Particle Group Measurement Using Overlapping Images for Faster Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for measuring changes over time in particle group characteristics, such as particle diameter distribution, face challenges due to increased statistical errors and prolonged intervals between updates, making it difficult to accurately monitor these changes.
Innovation Solution
A particle group characteristic measurement device that calculates particle group characteristics at multiple time points using overlapping acquisition images, reducing statistical errors by increasing the quantity of particle information and shortening the time required to achieve accurate measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the density of particles in the sample is lowered to secure sufficient transmission light for image acquisition, then the quality of acquisition images is improved, but the number of particles appearing in a single acquisition image is reduced, increasing statistical errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by acquiring multiple images at different time points before the actual measurement. The system accumulates particle information from these preliminary images to build a sufficient dataset, ensuring that when the measurement is taken, there is enough particle information to calculate accurate particle group characteristics without requiring high particle density in the sample at any single moment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-time-point measurement approach to a multi-dimensional time-series approach. By acquiring images at multiple time points and accumulating particle information across these temporal dimensions, the system overcomes the limitation of low particle density in individual images. This dimensional expansion allows sufficient statistical sampling without requiring high instantaneous particle concentration.
2Measurement precision
If multiple acquisition images are collected to reduce statistical errors, then measurement precision is improved, but the time required to attain the necessary number of images increases, prolonging the interval between updates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuity of useful action by continuously acquiring images at regular time intervals and continuously accumulating particle information. Rather than collecting images in a single batch, the system maintains continuous acquisition and accumulation processes, allowing the particle group characteristic calculation to be performed repeatedly with progressively improved statistical accuracy without significant time delays between updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary image acquisition and particle information extraction in advance, building up a reservoir of particle data before the actual measurement calculation is needed. This preliminary accumulation allows the measurement to be performed rapidly once sufficient data is available, reducing the overall time required compared to collecting all images simultaneously.
3Productivity
If particle group characteristic is calculated based on a single acquisition image, then measurement speed is improved, but statistical errors increase due to insufficient particle information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple acquisition images and their corresponding particle information into a unified dataset for calculating particle group characteristics. By combining the particle information from multiple images, the system achieves both high measurement speed and low statistical errors, as the merged data provides sufficient statistical sampling while the calculation is performed efficiently using accumulated information rather than processing each image separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of particle information from multiple acquisition images, accumulating and storing this information for subsequent analysis. This copying approach allows the system to rapidly query and calculate particle group characteristics from the accumulated data without re-processing the original images, thereby maintaining high measurement speed while incorporating sufficient statistical information from multiple sources.
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 device effectively reduces statistical errors and allows for real-time monitoring of changes in particle group characteristics, enabling timely and accurate assessment of particle group states.
Implementation Method 1
it is necessary to lower the density of particles in the sample in order to secure a sufficient quantity of transmission light from the sample obtained from the image acquisition
Implementation Method 2
processes an acquisition image obtained by irradiating light onto a particle group and then acquiring an image of this particle group, and then, for example, extracts information about the particles (this may be referred to below as particle information) appearing in the acquisition image
Data Source
AI summary
A particle group characteristic measurement device includes an image acquisition portion that acquires images of a particle group, a particle information extraction portion that processes acquisition images acquired by the image acquisition portion, and then extracts particle information which is information about particles appearing in the acquisition images, and a particle group characteristic calculation portion that calculates a particle group characteristic at a plurality of time points in a time series based on the particle information extracted from a plurality of the acquisition images acquired prior to respective time points. The particle group characteristic calculation portion calculates the particle group characteristic at each time point based on the plurality of acquisition images used to calculate the particle group characteristic at time points previous to that time point, and on the particle information extracted from the plurality of acquisition images whose image acquisition time periods partially overlap each other.