Image processing apparatus, image processing method, non-transitory computer-readable medium, and image processing system for detection of target cells using image feature determination

An image processing method comprising:

• obtaining a captured image of a test piece including a target cell having a nucleus;
• setting target regions in the captured image, each of the target regions having a given size;
• setting a filter in each of the target regions, each filter including a number of first to N-th filter regions, and each filter is configured so that an i-th filter region does not extend outside an (i+1)-th filter region, where N is an integer that is equal to or larger than two and i is any integer in a range of 1 to N−1, and changing a basic pattern of the filter, the number of the first to N-th filter regions, a size of internal patterns within the basic pattern, and a position of the internal patterns in each filter region;
• generating, for each filter disposed in each of the target regions, an image feature value based on a difference between the sum of pixel values of pixels included in the odd-numbered filter regions of the filter and the sum of pixel values of pixels included in the even-numbered filter regions of the filter;
• and
• determining, based on whether or not the generated image feature value satisfies an image-feature-value condition for the image feature value, whether or not the target cell is included in the filter region, the image-feature-value condition being predetermined.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:

• obtaining a captured image of a test piece including a target cell having a nucleus;
• setting target regions in the captured image, each of the target regions having a given size;
• setting a filter in each of the target regions, each filter including a number of first to N-th filter regions, and each filter is configured so that an i-th filter region does not extend outside an (i+1)-th filter region, where N is an integer that is equal to or larger than two and i is any integer in a range of 1 to N−1, and changing a basic pattern of the filter, the number of the first to N-th filter regions, a size of internal patterns within the basic pattern, and a position of the internal patterns in each filter region;
• generating, for each filter disposed in each of the target regions, an image feature value based on a difference between the sum of pixel values of pixels included in the odd-numbered filter regions of the filter and the sum of pixel values of pixels included in the even-numbered filter regions of the filter;
• and
• determining, based on whether or not the generated image feature value satisfies an image-feature-value condition for the image feature value, whether or not the target cell is included in the filter region, the image-feature-value condition being predetermined.

An image processing system comprising:

• an image processing apparatus;
• an optical microscope that is connected to the image processing apparatus;
• and
• a display apparatus that is connected to the image processing apparatus,
• the image processing apparatus including
• an obtaining unit that obtains, from the optical microscope, a captured image of a test piece including a target cell having a nucleus,
• a setting unit that sets target regions in the captured image, each of the target regions having a given size,
• a filter setting unit that sets a filter in each of the target regions, each filter including a number of first to N-th filter regions, and each filter is configured so that an i-th filter region does not extend outside an (i+1)-th filter region, where N is an integer that is equal to or larger than two and i is any integer in a range of 1 to N−1, and the filter setting unit is configured to change a basic pattern of the filter, the number of the first to N-th filter regions, a size f internal patterns within the basic pattern, and a position of the internal patterns in each filter region,
• a generating unit that, for each filter disposed in each of the target regions set by the setting unit, generates an image feature value based on a difference between the sum of pixel values of pixels included in the odd-numbered filter regions of the filter and the sum of pixel values of pixels included in the even-numbered filter regions of the filter,
• a determination unit that determines, based on whether or not the image feature value generated by the generating unit satisfies an image-feature-value condition for the image feature value, whether or not the target cell is included in the filter region, the image-feature-value condition being predetermined, and
• a unit that causes the display apparatus to display, among the filter regions, a region which has been determined by the determination unit to be a region including the target cell.