Cell Image Display Apparatus Sorting by NC Ratio

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing specimen imaging apparatuses face difficulties in aligning blood cell images in a sequence that facilitates easy reclassification, leading to errors in classification due to the current imaging sequence not aligning with reclassification efficiency.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus aligns blood cell images based on characteristic parameters, allowing for reclassification by displaying them in a sequence determined by these parameters, such as ascending or descending order of NC ratio, to enhance classification accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If blood cell images are aligned in imaging sequence, then the display process is simple, but reclassification efficiency is poor and errors occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay process simplicityVSAvoidreclassification efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter used for alignment from imaging sequence to characteristic parameter values (such as NC ratio). This allows images to be sorted and displayed according to their measured characteristics, enabling efficient reclassification by grouping similar cells together while maintaining an automated display process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If blood cell images are aligned in imaging sequence, then the display system remains simple, but classification accuracy decreases due to reclassification errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay system complexityVSAvoidclassification accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the sorting parameter from temporal (imaging sequence) to physical/measured (characteristic parameter values). This enables accurate reclassification by grouping images with similar characteristic values together, improving classification accuracy without significantly increasing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3450957B1Cell image display apparatus, cell image display method, and computer program product
Publication Date: 2021.08.04 SYSMEX CORP
  • EP3450957B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3450957B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3450957B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A cell image display apparatus comprising: a parameter value obtainer for obtaining characteristic parameter values based on a plurality of cell images obtained by imaging a sample including the plurality of cells, wherein each of the characteristic parameter values respectively indicates characteristic of each of the cells; a type determiner for determining types of the cells based on the characteristic parameter values obtained by the parameter value obtainer; a display; and a display controller for controlling the display so as to display the cell images in a sequence based on the types of the cells obtained by the type determiner and the characteristic parameter values obtained by the parameter value obtainer. A method and a computer program product are also disclosed.