indices, and / or the order of indices to be prioritized in the quality evaluation.

[0043] The threshold value may be directly input by the user, or may be set based on information input by the user. For example, the threshold value may be set based on the diagnosis of male infertility of a patient or subject who wishes to undergo ICSI and who has provided sperm. Alternatively, the threshold value may be set based on a visual inspection by an ICSI practitioner, or based on values ​​measured by a CASA (Computer-Aided Sperm Analyzer) or SQA (Sperm Quality Analyzer). Alternatively, the threshold value may be set by referring to the distribution (histogram) of indices for multiple spermatozoa created as described below.

[0044] Alternatively, the evaluation method may be a method of creating a distribution (histogram) of the indices possessed by multiple sperm to be compared, and determining where in the distribution the indices possessed by the sperm to be evaluated lie (e.g., in what percentage of the top). When implementing this evaluation method, the evaluation unit 13 may retrieve information about multiple sperm, each having at least one stored indices, from the storage unit 16 and calculate a comprehensive evaluation of the sperm in the sample. For example, the evaluation unit 13 may calculate at least one of the following: the number or rate of abnormal sperm in the sample (the number or rate of sperm with abnormalities in morphology), the number or rate of sperm with motility indices exceeding a threshold (motile sperm), the number or rate of sperm with motility indices below a threshold (immotile sperm), sperm concentration, and the rate of motile sperm to immotile sperm (sperm motility rate).

[0045] The reception unit 12 may be realized by displaying on the display unit 10f a screen generated by a program stored in the RAM 10b or ROM 10c and executed by the CPU 10a (described later), and by receiving input from a user through the input unit 10e. The evaluation method received by the reception unit 12 may be stored in the RAM 10b or ROM 10c, may be transmitted to each unit and device via the communication unit 10d, and may be displayed on the display unit 10f.

[0046] 2, the evaluation unit 13 evaluates the sperm contained in the acquired observation image based on the evaluation method accepted by the acceptance unit 12. For items not specified by the evaluation method accepted by the acceptance unit 12, the evaluation unit 13 may use items in a preset evaluation method.

[0047] For example, if the evaluation method accepted by the accepting unit 12 includes only information regarding whether the evaluation will be performed using absolute evaluation or relative evaluation, the evaluating unit 13 may use the indexes and thresholds in the pre-set evaluation method to perform the evaluation using either the specified absolute evaluation or relative evaluation.

[0048] When the evaluation method accepted by the accepting unit 12 includes only information about the type of index used for the evaluation, the evaluating unit 13 can perform various evaluations based on the selected index, such as evaluation using an AI model, evaluation based on comparison of the index value with a threshold, etc.

[0049] The evaluation unit 13 preferably evaluates the quality of sperm based on the indices calculated by the index calculation unit 15. For example, the quality may be evaluated based on any of the indices calculated by the index calculation unit 15, preferably one or more, two or more, or three of sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of occurrence of sperm DNA fragmentation, or an index calculated from two or more or three of these.

[0050] The evaluation unit 13 may be realized by a program stored in RAM 10b or ROM 10c (described later) and executed by CPU 10a. The evaluation by the evaluation unit 13 may be stored in RAM 10b or ROM 10c (described later) and may be transmitted to each unit and device via communication unit 10d.

[0051] The display control unit 14 controls the projection device 110 provided in the microscope 100 to display, on the observation image presentation unit in the microscope 100, a composite image in which the evaluation result by the evaluation unit 13 for at least one sperm is displayed in correspondence with each sperm in the observation image, and the composite image further displays the evaluation method.

[0052] As will be described later, one example of the microscope 100 is a microscope in which an observation image is guided as an optical image to an eyepiece, and a projection device 110 projects the evaluation result and the evaluation method so that a user can visually recognize a composite image in which the evaluation result and the evaluation method are superimposed on the observation image through the eyepiece, as shown in an example of the configuration in Fig. 7 described later. Another example of the microscope 100 is a microscope in which a projection device 110 projects a composite image in which the evaluation result and the evaluation method are superimposed on the observation image as a digital image, as shown in an example of the configuration in Fig. 8 described later.

[0053] Therefore, the observation image presentation unit in the microscope 100 refers to the part of the microscope where the observation image is normally presented. Examples of the observation image presentation unit include an eyepiece, a monitor, and a lens barrel that guides the monitor display. The configuration and control of the projection device 110 will be described later.

[0054] When the acquisition unit 11 acquires the observation images in real time and sorts the sperm in real time, the display control unit 14 displays the evaluation results by the evaluation unit 13 in association with each sperm on the observation images acquired in real time, as soon as the evaluation is obtained by the evaluation unit 13, and also displays the evaluation method. A specific control method of the display control unit 14 for the projection device will be described later.

[0055] The composite image displayed on the observation image display unit of the microscope 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a composite image displayed on the observation image display unit. In the composite image 200, evaluation results 220a and 220b of sperm 211a and 211b are displayed corresponding to each sperm, superimposed on the observation image 210 acquired by the acquisition unit 11, and an evaluation method 230 is also displayed.

[0056] The observation image 210 may be an optical image guided to the observation image display unit by the optical configuration of the microscope, or may be a digital image or digital moving image displayed on the observation image display unit by the projection device 110. The observation image 210 includes at least one sperm, and in Figure 4, multiple sperm 211a, 211b, and 211c are included in the observation field of view.

[0057] The observation image 210 displays the quality evaluation results 220a, 220b of the sperm 211a, 211b in association with each sperm 211a, 211b. In FIG. 4, the evaluation results 220a, 220b are displayed as figures surrounding each sperm. The figures may be any figures that surround the sperm, and the shape is not limited to a circle, but may be, for example, an ellipse, a polygon, a star, or the like. The evaluation results 220a, 220b may indicate the quality of the sperm depending on the shape of the figure surrounding each sperm. Alternatively, the evaluation results may be displayed only for sperm evaluated as having excellent quality. In this embodiment, the sperm 211a, 211b for which the evaluation results 220a, 220b are displayed correspond to high quality, and the sperm 211c for which no evaluation result is displayed corresponds to poor quality.

[0058] In this specification, the aspect of the figure may include, for example, the shape, size, and color of the figure, as well as a combination thereof. For example, when the quality of the sperm is evaluated by absolute evaluation, the color of the figure surrounding the sperm may be changed according to the estimated quality, or the sperm may be ranked according to the estimated quality and assigned a shape, size, or color according to the rank. Furthermore, when the quality of the sperm is evaluated by relative evaluation, the color of the figure surrounding the sperm may be changed according to the relative quality of the sperm, or the sperm may be ranked according to the relative quality and assigned a shape, size, or color according to the rank.

