Charged Particle Cell Imaging for Objective Morphology Evaluation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for evaluating cell quality and functionality, such as those using transmission electron microscopes and optical microscopes, suffer from poor objectivity and require extensive inspection time, especially when dealing with internal cell structures that are below the resolution limit of optical microscopes.
Innovation Solution
A charged particle beam apparatus and a corresponding cell evaluation method that acquire and process images of cells using a charged particle beam, allowing for the determination of cell quality and functionality based on features extracted from the images, thereby enhancing objectivity and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If visual inspection by experts is used to evaluate cell internal structures, then measurement precision can be maintained for structures visible under optical microscopes, but inspection time increases enormously and objectivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical visual inspection process with an automated image processing system that uses computer algorithms to extract cellular features and determine cell quality, thereby eliminating the time-consuming manual inspection while maintaining evaluation accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service evaluation by automatically processing cell images and making quality determinations without requiring expert intervention, allowing the system to evaluate cells independently and significantly reducing inspection time
2Ease of operation
If optical microscope is used to capture cell images, then ease of operation is maintained, but measurement precision deteriorates for sub-micrometer structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of imaging resolution by switching from optical microscopy to electron microscopy, which uses electron beams instead of light to achieve sub-nanometer resolution while maintaining ease of operation through automated processing
3Measurement precision
If electron beam or ion beam is used to observe intracellular microstructures, then measurement precision is improved for nanometer-scale structures, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and focuses specifically on the image acquisition and processing functions of the electron microscope, separating the essential imaging capability from the full complexity of the microscope system, thereby achieving high-resolution imaging with simplified operational requirements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables objective and highly accurate evaluation of cell quality and functionality, reducing the need for expert knowledge and significantly decreasing inspection time, even for internal cell structures that are difficult to resolve with optical microscopes.
Implementation Method 1
a charged particle beam apparatus uses a charged particle beam such as an electron beam or an ion beam having a wavelength shorter than that of light
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a charged particle beam apparatus capable of more objectively and highly accurately calculating a feature of a cell from an observation image of a cell and evaluating a cell. The charged particle beam apparatus includes an image acquisition unit 18 that acquires an image of a cell, a contour extraction unit 19 that extracts a contour of the image, a feature calculation unit 20 that calculates a morphological feature of the contour based on the contour and calculates the feature of an internal structure such as a cytoplasm contained in an internal area of the contour, and a determination unit 21 that determines quality and/or functionality of the cell based on the feature, and can objectively and highly accurately evaluate the quality and/or the functionality of the cell included in the captured image.