Image Processing Process Applied to Colony Counters in Microbiology

摘要

A method and device for counting colonies in a sample in a medium. A bright field image is generated from light transmitted through the sample and the medium in a bright field configuration and collected by a detection unit, and a dark field image is generated from light scattered from the sample and the medium in a dark field configuration and collected by a detection unit. A fusion image is generated by a computer processing unit by combining two operand images, one an inverted image of the bright field image, and the other the dark field image. Colonies of the sample are counted by the computer processing unit based on processing of the fusion image. A single detection unit can generate the bright and dark field images, or the detection units can be separate. Light and dark diffusing surfaces can be separately retained or formed by a single diffuser.