[0059] The evaluation results may be displayed in a manner other than a figure surrounding each sperm. For example, the evaluation results may include numbers, letters, symbols, and figures that do not surround sperm (e.g., a figure showing a sperm quality indicator with a bar, etc.), as well as combinations thereof. More specifically, when absolute or relative evaluation is performed, the quality ranking of the sperm included in the observation image may be displayed with numbers, or the ranking according to sperm quality may be displayed with numbers, letters, and / or symbols, or the sperm quality indicator may be displayed with a bar. When the evaluation results are displayed in a manner other than a figure surrounding each sperm, the area of ​​the image displayed overlaid on the observation image 210 can be reduced, which has the advantage that the evaluation results are easy to see even in observation images containing many sperm. On the other hand, when the evaluation results are displayed in a manner other than a figure surrounding each sperm, more information about sperm quality can be displayed, which has the advantage that a more detailed evaluation of the sperm can be recognized.

[0060] ID information for identifying the corresponding sperm 211a, 211b may be attached to the composite image 200 along with the evaluation results 220a, 220b. The ID information may be displayed, for example, as numbers.

[0061] The composite image 200 displays the evaluation method 230 together with the evaluation results 220a and 220b. By displaying the evaluation method 230 superimposed on the observation image presented on the observation image presenting unit of the microscope in this manner, it is possible to confirm the evaluation method used to calculate the displayed evaluation result while checking the observation image. In this embodiment, because the evaluation method 230 is displayed superimposed on the composite image 200, even if the evaluation method is set with a high degree of freedom in the reception unit 12, it is possible to easily recognize the evaluation method used to calculate the displayed evaluation result while checking the observation image.

[0062] In the composite image 200, the evaluation method 230 is preferably displayed in a position that does not overlap with the evaluation results 220a and 220b. In this embodiment, both the evaluation method 230 and the evaluation results 220a and 220b can be easily viewed. Therefore, for example, in the composite image 200, the evaluation results 220a and 220b may be displayed in a first region of the observation image 210, and the evaluation method 230 may be displayed in a second region different from the first region. Here, the first region may be, for example, a predetermined region including the center portion of the observation image 210 and may be circular, elliptical, rectangular, or any other shape. The second region may be, for example, a predetermined region including the periphery (outer periphery) of the observation image 210. Furthermore, the first region may be an area captured by the imaging device 120, and the second region may be outside the imaging region of the imaging device 120.

[0063] 4, the evaluation method 230 displays the evaluation items used in the evaluation by the evaluation unit 13. The evaluation method 230 includes an index display area 230a for displaying the indexes used in the evaluation, and a method display area 230b for indicating whether the evaluation is performed by absolute evaluation or relative evaluation.

[0064] The indicator display area 230a displays selectable indicator candidates, and highlights the indicators actually selected for use in the evaluation. Specifically, as indicator candidates that can be considered in the evaluation by the evaluation unit 13, DNA (degree of DNA fragmentation), movement (motility), and shape (morphology) are displayed along with objects corresponding to the indicators, and the actual selection of DNA and shape is highlighted by changing the shape of the objects. Note that the indicator display area 230a may display only the indicators actually selected. Each indicator and its corresponding object may be displayed as an iconified object, or words such as "DNA," "movement," and "shape" may be displayed simply as letters, symbols, or figures, or a combination of these. Furthermore, the indicator display area 230a may display, along with the indicators used in the evaluation, thresholds set for the indicators and information indicating the conditions for determining whether sperm quality is good or bad. For example, an object corresponding to each indicator may be displayed as a bar, and the set threshold may be displayed within the bar.

[0065] The technique display area 230b displays objects corresponding to absolute evaluation and relative evaluation, and highlights the selected evaluation method (either absolute evaluation or relative evaluation) by changing the shape of the object corresponding to the selected evaluation method. Specifically, absolute evaluation (absolute) and relative evaluation (relative) are displayed along with the objects corresponding to the items, and the actual selection of absolute evaluation is highlighted by changing the shape of the object. Only the selected items may be displayed in the technique display area 230b. Each item and its corresponding object may be displayed as an iconified object, or the words "absolute" and "relative" may be displayed simply as letters, symbols, or figures, or a combination of these. When the information displayed in the technique display area 230b is displayed in the indicator display area 230a, the technique display area 230b may be omitted.

[0066] Note that the aspect including the index display area 230a and the method display area 230b is one example, and the evaluation method 230 may not include the information described as information to be displayed in the index display area 230a and / or the method display area 230b, or may include information not described as information to be displayed in the index display area 230a and the method display area 230b.

[0067] The function of the display control unit 14 will now be described. The display control unit 14 controls the projection device 110 to display a composite image in which the observation image is superimposed with the evaluation result and the evaluation method on the observation image display unit of the microscope 100. The display control unit 14 may also control the projection device 110 to display a composite image in which the observation image is superimposed with the evaluation result of at least one sperm corresponding to each sperm, without displaying the evaluation method. The display control unit 14 may also control the projection device 110 to display only the observation image, without the evaluation result and evaluation method, on the observation image display unit of the microscope 100. That is, the microscope system 1 can be switched automatically or by user selection among a mode in which only the observation image is displayed, a mode in which the observation image and the evaluation result are displayed, and a mode in which the observation image, the evaluation result, and the evaluation method are displayed. A mode in which the observation image and the evaluation method are displayed may also be provided.

[0068] In the following, the case where the projection device 110 is controlled so that the observation image presentation unit displays a composite image in which the evaluation result and evaluation method are superimposed on the observation image will be referred to as a mode in which the observation image, evaluation result, and evaluation method are displayed; the case where the projection device 110 is controlled so that the observation image presentation unit displays the evaluation result of at least one sperm corresponding to each sperm on the observation image and a composite image in which the evaluation method is not displayed will be referred to as a mode in which the observation image and evaluation result are displayed; and the case where the projection device 110 is controlled so that the observation image presentation unit displays only the observation image that does not include the evaluation result and evaluation method will be referred to as a mode in which only the observation image is displayed.

[0069] Therefore, the display control unit 14 may control the projection device to display a composite image in which the evaluation result of at least one sperm is displayed corresponding to each sperm and the evaluation method is displayed on the observation image when the first condition is met, and to display a composite image in which the evaluation result of at least one sperm is displayed corresponding to each sperm and the evaluation method is not displayed on the observation image when the first condition is not met. This mode corresponds to selecting a mode in which the observation image, the evaluation result, and the evaluation method are displayed when the first condition is met, and selecting a mode in which the observation image and the evaluation result are displayed when the first condition is not met. When the first condition is not met, a mode in which only the observation image is displayed may be selected instead of the mode in which the observation image and the evaluation result are displayed.

[0070] The first condition is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include the following (1) to (4): When at least one of the following conditions (1) to (4) is satisfied, a mode for displaying the observed image, the evaluation result, and the evaluation method may be selected.

[0071] (1) A first predetermined time has elapsed since the evaluation method was set. That is, after the reception unit 12 receives a new evaluation method, a mode displaying the observation image, evaluation results, and evaluation method is selected until the first predetermined time has elapsed. In this embodiment, since the evaluation method is displayed until the first predetermined time has elapsed after the user changes the setting, it is possible to assist the user in checking the evaluation results while recognizing the changed evaluation method. After the first predetermined time has elapsed, if other first conditions are not met, the display may switch to a mode displaying the observation image and evaluation results, or may switch to a mode displaying only the observation image or a mode displaying the observation image and evaluation results. The first predetermined time may be, for example, 1 to 30 seconds or 5 to 20 seconds.

