Cell Colony Region Deformation for Accurate Display

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for evaluating and displaying cell colonies are inaccurate and slow when cells move or colonies deform during operations like picking, due to the lack of consideration for positional shifts and deformation, leading to incorrect evaluations and increased costs from requiring multiple microscopes.

Innovation Solution

A cell region display control device and method that divides the cell colony into regions based on evaluation results, deforms these regions in response to changes in the colony's form, allowing for accurate and quick display of evaluation results even when cells are moved or colonies are deformed during operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If fluorescent image is captured to specify target cell, then target cell can be specified, but shift occurs between actual position and displayed position after picking operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetarget cell specification accuracyVSAvoidposition accuracy after operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the displayed image update in real-time as cells move during picking operations. Instead of displaying a static fluorescent image captured before the operation, the system continuously updates the displayed image to reflect the current positions of cells, ensuring that the displayed position always matches the actual position even during dynamic changes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by detecting cell positions during the picking operation and using this information to update the displayed image. The system monitors the actual cell positions and feeds this information back to the display system, allowing the displayed image to reflect real-time changes and maintain accuracy throughout the operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If fluorescent image is captured to specify target cell, then target cell can be specified, but cost increases due to requiring two microscopes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetarget cell specification accuracyVSAvoidnumber of microscopes
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the functions of bright field imaging and fluorescent imaging into a single microscope system. By combining these imaging modalities, the system eliminates the need for separate microscopes while maintaining the ability to capture both types of images for accurate target cell specification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes a single microscope universal by enabling it to perform both bright field imaging and fluorescent imaging functions. This multi-functional approach allows the system to achieve accurate target cell specification without requiring multiple specialized devices, thereby reducing cost and complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Speed

If cell colony is evaluated for each frame in time series, then current state can be displayed, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay speedVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by selectively updating only the portions of the displayed image that have changed due to cell movement, rather than re-evaluating and redisplaying the entire cell colony for each frame. This approach reduces processing time while still maintaining accurate display of the current state.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-processing and storing cell position information as cells move during the picking operation. This allows the system to quickly generate updated displays without performing full re-evaluation, thereby reducing processing time while maintaining accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Measurement precision

If cell colony evaluation is performed, then cell colony can be specified, but correct evaluation cannot be obtained when cells move or colony deforms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecell colony evaluation accuracyVSAvoidevaluation accuracy during operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the cell colony evaluation continuous and adaptive rather than static. The system continuously tracks cell positions and updates the evaluation as cells move or the colony deforms during picking operations, ensuring that the evaluation remains accurate throughout the dynamic process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by using real-time cell position detection to continuously update the cell colony evaluation. The system monitors changes in cell positions and feeds this information back to the evaluation algorithm, allowing it to maintain accuracy even as the colony deforms or cells move during the operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3121264B1Cell region display control device and method
Publication Date: 2020.02.19 FUJIFILM CORP
  • EP3121264B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3121264B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3121264B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

There is provided a cell region display control device, method, and program for displaying the evaluation result of cell colonies accurately and quickly even in a case where an operation, such as picking, is performed on the cell colonies. There are included a colony evaluation unit 31 that acquires an evaluation result of the cell colony in a cell image obtained by imaging the cell colony, a divided region setting unit 32 that sets a plurality of divided regions by dividing the region of the cell colony according to the evaluation result, a display control unit 34 that displays each of the plurality of divided regions, and a region deformation unit 33 that deforms the divided regions according to a change in the form of the cell colony due to an operation on the cell colony. The display control unit 34 changes a display of the divided regions before the change in form of the cell colony to a display of the divided regions after the deformation.