# US 12,602,939 B2 · Inspection system and inspection method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,602,939 B2 - Document ID: US12602939B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/549,657 - Filed: 2022-03-18 - Published: 2024-05-23 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-22 - Assignees: Daikin Industries, Ltd. - Applicants: Daikin Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Shogo Kawai; Naomi Yoshimura; Aoi Goto; Wakana Takano; Ryuichiro Oto; Shotaro Maeda; Mirei Kanetake; Takashi Namikawa; Shiho Watanabe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12602939B2 ## CPC - C12Q 1/04: Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor {(C12Q1/6897 takes precedence)} - G06V 20/693: {Acquisition} - C12M 41/36: {of biomass, e.g. colony counters or by turbidity measurements (electrooptical investigation of individual particles G01N15/14, flow cytometers G01N15/1404)} - G01N 1/38: Diluting, dispersing or mixing samples - G01N 15/0606: {by collecting particles on a support} - G01N 15/075: by optical means - G01N 15/1433: using image recognition - G01N 15/1468: {with spatial resolution of the texture or inner structure of the particle} - G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection} - G06V 10/70: using pattern recognition or machine learning (optical pattern recognition or electronic computations therefor G06V10/88) - G06V 20/698: {Matching; Classification} - G01N 2015/1486: {Counting the particles} - G06T 2207/30024: Cell structures in vitro; Tissue sections in vitro - C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract An sure, an inspection system and an inspection method that reduce the time required to inspect environmental microorganisms, are provided. The inspection system inspection system is for inspecting a microorganism or mold that is generated in an indoor environment or a device, and the inspection system includes an imaging unit configured to directly capture a sample collected from the indoor environment or the device; and an output unit configured to inspect the microorganism or the mold in image data captured by the imaging unit, and output an inspection result. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inspection system for inspecting a microorganism or mold that is generated in an indoor environment or a device, the inspection system comprising: an imaging unit configured to directly capture a sample collected from the indoor environment or the device; and an output unit configured to inspect the microorganism or the mold in image data captured by the imaging unit, and output an inspection result, wherein the imaging unit is configured to capture an imaging target, the imaging target being a solution collected from the indoor environment or the device, the solution being obtained by dissolving, in the solution, the sample collected from the indoor environment or the device, and the imaging target obtained without culturing the microorganism or the mold in the sample. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit captures the sample to capture an appearance of an individual unit of the microorganism or the mold included in the sample. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The inspection system according to claim 2, wherein the output unit displays, as the inspection result, a type of the microorganism or the mold, a ratio of the microorganism or the mold, and the image data captured by the imaging unit, and also displays any one of information indicating the indoor environment or the device, a description of the microorganism or the mold, a level of contamination, and a result of comparison with another inspection result. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit captures the imaging target through a lens under visible light or ultraviolet light. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging target is collected from any of an air conditioner, an air cleaner, a humidifier, a ventilation system, a blower, or a surface of the indoor environment. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising: a first model that has completed learning configured to determine an attribute of each region in the image data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The inspection system according to claim 6, further comprising: a second model that has completed learning configured to determine a type of the microorganism or the mold, with respect to the region determined to include the microorganism or the mold by the first model that has completed learning. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein each of the regions, for which the attribute is determined by the first model that has completed learning, is 32 pixels×32 pixels or more. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the first model that has completed learning is generated by performing learning processing by using learning data, wherein in the learning data, the image data including a same type of the microorganism or the mold, and position information in which a position of each of the regions determined to include the microorganism or the mold in the image data is identified by a plurality of coordinates, are associated with each other. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein when the type of the microorganism or the mold is determined, the second model that has completed learning counts a number of the microorganism or the mold for each determined type. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The inspection system according to claim 7, further comprising: a portable imaging table on which the imaging target is mounted, and a mobile terminal connected to the imaging table, wherein the imaging table includes the imaging unit, and the mobile terminal includes the first model that has completed learning, the second model that has completed learning, and the output unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the first model that has completed learning is a YOLO that has completed learning. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the second model that has completed learning is generated by performing learning processing by using learning data, wherein in the learning data, partial image data of each of the regions determined to include the microorganism or the mold in the image data including a same type of the microorganism or the mold, and the type of the microorganism or the mold, are associated with each other. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the second model that has completed learning is a DML that has completed learning. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the output unit aggregates a number of the microorganism or the mold for each type of the microorganism or the mold in the image data captured by the imaging unit, and outputs the aggregated number. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging target is obtained by dispersing and dissolving the collected sample in the solution. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The inspection system according to claim 16, wherein the imaging target is obtained by dispersing and dissolving, in the solution, the sample collected from an air conditioner. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The inspection system according to claim 16, wherein the imaging target is obtained by dispersing and dissolving the collected sample in a saline solution in which a surfactant is dissolved. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The inspection system according to claim 16, wherein the imaging target includes a first solution obtained by dispersing and dissolving the collected sample in a saline solution in which a surfactant is dissolved, and a second solution obtained by further diluting the first solution by using a saline solution in which a surfactant is dissolved. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the inspection system is a mobile terminal, and the imaging unit is built in the mobile terminal. ### Claim 21 An inspection method performed by an inspection system for inspecting a microorganism or mold that is generated in an indoor environment or a device, the inspection method comprising: an imaging step of directly capturing a sample collected from the indoor environment or the device; and an output step of inspecting the microorganism or the mold in captured image data, and outputting an inspection result, wherein an imaging target captured during the imaging step is a solution collected from the indoor environment or the device, the solution being obtained by dissolving, in the solution, the sample collected from the indoor environment or the device, and the imaging target obtained without culturing the microorganism or the mold in the sample. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The inspection method according to claim 21, wherein the imaging step includes capturing the sample to capture an appearance of an individual unit of the microorganism or the mold included in the sample.