[0072] (2) After a second predetermined time has elapsed since the evaluation method was set and before a third predetermined time has elapsed. That is, after the accepting unit 12 accepts the evaluation method, a mode in which the observation image, evaluation results, and evaluation method are displayed is selected from the second predetermined time until a third predetermined time has elapsed from the point at which the second predetermined time has elapsed. Here, the second predetermined time may be longer than the first predetermined time. The third predetermined time may be the same as or different from the first predetermined time. In this embodiment, after the user changes the setting, the evaluation method is displayed when a predetermined time has elapsed since the evaluation method was no longer displayed (i.e., after the second predetermined time has elapsed). Therefore, a user who views the display can reconfirm the current evaluation method. After the third predetermined time has elapsed, if the other first conditions are not met, the display may switch to a mode in which the observation image and evaluation results are displayed, or may switch to a mode in which only the observation image is displayed, or a mode in which the observation image and evaluation results are displayed. The second predetermined time may be, for example, 1 to 5 minutes. The third predetermined time may be, for example, 1 to 30 seconds or 5 to 20 seconds.

[0073] (3) A predetermined time has elapsed since a predetermined input was received from the user. In other words, if the user wishes to display the evaluation method, a mode in which the observation image, evaluation results, and evaluation method are displayed is selected until the predetermined time has elapsed. In this embodiment, the evaluation method can be displayed by user operation. The predetermined time may be the same as or different from the first predetermined time or the third predetermined time. After the predetermined time has elapsed, if the other first conditions are not met, the display may switch to a mode in which the observation image and evaluation results are displayed, or to a mode in which only the observation image is displayed, or to a mode in which the observation image and evaluation results are displayed. The predetermined time may be, for example, 1 to 30 seconds or 5 to 20 seconds.

[0074] (4) After the second condition for selecting the mode displaying only the observation image is satisfied, a predetermined time period has elapsed since the second condition ceased to be satisfied. That is, after the second condition is satisfied and the mode displaying only the observation image is selected, the mode displaying the observation image, evaluation results, and evaluation method is selected until a predetermined time has elapsed since the second condition ceased to be satisfied. Note that the mode displaying the observation image, evaluation results, and evaluation method may be selected until a fourth predetermined time has elapsed since the second condition ceased to be satisfied and a fifth predetermined time has elapsed. The mode displaying only the observation image is preferably selected in an operation after sperm selection is completed, such as sperm aspiration or injection. Therefore, in this embodiment, after the second condition is satisfied during a predetermined operation and the mode displaying only the observation image is selected, if the operation is completed and the second condition ceases to be satisfied, the evaluation method can be displayed again. After the predetermined time has elapsed, if the other first condition is not satisfied, the mode may switch to the mode displaying the observation image and evaluation results, or may switch to the mode displaying only the observation image or the mode displaying the observation image and evaluation results. The predetermined time (including the fourth and fifth predetermined times) may be, for example, 1 to 30 seconds or 5 to 20 seconds.

[0075] When the second condition is satisfied, the display control unit 14 may control the projection device to display an image including the observation image but not the evaluation results and the evaluation method. This corresponds to selecting a mode in which only the observation image is displayed when the second condition is satisfied. After the second condition is no longer satisfied, the mode in which only the observation image is displayed may continue, and a mode in which the observation image and the evaluation results or a mode in which the observation image, the evaluation results, and the evaluation method are displayed may be selected. For example, after the second condition is no longer satisfied, the mode in which only the observation image is displayed may continue, and after a predetermined time has elapsed or when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the mode in which the observation image and the evaluation results are displayed may be switched to, and if the first condition is subsequently satisfied, the mode in which the observation image, the evaluation results, and the evaluation method are displayed may be selected. Alternatively, after the second condition is no longer satisfied, the mode in which the observation image and the evaluation results are displayed may be switched to, and if the first condition is subsequently satisfied, the mode in which the observation image, the evaluation results, and the evaluation method are displayed may be selected. Alternatively, after the second condition is no longer satisfied, it may be determined whether the first condition is satisfied, and if the first condition is satisfied, a mode of displaying the observed image, evaluation results, and evaluation method may be selected, and if the first condition is not satisfied, a mode of displaying the observed image and evaluation results may be selected.

[0076] The second condition is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include the following (5) to (7): When at least one of the following conditions (5) to (7) is satisfied, a mode in which only the observation image is displayed may be selected.

[0077] (5) Receiving a predetermined input from the user. That is, when the user does not want the evaluation results and evaluation method to be displayed, a mode in which only the observation image is displayed is selected. In this aspect, a mode in which only the observation image is displayed only while the predetermined input from the user is being received may be selected, a mode in which only the observation image is displayed until a predetermined time has elapsed since the predetermined input from the user has been received may be selected, or a mode in which only the observation image is displayed from the time the predetermined input from the user has been received until an input for switching to another mode is received may be selected.

[0078] (6) The observation image is recognized as containing an egg. That is, when an egg is observed in the observation image, it is determined that sperm will be injected into the egg, and a mode that displays only the observation image is selected so as not to interfere with the operation. The presence of an egg in the observation image may be recognized, for example, by the recognition unit 17. Methods for recognizing an egg from an observation image, which is an image or a video, include preparing multiple representative images showing a representative shape of an egg and performing pattern matching using the representative images for each frame in the image or video, or using a learning model trained using observation images of the egg as training data. The egg may also be recognized based on markers attached to a device for holding the egg. In this aspect, a mode that displays only the observation image while it is recognized that the observation image contains an egg may be selected; a mode that displays only the observation image until a predetermined time has elapsed since the egg was no longer observed in the observation image after it was recognized that the observation image contains an egg may be selected; or a mode that displays only the observation image until a user input to switch to another mode is received after it is recognized that the observation image contains an egg may be selected.

[0079] (7) The observation image indicates that the sperm immobilization operation is being performed or has been performed. That is, when the sperm immobilization operation is confirmed, it is determined that the sperm selection is complete, and a mode that displays only the observation image is selected so as not to interfere with the subsequent ICSI operation. The fact that the sperm immobilization operation is being performed may be recognized, for example, by the recognition unit 17, or may be recognized by receiving a signal from the tool used for immobilization. In this embodiment, a mode that displays only the observation image while it is recognized that the sperm immobilization operation is being performed may be selected, a mode that displays only the observation image until a predetermined time has passed since the sperm immobilization operation is no longer recognized after the sperm immobilization operation is recognized, or a mode that displays only the observation image until a user input to switch to another mode is received after the sperm immobilization operation is recognized may be selected.

[0080] The display control unit 14 may control the projection device 110 to display information other than the evaluation results and the evaluation method displayed in association with each sperm on the observation image 210. Such information may include information on the method for displaying the evaluation results, information on the sample being evaluated, information on the quality of sperm in the sample being evaluated stored in the storage unit 16, and enlarged images of sperm displaying the evaluation results. Alternatively, information displayed in a composite image, which will be described later in a modified example with reference to Figures 10 to 13, may be displayed.

