Imaging particle analysis: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:20, 28 October 2013

Revision as of 16:22, 28 October 2013

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As faster computing resources became available at lowered costs, the task of making measurements from microscope images of particles could now be performed automatically by machine without human intervention, making it possible to measure significantly larger numbers of particles in much less time.

==Image acquisition methods==

==Basic methodology==

The basic process by which imaging particle analysis is carried out is as follows:

1.)# A digital camera captures an image of the [[field of view]] in the optical system.

2.)# A gray scale [[Thresholding (image processing)|thresholding]] process is used to perform [[Image segmentation#Thresholding|image segmentation]], segregating out the particles from the background, creating a [[binary image]] of each particle.

1.) A digital camera captures an image of the [[field of view]] in the optical system.

3.)# [[Digital image processing]] techniques are used to perform [[image analysis]] operations, resulting in morphological and grey-scale measurements to be stored for each particle.

4.)# The measurements saved for each particle are then used to generate image population statistics, or as inputs to algorithms for filtering and sorting the particles into groups of similar types. In some systems, sophisticated [[pattern recognition]] techniques may also be employed in order to separate different particle types contained in a heterogeneous sample.

2.) A gray scale [[Thresholding (image processing)|thresholding]] process is used to perform [[Image segmentation#Thresholding|image segmentation]], segregating out the particles from the background, creating a [[binary image]] of each particle.

3.) [[Digital image processing]] techniques are used to perform [[image analysis]] operations, resulting in morphological and grey-scale measurements to be stored for each particle.

4.) The measurements saved for each particle are then used to generate image population statistics, or as inputs to algorithms for filtering and sorting the particles into groups of similar types. In some systems, sophisticated [[pattern recognition]] techniques may also be employed in order to separate different particle types contained in a heterogeneous sample.

==Image acquisition methods==

Imaging particle analyzers can be subdivided into two distinct types, static and dynamic, based upon the image acquisition methods. While the basic principles are the same, the methods of image acquisition are different in nature, and each has advantages and disadvantages.