Image Processing Device for Accurate Protein Localization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for quantitating biological substances in cells, such as those using fluorescent dyes and confocal microscopes, fail to accurately determine the location of substances due to overlapping light emissions, and are labor-intensive and complex.
Innovation Solution
An image processing device and method that combines bright field and fluorescence images to extract specific cell regions, generate luminance profiles, and superimpose cell and fluorescent particle images, allowing for accurate quantitation and localization of proteins within cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a confocal microscope is used to measure fluorescent bright points, then the number of biological substances can be quantitated, but the location information cannot be obtained and the process becomes labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fluorescent image analysis into distinct processing stages: cell region extraction from bright field images, fluorescent particle detection from fluorescence images, and spatial correspondence establishment. This segmentation automates what would otherwise be manual confocal microscope analysis, maintaining quantitation accuracy while eliminating labor-intensive operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an image processing device as an intermediary between the raw imaging data and the final quantitation results. This device automatically performs cell identification, fluorescent particle detection, and spatial mapping, serving as a mediator that transforms complex multi-image data into accurate quantitation without requiring manual confocal microscope operation.
2Ease of operation
If luminance level is used to quantify biological substances, then the quantitation process is simplified, but the location information is lost due to light superposition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the analysis into cell region extraction and fluorescent particle detection as separate processing steps. By first identifying cell boundaries from bright field images and then detecting fluorescent particles within those defined regions, the system maintains location information while keeping the quantitation process simple and automated.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from analyzing only intensity information (one dimension) to incorporating spatial coordinates (two dimensions). By extracting cell regions with specific spatial boundaries and detecting fluorescent particles with their corresponding positions, the system preserves location information while maintaining operational simplicity through automated image processing.
3Measurement precision
If multiple images are processed and combined, then accurate localization is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges bright field image processing and fluorescence image processing into a unified automated workflow. By combining cell region extraction from bright field images with fluorescent particle detection from fluorescence images, and establishing their spatial correspondence, the system achieves accurate localization without requiring complex manual coordination of multiple devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The image processing device performs self-service by automatically aligning and integrating multiple images without external intervention. The system autonomously identifies cells in bright field images, detects fluorescent particles in fluorescence images, and correlates their positions, achieving accurate localization while keeping the operational interface simple.
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
Enables easy and accurate quantitation of protein expression and location in target cells, improving diagnostic efficiency and simplifying the analysis process.
Implementation Method 1
a method of organization analysis is known on the basis of the binding of a fluorescent substance bonded with biological substance recognition site and a biological substance which bind the biological substance recognition site
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing device (2A) comprises: an input means for inputting a brightfield image representing cell morphology in a tissue section, and a fluorescence image representing, by fluorescent bright spots, the expression of a specific protein in the same range of the tissue section; a first generation means for generating a cell image obtained by extracting a specific site of a cell from the brightfield image; a second generation means for generating an image obtained by extracting bright spot regions from the fluorescence image, creating a brightness profile for each bright spot region, and generating a fluorescent particle image obtained by extracting the fluorescent particles in the bright spot regions on the basis of the fluorescence profile for one fluorescent particle, which serves as a fluorescence bright spot source; and a calculation means for superimposing the cell image and the fluorescent particle image on one another.