[0081] The information on the method of displaying the evaluation results includes the maximum number of sperm for which the evaluation results are displayed. For example, information indicating the number of sperm for which the evaluation results are displayed may be displayed. The maximum number may be changed by the input unit 10e of the sperm selection assist device 10.

[0082] Information about the sample under evaluation includes the sample donor's attribute information (ID, name, date of birth, age, medical history, etc.), the sample donor's male infertility diagnosis, and values ​​measured by a Computer-Aided Sperm Analyzer (CASA) or Sperm Quality Analyzer (SQA).

[0083] Information regarding the quality of sperm stored in memory unit 16 for the sample being evaluated includes a histogram of the indices or qualities of multiple sperm in the sample stored in memory unit 16, and an overall evaluation of the sperm in the sample estimated from the indices or qualities of multiple sperm in the sample stored in memory unit 16.

[0084] The histogram of index or quality may display information indicating where in the histogram the sperm whose evaluation result is displayed in the observation image is located. In this case, it is possible to perform a relative evaluation of the quality not only within the field of view of the observation image but also between a plurality of sperm whose at least one index is stored in the memory unit 16 and the sperm whose evaluation result is displayed in the observation image.

[0085] Comprehensive sperm evaluations include the number or rate of abnormal sperm in the sample (the number or percentage of sperm with abnormal morphology), the number or percentage of sperm with motility indicators exceeding a threshold (motile sperm), the number or percentage of sperm with motility indicators below a threshold (immotile sperm), sperm concentration, and the ratio of motile to immotile sperm (sperm motility rate).

[0086] The display control unit 14 may be realized by a program stored in RAM 10b or ROM 10c (described later) and executed by CPU 10a. The display control unit 14 controls the projection device 110 via the communication unit 10d so that a composite image is displayed on the observation image presentation unit of the microscope. The image or video projected by the projection device 110 may be stored in RAM 10b or ROM 10c (described later), or may be transmitted to each unit and device via the communication unit 10d, or may be displayed on the display unit 10f.

[0087] 2, the index calculation unit 15 calculates at least one index related to the quality of the sperm contained in the observation image. Such an index may be calculated from at least one of sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of occurrence of sperm DNA fragmentation, or from two or more of these indexes.

[0088] The index calculation unit 15 may calculate at least one index related to sperm quality using various methods. For example, sperm motility can be indexed by the speed of movement over a predetermined time interval and the linearity of the movement trajectory. The index calculation unit 15 tracks sperm over a predetermined time interval and calculates the speed of movement, linear velocity, curvilinear velocity, and linearity of the movement trajectory based on the sperm's position information in each frame. Sperm motility may also be calculated using a learning model trained using sperm quality and movement as training data. The index calculation unit 15 may accept conditions that affect sperm motility, such as the sample preparation method, viscosity, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) concentration in the sample, and substances (e.g., hyaluronic acid) used to select mature sperm in PICSI (Physiologic Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection), and index the motility based on those conditions. When performing PICSI, motility indicators may not be used to evaluate sperm quality, or sperm with slower movement speeds may be evaluated as sperm with better quality.

[0089] Sperm morphology can be indexed based on the morphology of the sperm captured in each frame. The index calculation unit 15 may index the morphology of one sperm based on multiple frames and calculate a single index by averaging these values. Sperm morphology can be indexed based on, for example, the shape of the sperm head, the shape of the tail, and the balance of their defects and sizes. The index calculation unit 15 may calculate the number of head vacuoles, the head aspect ratio, and / or the number of morphologically abnormal areas and calculate an index based on these values. Sperm motility may be calculated using a learning model trained using sperm quality and morphology as training data.

[0090] The degree of sperm DNA fragmentation can be indexed by comprehensively considering the sperm's movement, such as the speed of movement over a predetermined time interval and the linearity of the movement trajectory, as well as the sperm's morphology captured in each frame. The degree of sperm DNA fragmentation may be calculated using a learning model trained using the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation and the sperm's movement and / or morphology as training data. The index calculation unit 15 may calculate the degree of sperm DNA damage and / or the number of damaged areas, and calculate an index based on these values. The degree of sperm DNA fragmentation can be measured using a stained image of sperm selectively stained with DNA fragmentation.

[0091] The index calculation unit 15 may calculate an index that comprehensively evaluates sperm quality by taking into consideration two or more of the above-mentioned indices. The index calculation unit 15 may calculate an average index after arbitrarily weighting the indices related to sperm motility, sperm morphology, and the degree of occurrence of sperm DNA fragmentation. In this case, if any of the indices is below a threshold, a penalty may be imposed by subtracting a certain number from the calculated index.

[0092] The index calculation unit 15 may normalize the calculated index, for example, by setting the lowest evaluation as 0 and the highest evaluation as 10 or 100.

[0093] The index calculation unit 15 may be realized by a program stored in RAM 10b or ROM 10c (described later) and executed by CPU 10a. The index calculated by the index calculation unit 15 may be stored in RAM 10b or ROM 10c (described later) and may be transmitted to each unit and device via communication unit 10d.

[0094] The storage unit 16 may store, for example, the evaluation method accepted by the acceptance unit 12, at least one index calculated by the index calculation unit 15, and the evaluation by the evaluation unit 13. The information stored in the storage unit 16 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a database in which sperm indexes are stored in the storage unit 16.

[0095] 4, the storage unit 16 stores the indices that are recognized by the recognition unit 17 (described later) in the observation image acquired by the acquisition unit 11 and calculated by the index calculation unit 15. An individual ID is assigned to each spermatozoon recognized by the recognition unit 17 in the observation image, and the time (time from the start of observation) when the recognition unit 17 recognized the spermatozoon and / or the time (time from the start of observation) when the index calculation unit 15 completed calculation of the index are stored in association with each ID.

[0096] The indices calculated by the index calculation unit 15 are also stored in association with each ID. Note that the storage unit 16 may store all of the indices calculated by the index calculation unit 15, or may store only some of the indices.

[0097] In FIG. 4, the record with ID XXX and acquisition time 01:23:68 and the record with ID XXX and acquisition time 02:20:13 are assigned the same ID. This is because the recognition unit 17 determined that the sperm acquired at 01:23:68 and the sperm acquired at 02:20:13 are the same. Even if a sperm that has entered the observation field of the observation image and had its index calculated leaves the observation field of the observation image and then returns to the observation field of the observation image, the same ID may be assigned if the recognition unit 17 determines that the sperm are the same. However, if the recognition unit 17 does not determine that the sperm are the same, a different ID may be assigned. The recognition unit 17 may determine that two sperm with matching multiple indexes are the same sperm.

[0098] The storage unit 16 may be realized by a RAM 10b or a ROM 10c, which will be described later.

