# US 2020/0399581 A1 · Test device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0399581 A1 - Document ID: US20200399581A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/010,467 - Filed: 2020-09-02 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-27 - Assignees: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation - Applicants: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation - Inventors: Chihiro UEMATSU; Muneo MAESHIMA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200399581A1 ## CPC - C12M 41/36: {of biomass, e.g. colony counters or by turbidity measurements (electrooptical investigation of individual particles G01N15/14, flow cytometers G01N15/1404)} - C12M 1/34: Measuring or testing with condition measuring or sensing means, e.g. colony counters - C12M 23/12: {Well or multiwell plates (C12M25/04 takes precedence)} - C12M 41/46: {of cellular or enzymatic activity or functionality, e.g. cell viability} - 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)} - C12Q 1/08: using multifield media - G06T 1/00: General purpose image data processing - G06T 7/0016: {involving temporal comparison} - G02B 21/26: Stages; Adjusting means therefor - G02B 21/367: {providing an output produced by processing a plurality of individual source images, e.g. image tiling, montage, composite images, depth sectioning, image comparison} - G02B 21/368: {details of associated display arrangements, e.g. mounting of LCD monitor} - G06T 2207/10056: Microscopic image - 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} - 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 - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract The invention provides a technology for promptly determining bacterial identification or an antimicrobial susceptibility testing. In the invention, first, a state where the bacteria are divided is monitored by performing microscopic observation with respect to the shape or the number of bacteria in each of wells of a culture plate for bacterial identification culture or the antimicrobial susceptibility testing. In addition, the shape, the number or the area of the bacteria are interpreted from the image obtained by the microscopic observation whether or not the bacteria proliferate at a stage from an induction phase to a logarithmic phase, and the time-dependent changes thereof are made into a graph. From the graph, it is determined whether or not the bacteria proliferate for each measurement, the determination results are displayed on the screen, and accordingly, the result of the antimicrobial susceptibility is provided every time when the measurement is performed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of performing an identification testing or antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria or fungi, including the steps of: culturing the bacteria or the fungi while holding the bacteria or the fungi in a microplate having a plurality of wells; obtaining a plurality of images by performing microscopic observation of a state of culturing the bacteria or the fungi with time; performing on the plurality of images obtained by the microscopic observation at least one image processing of binarization processing, grey scale image processing, processing of calculating areas of the bacteria or the fungi, processing of calculating a number of the bacteria or the fungi, processing of calculating a circularity of the bacteria or the fungi, processing of calculating an aspect ratio of the bacteria or the fungi, or processing of calculating a perimeter length of the bacteria or the fungi; generating, based on a result of the image processing, influence determination information showing influence given by a drug to the bacteria or the fungi, with respect to plural types of drugs and plural types of concentrations; and, displaying the influence determination information in a time series. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating the influence determination information includes: determining whether the bacteria or the fungi proliferate or proliferation thereof is interrupted under a predetermined culture condition by comparing the plurality of images obtained by the microscopic observation, specifying a minimum inhibitory concentration by determining whether the bacteria or the fungi proliferate or the proliferation thereof is interrupted under the plurality of concentration conditions, with respect to a target drug, performing antimicrobial susceptibility determination of the bacteria or the fungi by comparing the minimum inhibitory concentration with a break point after specifying the minimum inhibitory concentration in the target drug, and wherein the step of displaying includes: displaying a result of the antimicrobial susceptibility determination on a display screen. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating the influence determination information includes: determining whether or not the bacteria or the fungi proliferate or the proliferation thereof is interrupted at each time set in advance under each of the plurality of concentration conditions of the target drug. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating the influence determination information includes: generating a graph which plots a time series change of areas of the bacteria or the fungi by acquiring the areas of the bacteria or the fungi based on a result of the microscopic observation on whether or not the bacteria or the fungi proliferate at the time set in advance under each of the plurality of concentration conditions of the target drug, and wherein the step of displaying includes: displaying the generated graph on a display screen. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of displaying includes: aligning and displaying the images obtained by the microscopic observation under a target culture condition on a display screen in a time series. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of displaying includes: aligning and displaying the images obtained by the microscopic observation in accordance with the plurality of concentration conditions of the target drug. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of displaying includes: displaying the result of the antimicrobial susceptibility determination on the display screen at each time set in advance, and displaying the result of the antimicrobial susceptibility determination regarding the plurality of bacteria or fungi in parallel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of displaying includes: displaying the result of the antimicrobial susceptibility determination of different patients on the display screen at each time set in advance to be capable of distinguishing strains of the bacteria or the fungi by comparison. