Cell-Image Analysis Method, Cell-Image Analysis Program, Cell-Image Analysis Apparatus, Screening Method, and Screening Apparatus

A cell-image analysis method comprising:

• an image-information inputting step of receiving light emitted from a cells at predetermined time intervals as a plurality of images;
• a luminance-value calculating step of calculating fractions of pixels whose luminance value in the plurality of images obtained in the image-information inputting step is a specified value or above;
• and
• a comparison calculation step of comparing the fractions of pixels having the luminance value of the specified value or above in the plurality of images, which were obtained in the luminance-value calculating step.

A cell-image analysis method comprising:

• an image-information inputting step of receiving light emitted from cells at predetermined time intervals as a plurality of images;
• a counting step of counting numbers of cells existing in the images, in the image information obtained in the image-information inputting step;
• and
• a comparison calculation step of comparing the numbers of cells in the plurality of images on the basis of results obtained in the counting step.

A cell-image analysis apparatus comprising:

• an image-information inputting unit for receiving light emitted from cells at predetermined intervals as a plurality of images;
• a luminance-value calculating unit for calculating fractions of pixels with a luminance value of a specified value or greater in the plurality of images obtained in the image-information inputting unit;
• and
• a comparison calculation unit for comparing the fractions of pixels having the luminance value of the specified value or greater in the plurality of images, which were obtained in the luminance-value calculating unit.

A cell-image analysis apparatus comprising:

• an image-information inputting unit for receiving light emitted from cells at predetermined intervals as a plurality of images;
• a counting unit for counting numbers of cells existing in the images obtained in the image-information inputting unit;
• and
• a comparison calculating unit for comparing the numbers of cells in the plurality of images on the basis of results obtained in the counting unit.

A screening method comprising:

• analyzing a cell image captured by a microscope;
• and
• evaluating a value parameterized with an amount of deviation of a cell outline from a circle, to serve as a morphological feature representing a morphological characteristic of each cell in the cell image;
• and
• performing drug screening on the basis of this evaluation.

A screening method comprising:

• analyzing a three-dimensional image constructed from a plurality of cell images captured by a microscope;
• evaluating a value parameterized with an amount of deviation of a cell outline from a sphere, to serve as a morphological feature representing a morphological characteristic of each cell in the cell images;
• and
• performing drug screening on the basis of this evaluation.

A screening apparatus comprising:

• an illumination unit for irradiating cells with illumination light;
• an image-information inputting unit for detecting light emitted from the cells to capture image information;
• an image-information processing unit for parameterizing a morphological feature representing a morphological characteristic of each cell, in the image information captured by the image-information inputting unit;
• an evaluation unit for evaluating the morphological feature parameterized by the image-information processing unit and performing drug screening on the cells;
• and
• an output unit for displaying and outputting results of the drug screening by the evaluation unit.