Cell Morphology Analysis via Shape-Aligned 2D Projection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current image processing systems struggle to accurately visualize and analyze the morphological features of cell groups or individual cells from 3D image data, limiting observation accuracy.
Innovation Solution
An image processing device and microscope system that generate 3D images from multiple 2D images acquired at different focus positions, process these images to analyze feature quantities, display results in graphs, allow users to select regions of interest, and generate 2D display images in planes aligned with shape features of cells or cell clumps for improved visual observation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If 3D images of cells are generated from multiple 2D images at different focus positions, then the morphological features of cells can be visualized, but the complexity of image processing and analysis increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex 3D image data by separating cells into individual objects and extracting their morphological features. The analysis is divided into distinct steps: 3D image generation, cell segmentation, feature extraction, and gallery display. This segmentation reduces processing complexity by handling each cell independently rather than processing the entire 3D volume as a single complex object.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms 3D image data into 2D display images that represent key morphological features. By projecting 3D cellular structures onto 2D planes and displaying them in a gallery format, the system maintains comprehensive morphological information while simplifying the display dimensionality for easier visual analysis.
2Ease of operation
If 2D images are displayed in a list format, then visual confirmation of cells is facilitated, but the morphological accuracy and observation precision are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by displaying different types of information in optimized formats: 2D gallery images provide clear visual confirmation for individual cell identification, while separate graphical displays show quantitative morphological measurements. This allows each display element to have the quality best suited for its specific purpose.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces morphological feature extraction as an intermediary step between 3D image acquisition and 2D display. This intermediary process calculates quantitative parameters (area, perimeter, circularity, etc.) that mediate between the complex 3D data and the simplified 2D display, preserving measurement precision while maintaining visual ease.
3Productivity
If cells are identified from fluorescence or luminescence signals, then cell detection is achieved, but the analysis of morphological features in 3D data remains difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by automatically segmenting cells from the 3D image data and pre-calculating morphological features before display. The system proactively identifies cell boundaries, extracts shape parameters, and prepares gallery images in advance, eliminating the need for manual analysis and preserving all morphological information for later review.
Data Source
AI summary
Visual observation of morphological features of a cell group or individual cells acquired in 3D image data is facilitated, thus improving observation accuracy. Provided is an image processing device that generates, on the basis of a plurality of 2D images acquired by a microscope at different focus positions on a cell clump, 3D images of respective cells constituting the cell clump, that processes the generated 3D images and analyzes feature amounts on the basis of at least one measurement parameter, that displays analysis results in a graph, that allows a user to select a region of interest on the displayed graph, and that generates, from the 3D images that correspond to the plurality of cells that are included in the selected region of interest, 2D display images each in a plane with reference to an axis that is determined on the basis of a shape feature of the corresponding cell and displays the 2D display images in a list.