[0099] 2, the recognition unit 17 analyzes the observation image to recognize, identify, and / or track the sperm. Methods for recognizing sperm from the observation image, which is a moving image, include a method of preparing multiple representative images showing typical shapes of sperm and performing pattern matching using the representative images for each frame in the observation image, and a method of using a learning model trained using the observation images of sperm as training data.

[0100] The recognition unit 17 may assign individual ID information to sperm captured in the observation image. The recognition unit 17 may assign ID information to sperm in each frame, and may assign the same ID information to identical sperm. It may be difficult to accurately determine whether two sperm captured at different time intervals are identical or different. Therefore, for two sperm not determined to be identical by the recognition unit 17, there is no restriction on whether the sperm are actually identical or different. That is, the recognition unit 17 may determine that the sperm contained in two frames are identical and assign the same ID information to them if it can reliably determine that the sperm are identical. For example, if a sperm captured in a first frame is always present in the observation field of the observation image between the first and second frames, the recognition unit 17 may track the sperm and determine that it is the same sperm in the second frame. When determining whether two sperm are identical, at least one index calculated by the index calculation unit 15 for each sperm may be taken into account. For example, two sperm may be determined to be identical when one or more of the indices calculated by the index calculation unit 15 match or approximately match. The indices approximately match means that the absolute value of the difference between the indices of the two sperm is 1% or less, 2% or less, 3% or less, 4% or less, 5% or less, or 10% or less, based on the index of one of the sperm.

[0101] The recognition unit 17 may be realized by a program stored in the RAM 10b or ROM 10c described below and executed by the CPU 10a. The recognition by the recognition unit 17 may be stored in the RAM 10b or ROM 10c described below and may be transmitted to each unit and device via the communication unit 10d.

[0102] Next, the physical configuration of the sperm selection assisting device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the physical configuration of the sperm selection assisting device 10. The sperm selection assisting device 10 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 10a equivalent to a processor, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 10b and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 10c equivalent to storage units, a communication unit 10d, an input unit 10e, and a display unit 10f. These components are connected to each other via a bus so that they can send and receive data. In this example, the functions of the sperm selection assisting device 10 are described as being configured by a single computer, but the functions of the sperm selection assisting device 10 may also be realized by combining multiple computers. Furthermore, the configuration shown in FIG. 7 is an example, and the sperm selection assisting device 10 may have components other than these, or may not have some of these components.

[0103] The CPU 10a controls the execution of programs stored in the RAM 10b or the ROM 10c and calculates and processes data. The CPU 10a is a calculation unit that executes programs that cause the computer to function as an acquisition unit 11, a reception unit 12, an evaluation unit 13, a display control unit 14, an index calculation unit 15, a storage unit 16, and a recognition unit 17. The CPU 10a receives various data from the input unit 10e and the communication unit 10d, and displays the calculation results of the data on the display unit 10f or stores them in the RAM 10b or the ROM 10c.

[0104] The RAM 10b is a rewritable storage device and may be implemented, for example, by a semiconductor memory device. The RAM 10b may store programs executed by the CPU 10a. Note that these are merely examples, and the RAM 10b may store other data as well.

[0105] The ROM 10c is a storage unit from which data can be read, and may be configured, for example, with a semiconductor memory element. The ROM 10c may store, for example, data that is not rewritten.

[0106] The communication unit 10d is an interface that connects the sperm selection assist device 10 to other units and devices, for example, the projection device 110 and the imaging device 120. The communication unit 10d may be connected to a network by wire or wirelessly.

[0107] The input unit 10e receives data input from a user, and may include, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse, and a microphone.

[0108] The display unit 10f visually displays the results of calculations performed by the CPU 10a and may be configured with, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The display unit 10f may display a moving image of the observation image captured by the imaging device 120, a screen for the reception unit 12 to receive the evaluation method, a composite image generated by the display control unit 14, etc.

[0109] The sperm selection assistance program according to this embodiment may be provided by being stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as RAM 10b or ROM 10c, or may be provided via a communication network connected by a communication unit 10d. In the sperm selection assistance device 10, the CPU 10a executes the program according to this embodiment, thereby realizing the functions described with reference to FIG. 2. These physical configurations are merely examples and do not necessarily have to be independent configurations. For example, the sperm selection assistance device 10 may include an LSI (Large-Scale Integration) in which the CPU 10a and the RAM 10b and / or ROM 10c are integrated.

[0110] (microscope) The microscope 100 is not particularly limited as long as it includes an optical configuration for magnifying and observing a sample, an observation image display unit for displaying an observation image, a projection device 110, and an imaging device 120. The configuration of the microscope 100 may refer to known configurations such as those described in Patent Documents 1 to 4. The microscope 100 may be configured to enable observation using, for example, bright-field observation, dark-field observation, phase contrast observation, polarized light observation, spindle observation, differential interference observation, and relief contrast observation. The magnification of the optical configuration may also be adjusted appropriately; for example, the magnification of the objective lens may be 20x, 40x, 60x, etc. The sperm selection assist device 10 may adjust the settings of the microscope 100. Such adjustments may also be performed by the person performing ICSI.

[0111] An example of the configuration of a microscope 100 will be described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 7 is a schematic conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of the microscope 100. Fig. 8 is a schematic conceptual diagram showing another example of the configuration of the microscope 100. In Figs. 7 and 8, optical paths are indicated by dashed lines. In the microscope 100 shown in Fig. 7, an observation image is guided as an optical image to an observation image presentation unit (eyepiece) 101, and an output from a projection device 110 is displayed superimposed on the observation image. In the microscope 100 shown in Fig. 8, a composite image in which an evaluation result and an evaluation method are superimposed on the observation image is output by the projection device 110 as a digital image, and is projected onto the observation image presentation unit 101.

[0112] First, a microscope 100 shown in FIG. 7 will be described. The microscope 100 includes an observation image presentation unit (eyepiece) 101, an objective lens 102, an imaging lens, a projection device 110, and an imaging device 120. The microscope 100 may further include modulation elements in both the illumination light path and the observation light path for visualizing an unstained sample used in ICSI. While the objective lens 102 is disposed vertically above the sample in FIG. 7, the objective lens 102 may also be disposed vertically below the sample, as in an inverted microscope, for example. A plurality of objective lenses 102 may also be provided.

[0113] In the microscope 100, a projection image is projected using a projection device 110 onto an image plane where an optical image of the sample is formed by the objective lens 102 and the imaging lens. This allows a user of the microscope 100 to observe a composite image in which the projection image is superimposed on the optical image. The microscope 100 further includes a microscope body, a stage 111 attached to the microscope body, and a transmitted illumination system 130. The microscope 100 may be used to perform bright-field (BF) observation, polarized light (PO) observation, differential interference contrast (DIC) observation, modulation contrast (MC) observation, and the like.

[0114] A sample placed in a container is placed on the stage 111. The container is, for example, a petri dish, and the sample contains germ cells. The stage 111 moves in the direction of the optical axis of the objective lens 102 placed on the optical path, and in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the objective lens 102. The stage 111 may be a manual stage or an electric stage.

