Well counting device, well counting method, digital measurement system, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026071961-A1
Application number	US-202519389586-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 14, 2025
Priority date	May 18, 2023
Publication date	Mar 12, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

A well counting device comprises an image acquisition unit that acquires one or more images of a plurality of wells capturing a target substance; and a counting unit that counts the number of wells emitting fluorescence among the plurality of wells for each of the one or more images acquired by the image acquisition unit, wherein the counting unit counts the number of wells emitting fluorescence, excluding a well that also emits fluorescence in adjacent wells, among the plurality of wells.

First claim

1 . A well counting device, comprising:
circuitry configured to acquire an image of a plurality of wells capturing a target substance, and count a number of wells emitting fluorescence among the wells for each of images acquired, wherein in counting the number of wells emitting fluorescence, the circuitry is configured to exclude a well that emits fluorescence in adjacent wells.

2 . The well counting device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the images corresponds to a color of fluorescence emitted by each of the wells, and
the circuitry is configured to count the number of wells emitting fluorescence, excluding, from wells emitting fluorescence in an image of fluorescence of a first color corresponding to a target image, wells emitting fluorescence in an image of fluorescence of a second color different from the first color.

3 . The well counting device according to claim 2 , wherein a second threshold value that is used when determining that fluorescence is also emitted in an image of a color of fluorescence different from the color of fluorescence corresponding to the target image is different from a first threshold value that is used when counting the number of wells emitting fluorescence.

4 . The well counting device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the images corresponds to a color of fluorescence emitted by each of the wells,
the circuitry is configured to adjust luminance of each pixel of the images acquired based on luminance of a corresponding pixel in another of the images, and in counting the number of wells emitting fluorescence, the circuitry is configured to use an image whose luminance has been adjusted.

5 . The well counting device according to claim 2 , wherein each of the images corresponds to a color of fluorescence emitted by each of the wells,
the circuitry is configured to adjust luminance of each pixel of the images acquired based on luminance of a corresponding pixel in another of the images, and in counting the number of wells emitting fluorescence, the circuitry is configured to use an image whose luminance has been adjusted.

6 . The well counting device according to claim 1 , wherein one of the target substances is introduced into one of the plurality of wells.

7 . A well counting method, comprising:
acquiring an image of a plurality of wells capturing a target substance; and counting a number of wells emitting fluorescence among the wells for each of images acquired, wherein in the counting of the number of wells, a well that also emits fluorescence in adjacent wells is excluded.

8 . A digital measurement system, comprising:
a microscope configured to generate an image of a plurality of wells capturing a target substance; and the well counting device of claim 1 .

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a well counting method, comprising:
acquiring an image of a plurality of wells capturing a target substance; and counting a number of wells emitting fluorescence among the wells for each of images acquired, wherein in the counting of the number of wells, a well that also emits fluorescence in adjacent wells is excluded.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein
each of the images corresponds to a color of fluorescence emitted by each of the wells, and in the counting of the number of wells emitting fluorescence, wells emitting fluorescence in an image of fluorescence of a second color different from a first color are excluded from wells emitting fluorescence in an image of fluorescence of the first color corresponding to a target image.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10 , wherein a second threshold value that is used when determining that fluorescence is also emitted in an image of a color of fluorescence different from the color of fluorescence corresponding to the target image is different from a first threshold value that is used when counting the number of wells emitting fluorescence.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , further comprising:
adjusting luminance of each pixel of the images acquired based on luminance of a corresponding pixel in another of the images, each of the images corresponding to a color of fluorescence emitted by each of the wells, wherein in the counting of the number of wells emitting fluorescence, an image whose luminance has been adjusted is used.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10 , further comprising:
adjusting luminance of each pixel of the images acquired based on luminance of a corresponding pixel in another of the images, each of the images corresponding to a color of fluorescence emitted by each of the wells, wherein in the counting of the number of wells emitting fluorescence, an image whose luminance has been adjusted is used.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein one of the target substances is introduced into one of the plurality of wells.

15 . The well counting method according to claim 7 , wherein
each of the images corresponds to a color of fluorescence emitted by each of the wells, and in the counting of the number of wells emitting fluorescence, wells emitting fluorescence in an image of fluorescence of a second color different from a first color are excluded from wells emitting fluorescence in an image of fluorescence of the first color corresponding to a target image.

16 . The well counting method according to claim 15 , wherein a second threshold value that is used when determining that fluorescence is also emitted in an image of a color of fluorescence different from the color of fluorescence corresponding to the target image is different from a first threshold value that is used when counting the number of wells emitting fluorescence.

17 . The well counting method medium according to claim 7 , further comprising:
adjusting luminance of each pixel of the images acquired based on luminance of a corresponding pixel in another of the images, each of the images corresponding to a color of fluorescence emitted by each of the wells, wherein in the counting of the number of wells emitting fluorescence, an image whose luminance has been adjusted is used.

18 . The well counting method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
adjusting luminance of each pixel of the images acquired based on luminance of a corresponding pixel in another of the images, each of the images corresponding to a color of fluorescence emitted by each of the wells, wherein in the counting of the number of wells emitting fluorescence, an image whose luminance has been adjusted is used.

19 . The well counting method according to claim 7 , wherein one of the target substances is introduced into one of the plurality of wells.

20 . The well counting method according to claim 15 , wherein one of the target substances is introduced into one of the plurality of wells.

Assignees

• Toppan Holdings Inc

Inventors

• NAGAHARA Misaki
• Saito Junichi
• Masuda Tomohito

Classifications

• G01N2201/1247

  Thresholding · CPC title

• G01N21/6452 Primary

  Individual samples arranged in a regular 2D-array, e.g. multiwell plates · CPC title

• G01N2021/6421

  Measuring at two or more wavelengths · CPC title

• G01N21/6458 Primary

  Fluorescence microscopy (fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16) · CPC title

• C12M1/34

  Measuring or testing with condition measuring or sensing means, e.g. colony counters · CPC title