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of generating the influence determination information includes: determining whether the bacteria or the fungi proliferate or proliferation thereof is interrupted under a bacteria identification culture condition or a predetermined culture condition and determining whether the bacteria or the fungi proliferate or proliferation thereof is interrupted under plural concentration conditions with respect to a target drug, by comparing the images obtained by the microscopic observation with images accumulated in a database which stores images of the bacteria of fungi in a case where culture is performed with each type of drugs and each type of concentrations for each species of the bacteria or the fungi. ### Claim 10 A method of performing an identification testing or antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria or fungi, including the steps of: culturing the bacteria or the fungi while holding the bacteria or the fungi in a microplate having a plurality of wells; performing predetermined image processing on a plurality of images obtained by performing microscopic observation of a state of culturing the bacteria or the fungi with time; generating, based on a result of the predetermined image processing, influence determination information showing influence given by a drug to the bacteria or the fungi, with respect to plural types of drugs and plural types of concentrations; displaying the influence determination information in a time series; determining whether the bacteria or the fungi proliferate or proliferation thereof is interrupted under a bacteria identification culture condition or a predetermined culture condition and determining whether the bacteria or the fungi proliferate or proliferation thereof is interrupted under plural concentration conditions with respect to a target drug, by comparing the plurality of images obtained by the microscopic observation with images accumulated in a database which stores images of the bacteria of fungi in a case where culture is performed with each type of drugs and each type of concentrations for each species of the bacteria or the fungi. ### Claim 11 A method of performing an identification testing or antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria or fungi, including the steps of: culturing the bacteria or the fungi while holding the bacteria or the fungi in a microplate having a plurality of wells; performing predetermined image processing on a plurality of images obtained by performing microscopic observation of a state of culturing the bacteria or the fungi with time; calculating, based on a result of the image processing, at least one feature value of a circularity, a perimeter length or a number of the bacteria or the fungi; and, displaying the feature value of the bacteria or the fungi on a display screen at each time set in advance. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further including the step of: determining whether the bacteria or the fungi proliferate or proliferation thereof is interrupted under a bacteria identification culture condition or a predetermined culture condition and determining whether the bacteria or the fungi proliferate or proliferation thereof is interrupted under plural concentration conditions with respect to a target drug, by comparing the plurality of images obtained by the microscopic observation with images accumulated in a database which stores images of the bacteria of fungi in a case where culture is performed with each type of drugs and each type of concentrations for each species of the bacteria or the fungi. ### Claim 13 A testing instrument which performs an identification testing or an antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacteria or fungi, comprising: a microplate having a plurality of wells in which the bacteria or the fungi is held for culture; a microscopic observation optical system which performs microscopic observation of a state of culturing the bacteria or the fungi with time to obtain a plurality of images; a processor which performs on the plurality of images obtained by the microscopic observation at least one image processing of binarization processing, grey scale image processing, processing of calculating areas of the bacteria or the fungi, processing of calculating a number of the bacteria or the fungi, processing of calculating a circularity of the bacteria or the fungi, processing of calculating an aspect ratio of the bacteria or the fungi, or processing of calculating a perimeter length of the bacteria or the fungi, wherein the processor generates, based on a result of the image processing, influence determination information showing influence given by a drug to the bacteria or the fungi, with respect to plural types of drugs and plural types of concentrations; and, a display which displays the influence determination information in a time series. ### Claim 14 A testing instrument which performs an identification testing or an antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacteria or fungi, comprising: a microplate having a plurality of wells in which the bacteria or the fungi is held for culture; a processor which performs predetermined image processing on a plurality of images obtained by performing microscopic observation of a state of culturing the bacteria or the fungi with time, wherein the processor generates, based on a result of the predetermined image processing, influence determination information showing influence given by a drug to the bacteria or the fungi, with respect to plural types of drugs and plural types of concentrations; and, a display which displays the influence determination information in a time series; wherein the processor determines whether the bacteria or the fungi proliferate or proliferation thereof is interrupted under a bacteria identification culture condition or a predetermined culture condition and determining whether the bacteria or the fungi proliferate or proliferation thereof is interrupted under plural concentration conditions with respect to a target drug, by comparing the plurality of images obtained by the microscopic observation with images accumulated in a database which stores images of the bacteria of fungi in a case where culture is performed with each type of drugs and each type of concentrations for each species of the bacteria or the fungi. ### Claim 15 A testing instrument which performs an identification testing or an antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacteria or fungi, comprising: a microplate having a plurality of wells in which the bacteria or the fungi is held for culture; a processor which performs predetermined image processing on a plurality of images obtained by performing microscopic observation of a state of culturing the bacteria or the fungi with time, wherein the processor calculates, based on a result of the image processing, at least one feature value of a circularity, a perimeter length or a number of the bacteria or the fungi; and, a display which displays the feature value of the bacteria or the fungi on a display screen at each time set in advance, wherein the processor determines whether the bacteria or the fungi proliferate or proliferation thereof is interrupted under a bacteria identification culture condition or a predetermined culture condition and determining whether the bacteria or the fungi proliferate or proliferation thereof is interrupted under plural concentration conditions with respect to a target drug, by comparing the plurality of images obtained by the microscopic observation with images accumulated in a database which stores images of the bacteria of fungi in a case where culture is performed with each type of drugs and each type of concentrations for each species of the bacteria or the fungi.