[0115] The transmitted illumination system 130 illuminates the sample placed on the stage 111 from below the stage 111. However, the transmitted illumination system 130 may also illuminate the stage 111 from above, with the objective lens 102 being placed below the stage 111. The transmitted illumination system 130 may include a light source, a universal condenser, and the like. The light source may be, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) light source or a halogen lamp light source.

[0116] The imaging lens is disposed between the observation image presenting unit (eyepiece) 101 and the objective lens 102. The imaging lens forms an optical image of the sample based on transmitted light on an image plane between the observation image presenting unit (eyepiece) 101 and the imaging lens. A projected image is also formed on the image plane, superimposed on the output from the projection device 110. This forms a composite image on the image plane, in which the projected image is superimposed on the optical image. A user of the microscope 100 observes the virtual image of the composite image formed on the image plane using the observation image presenting unit (eyepiece) 101.

[0117] The imaging device 120 acquires digital image data of the sample based on the transmitted light. The imaging device 120 is disposed between the imaging lens and the observation image presentation unit (eyepiece) 101. The imaging device 120 receives the transmitted light from a splitter HM disposed on the optical path. The splitter HM is, for example, a half mirror. The imaging lens forms an optical image of the sample on the light receiving surface of the imaging device 120. The imaging device 120 is, for example, a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, and detects light from the sample and converts the detected light into an electrical signal by photoelectric conversion. The imaging device 120 generates digital image data of the sample based on the obtained electrical signal.

[0118] The projection device 110 is disposed between the imaging lens and the observation image presenting unit (eyepiece) 101. The output from the projection device 110 may be guided to the observation image presenting unit (eyepiece) 101 by a splitter HM via a lens. The splitter HM is, for example, a half mirror. The projection device 110 projects a projection image based on projection image data generated by the display control unit 14. The lens is adjusted so that the projection image is projected onto the image plane of the imaging lens, i.e., the same position as the image plane on which the optical image is formed.

[0119] The microscope 100 may include elements or devices other than those described above. Examples of such elements or devices include those described in Patent Documents 1 to 4.

[0120] Next, a microscope 100 shown in Fig. 8 will be described. Unlike the microscope 100 shown in Fig. 7, the microscope 100 shown in Fig. 8 does not guide an observation image as an optical image to an observation image presentation unit 101, but guides it by a projection device 110. In this microscope 100, the observation image is captured by an imaging device 120 via a mirror M. The imaging device 120 transmits the observation image to the sperm selection assistance device 10, and the display control unit 14 of the sperm selection assistance device 10 controls the projection device 110 to project a composite image in which other images (e.g., evaluation results and evaluation methods) are selectively superimposed on the observation image. The projection device 110 projects the composite image received from the display control unit 14 onto the observation image presentation unit 101 via the mirror M. Unlike the microscope 100 shown in Fig. 7, the observation image presentation unit 101 does not need to be equipped with an eyepiece.

[0121] In the microscope 100 shown in Fig. 8, the composite image is projected by a projection device, so the observation image presenting unit 101 and the projection device 110 may be integrated together. For example, the microscope 100 shown in Fig. 8 may be provided with a monitor (display unit) in which the observation image presenting unit 101 and the projection device 110 are integrated together. In this embodiment, the display control unit 14 controls the monitor so as to display the composite image on the monitor.

[0122] [Sperm selection method] A method for selecting sperm using the microscope system according to this embodiment will be described below. The sperm selection method according to this embodiment uses the microscope system according to this embodiment, and therefore can efficiently assist in selecting good sperm suitable for ICSI from sperm in a specimen. In particular, it can improve the efficiency or accuracy of sperm selection in ICSI.

[0123] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of steps of the sperm selection method according to this embodiment. Although not shown in Fig. 9, the person who performs ICSI (typically an embryologist) places a sample in the microscope system according to this embodiment and sets it so that the sample is located in the observation field on the stage of the microscope 100.

[0124] The steps of the sperm selection method according to this embodiment may be performed automatically by the microscope system 1 without the intervention of the person who performs ICSI, or all or part of each step may be performed manually by the person who performs ICSI. Also, each of the following steps may be performed in parallel at predetermined time intervals while acquiring observation images.

[0125] 9, in the sperm sorting method according to this embodiment, first, an observation image of sperm is acquired from the imaging device 120 via the acquisition unit 11 (hereinafter also referred to as "step S1"). In step S1, an observation image captured in advance may be acquired, but it is preferable to acquire the observation image being acquired by the imaging device 120 in real time.

[0126] Next, the reception unit 12 receives the evaluation method (hereinafter also referred to as "step S2"). In step S2, for example, the reception unit 12 may display a screen for receiving the evaluation method, such as that shown in Fig. 3, on the display unit of the sperm selection assist device 10 to prompt the user to input. The reception unit 12 may also receive information from another device that measures sperm quality and automatically set the evaluation method.

[0127] Next, each sperm is recognized in the acquired observation image (hereinafter also referred to as "step S3"). In step S3, the recognition unit 17 analyzes the acquired observation image and recognizes the sperm observed at a predetermined time interval in the observation image. At this time, the recognition unit 17 may assign ID information to each sperm. In addition, for the sperm recognized by the recognition unit 17, the recognition time and the assigned ID information may be stored in the memory unit 16.

[0128] Next, the index calculation unit 15 calculates at least one index for the sperm recognized in step S3 (hereinafter also referred to as "step S4"). Here, the calculated index may be linked to each sperm and stored in the storage unit 16. In step S4, if the evaluation method accepted in step S2 includes an index for evaluating sperm, the index is calculated so as to include at least the specified index.

[0129] Next, the quality of at least one sperm for which an index was calculated in step S4 is evaluated (hereinafter also referred to as "step S5"). In step S5, each sperm is evaluated based on the evaluation method accepted in step S2. The index calculated in step S4 is used appropriately during the evaluation.

[0130] In step S5, the quality of one of the sperm images captured in real time by the imaging device 120 may be evaluated. Alternatively, in step S5, multiple sperm may be checked at a predetermined time after starting observation of the sample, and a histogram may be created for at least one index calculated in step S4, or the quality of the sperm may be evaluated after receiving the evaluation method again.

[0131] Next, the display control unit 14 generates a composite image in which the evaluation results evaluated in step S5 for the observation image acquired in step 1 are displayed in association with each sperm, and the composite image further displays the evaluation method accepted in step S2 (hereinafter also referred to as "step S6"). In step S6, the composite image may be generated in real time based on the observation image captured in real time by the imaging device 120. Alternatively, the display control unit 14 may generate a composite image in which the evaluation results of at least one sperm are displayed in association with each sperm, but the evaluation method is not displayed.

[0132] Next, the observation image acquired in step S1 or the composite image generated in step S6 is displayed on the observation image display unit (hereinafter also referred to as "step S7"). In step S7, for example, based on the first and second conditions described above, the following may be displayed alternately: (i) the observation image acquired in step S1; (ii) a composite image in which the evaluation results evaluated on the observation image in step S5 are displayed in association with each sperm, and the composite image further displays the evaluation method accepted in step S2; and (iii) a composite image in which the evaluation results of at least one sperm are displayed in association with each sperm, but the evaluation method is not displayed. In step S7, the observation image or the composite image may be displayed on the display unit 10f of the sperm selection assist device 10 in addition to the observation image display unit.

[0133] [Variations] Although an example of this embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above. For example, unless otherwise specified, examples and / or preferred aspects (preferred, more preferred, even more preferred, even more preferred, etc.) in the description of each component and step can be arbitrarily combined to form this embodiment. For example, for each embodiment, an embodiment described as a preferred aspect may be combined with an embodiment described as a preferred aspect, or an embodiment described as a preferred aspect may be combined with a configuration described as a more preferred embodiment (or even more preferred embodiment, etc.). Furthermore, each component and step can be omitted as appropriate as long as it does not impair the effects of this embodiment.

[0134] For example, the microscope system 1 shown in FIG. 1 may be equipped with a tool for immobilizing sperm in a sample and / or a sperm injection tool for aspirating sperm and then injecting them into the cytoplasm of an egg.

[0135] The sperm injection tool may be, for example, an injection pipette commonly used in ICSI. The sperm injection tool may also include a means for immobilizing the sperm selected by the sperm selection assisting device 10. Examples of the means for immobilizing the sperm include a means for applying weak vibrations such as a piezoelectric element, and a laser light irradiation means. The sperm injection tool may also include a pressure control mechanism for aspirating and injecting the sperm.

[0136] Furthermore, the display control unit 14 may control the projection device 110 provided in the microscope 100 so as to display a composite image as will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 13. Figures 10 to 13 show modified examples of composite images displayed by the display control unit 14.

[0137] 4, the composite image shown in Fig. 10 also displays evaluation result 220c for sperm 211c, and furthermore, in evaluation results 220a, 220b, and 220c for each sperm, the ranking of quality evaluated by absolute evaluation is displayed numerically. Furthermore, in evaluation results 220a, 220b, and 220c, the quality of each sperm is indicated by the shape (color) of a figure surrounding the sperm. That is, sperm 211a and 211b evaluated as having excellent quality are surrounded by a color indicating excellent quality, and sperm 211c evaluated as having poor quality is surrounded by a color indicating poor quality.

[0138] 11 shows a boundary 240 between a first area displaying the evaluation result and a second area displaying the evaluation method, as compared with the composite image shown in Fig. 10. The boundary 240 may be displayed so that the imaging field of view of the imaging device 120 and the first area substantially coincide with each other.

[0139] 12, compared to the composite image shown in Fig. 10, the trajectory and predicted direction of movement of each sperm 211a, 211b, 211c are displayed. The trajectory and predicted direction of movement may be generated by the recognition unit 17 and displayed by the display control unit 14 together with the evaluation results 220a, 220b, 220c.

[0140] Compared to the composite image shown in Figure 10, the composite image shown in Figure 13 displays only the indicators used for evaluation in the evaluation unit 13 as icons in the indicator display area 230a, and displays the sperm evaluation results 220a, 220b, and 220c as figures corresponding to the icons.

[0141] In the composite image shown in Fig. 13, as shown in Fig. 13(A), (B), and (C), the icons displayed in the index display area 230a are divided into three parts based on the number of indices included in the evaluation method accepted by the accepting unit 12. For example, Fig. 13(A) shows a situation in which evaluation is performed using three indices, "DNA," "shape," and "motion," and the icons displayed in the index display area 230a are divided into three parts. Fig. 13(B) and (C) show a situation in which evaluation is performed using "DNA," "shape," and "DNA," respectively, and the icons displayed in the index display area 230a are divided into two parts or one part (i.e., not divided), respectively.

[0142] In addition, the evaluation results 220a, 220b, and 220c are displayed using icons of approximately the same shape as the icons displayed in the indicator display area 230a, and the evaluation results are displayed by changing the shape (color) of part of the icon indicating the evaluation result in accordance with the result of the evaluation based on the indicators corresponding to each part of the icon displayed in the indicator display area 230a.

[0143] 13(A), for sperm 211a having excellent evaluation results for "DNA," "shape," and "motion," the icon shown as evaluation result 220a shows the parts corresponding to "DNA," "shape," and "motion" in colors indicating excellent quality. Also, for sperm 211b having excellent evaluation results for "DNA" and "motion" but poor evaluation result for "shape," the icon shown as evaluation result 220b shows the parts corresponding to "DNA" and "motion" in colors indicating excellent quality, and the part corresponding to "shape" in colors indicating poor quality. Furthermore, for sperm 211c, which has poor evaluation results for "DNA," "shape," and "movement," the icon shown as evaluation result 220c is colored to indicate that the areas corresponding to "DNA," "shape," and "movement" are of poor quality.

[0144] In addition, in the composite image shown in FIG. 13, the shape (color) of the icon displayed in the index display area 230a may indicate that the calculation of the index by the index calculation unit 15 or the evaluation by the evaluation unit 13 is in progress. For example, when a short time has passed since the sperm was recognized, only a specific index may be calculated, or only the evaluation using a specific index may be completed. For example, when the evaluation of "DNA" and "shape" has been completed and the evaluation of "motion" is in progress, as shown in FIG. 13(D), it is possible to indicate that the evaluation of "motion" is in progress by changing the shape (color) of the part of the icon displayed in the index display area 230a that corresponds to the "motion" index.

[0145] [Note] The present disclosure includes the following embodiments. [1] an acquisition unit for acquiring an observation image of the sperm; a reception unit that receives a sperm evaluation method; an evaluation unit that evaluates the sperm included in the obtained observation image based on the evaluation method; a display control unit that controls a projection device provided in the microscope to display, on an observation image display unit in the microscope, a composite image in which the evaluation result by the evaluation unit for at least one sperm is displayed in association with each sperm in the observation image, and the composite image further displays the evaluation method; A sperm sorting assisting device comprising: [2] The display control unit controls the projection device to display the evaluation result of at least one sperm in the observation image so as to correspond to each sperm, and to display a composite image in which the evaluation method is displayed, when a first condition is satisfied, and to display the evaluation result of at least one sperm in the observation image so as to correspond to each sperm, and to display a composite image in which the evaluation method is not displayed, when the first condition is not satisfied. [1] A sperm sorting assistance device. [3] the first condition includes being within a first predetermined time since the evaluation method was set; [2] The sperm sorting assistance device described in [2]. [4] the first condition includes a condition that a second predetermined time has elapsed since the evaluation method was set and that the condition is within a third predetermined time; The sperm selection assistance device according to [2] or [3]. [5] The first condition includes being within a predetermined time period after receiving a predetermined input from a user. The sperm selection assisting device according to any one of [2] to [4]. [6] The evaluation unit performs the evaluation based on at least one index related to sperm quality, The evaluation method includes information on whether the evaluation is to be performed by absolute evaluation based on the value of the index of the sperm to be evaluated, or by relative evaluation based on the value of the index of the sperm in the population. The sperm selection assisting device according to any one of [1] to [5]. [7] The evaluation unit performs the evaluation based on at least one index related to sperm quality, The evaluation method includes the type of the index used for the evaluation, The sperm selection assisting device according to any one of [1] to [6]. [8] The display control unit displays the evaluation results in the form of a figure surrounding each sperm. The sperm selection assisting device according to any one of [1] to [7]. [9] when a second condition is satisfied, the display control unit controls the projection device to display an image that includes the observation image but does not include the evaluation result and the evaluation method. The sperm selection assisting device according to any one of [1] to [8].

[10] When a first condition is satisfied, the display control unit displays the evaluation result of at least one sperm in the observation image in correspondence with each sperm, and also displays a composite image displaying the evaluation method, The first condition includes a predetermined time period after the second condition is satisfied and the second condition is no longer satisfied. [9] A sperm sorting assistance device as described in [9].

[11] the second condition includes that the observed image is recognized to include an egg. [9] or

[10] . A sperm sorting assistance device.

[12] the second condition includes receiving a predetermined input from a user; The sperm selection assisting device according to any one of [9] to

[11] .

[13] In the composite image, the evaluation result is displayed in a first area of ​​the observation image, and the evaluation method is displayed in a second area different from the first area. The sperm selection assisting device according to any one of [1] to

[12] .

[14] [1] to

[13] , comprising the sperm selection assisting device according to any one of [1] to

[13] . Projection device.

[15] The sperm selection assisting device according to any one of [1] to

[13] or the projection device according to

[14] , An imaging device; Equipped with Microscope system.

[16] Computer, an acquisition unit for acquiring an observation image of the sperm; a reception unit that receives a sperm evaluation method; an evaluation unit that evaluates the sperm included in the obtained observation image based on the evaluation method; a display control unit that controls a projection device provided in the microscope to display, on an observation image display unit in the microscope, a composite image in which the evaluation result by the evaluation unit for at least one sperm is displayed in association with each sperm in the observation image, and the composite image further displays the evaluation method; A sperm selection assistance program that functions as a. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 1...microscope system, 10...sperm sorting assistance device, 11...acquisition unit, 12...reception unit, 13...evaluation unit, 14...display control unit, 15...index calculation unit, 16...memory unit, 17...recognition unit, 100...microscope, 101...observation image presentation unit, 102...objective lens, 110...projection device, 111...stage, 120...imaging device, 130...transmitted illumination system, 200...synthetic image, 210...observation image, 211a, 211b, 211c...sperm, 220a, 220b, 220c...evaluation result, 230...evaluation method, 230a...index display area, 230b...method display area, 240...boundary.

Claims

1. an acquisition unit for acquiring an observation image of the sperm; a reception unit that receives a sperm evaluation method; an evaluation unit that evaluates the sperm included in the obtained observation image based on the evaluation method; a display control unit that controls a projection device provided in the microscope to display, on an observation image presentation unit in the microscope, a composite image in which the evaluation result by the evaluation unit for at least one sperm is displayed in correspondence with each sperm within a predetermined range of the observation image, and the composite image in which the evaluation method is further displayed outside the predetermined range of the observation field of the microscope; Equipped with The display control unit controls the projection device to display the evaluation result of at least one sperm in the observation image so as to correspond to each sperm, and to display a composite image in which the evaluation method is displayed, when a first condition is satisfied, and to display the evaluation result of at least one sperm in the observation image so as to correspond to each sperm, and to display a composite image in which the evaluation method is not displayed, when the first condition is not satisfied. Sperm sorting aid.

2. the first condition includes a first predetermined time period having elapsed since the evaluation method was set; The sperm sorting assistance device according to claim 1.

3. the first condition includes a condition that a second predetermined time has elapsed since the evaluation method was set and a third predetermined time has not yet elapsed; The sperm sorting assistance device according to claim 1.

4. the first condition includes being within a predetermined time period after receiving a predetermined input from a user; The sperm sorting assistance device according to claim 1.

5. The evaluation unit performs the evaluation based on at least one index related to sperm quality, The evaluation method includes information on whether the evaluation is to be performed by absolute evaluation based on the value of the index of the sperm to be evaluated, or by relative evaluation based on the value of the index of the sperm in the population. The sperm sorting assistance device according to claim 1.

6. The evaluation unit performs the evaluation based on at least one index related to sperm quality, The evaluation method includes the type of the index used for the evaluation, The sperm sorting assistance device according to claim 1.

7. The display control unit displays the evaluation results in the form of a figure surrounding each sperm. The sperm sorting assistance device according to claim 1.

8. The evaluation result is displayed only by the appearance of a figure surrounding each sperm. The sperm sorting assistance device according to claim 1.

9. An acquisition unit for acquiring an observation image of sperm; a reception unit that receives a sperm evaluation method; an evaluation unit that evaluates the sperm included in the obtained observation image based on the evaluation method; a display control unit that controls a projection device provided in the microscope to display, on an observation image presentation unit in the microscope, a composite image in which the evaluation result by the evaluation unit for at least one sperm is displayed in correspondence with each sperm within a predetermined range of the observation image, and the composite image in which the evaluation method is further displayed outside the predetermined range of the observation field of the microscope; Equipped with when a second condition is satisfied, the display control unit controls the projection device to display an image that includes the observation image but does not include the evaluation result and the evaluation method. Sperm sorting aid.

10. When a first condition is satisfied, the display control unit displays the evaluation result of at least one sperm in the observation image in correspondence with each sperm, and also displays a composite image displaying the evaluation method, the first condition includes a predetermined time period after the second condition is satisfied and the second condition is no longer satisfied; The sperm sorting assist device according to claim 9.

11. the second condition includes that the observed image is recognized to include an egg. The sperm sorting assist device according to claim 9.

12. the second condition includes receiving a predetermined input from a user. The sperm sorting assist device according to claim 9.

13. A sperm sorting assist device according to claim 1 is provided. Projection device.

14. a sperm selection assisting device according to claim 1 or a projection device according to claim 13; An imaging device; Equipped with Microscope system.

15. Computer, an acquisition unit for acquiring an observation image of the sperm; a reception unit that receives a sperm evaluation method; an evaluation unit that evaluates the sperm included in the obtained observation image based on the evaluation method; a display control unit that controls a projection device provided in the microscope to display, on an observation image presentation unit in the microscope, a composite image in which the evaluation result by the evaluation unit for at least one sperm is displayed in correspondence with each sperm within a predetermined range of the observation image, and the composite image further displays the evaluation method outside the predetermined range in the observation field of the microscope; It functions as The display control unit controls the projection device to display the evaluation result of at least one sperm in the observation image so as to correspond to each sperm, and to display a composite image in which the evaluation method is displayed, when a first condition is satisfied, and to display the evaluation result of at least one sperm in the observation image so as to correspond to each sperm, and to display a composite image in which the evaluation method is not displayed, when the first condition is not satisfied. Sperm selection assistance program.

Images