Suzuki Motor Corporation

Dainabot Co., Ltd.

Hideo Suda

Toshiyuki Furuta

Naoki Ozawa

Masato Ohta

Yasuhiko Yokomori

Shogo Kida

Masahiro Kato

Ryohei Matsumoto

Kunio Kurata

Yoshinobu Kubo

Yoshiharu Matsuoka

An aggregation pattern detecting apparatus includes a microplate having a plurality of reactive vessels in which aggregation patterns are formed, a light source arranged above the microplate, and a light sensor arrangement positioned below the microplate. The microplate is removably fastened to a main body, and a movable frame is movably supported on the main body. The light source and light sensor arrangement are carried on the movable frame for movement therewith. A driving mechanism effects movement of the movable frame and is controlled by a main control section. A reference plate is provided separately from the microplate, and has a plurality of through holes therein which correspond to the reactive vessels of the microplate. The reference plate is removably fastenable to the main body at the normal operative position of the microplate. With the reference plate in this position, the distance from a starting point of the driving mechanism to the through holes of the reference plate is measured and stored in the main control section. Based on these stored distances, the main control section determines appropriate operational positions for the light sensor.

Apparatus for measuring aggregation patterns on a microplate

A method and apparatus for discriminating aggregation patterns includes detection of an image of the aggregation pattern and dividing the image into a plurality of image line data using a photoelectric element. The image line data defines an image waveform and includes a maximum image value. High and low image levels are defined based on the maximum image value. These high and low image levels are used to determine first and second areas of the aggregation pattern image, which first and second areas respectively include image values at least as large as the high and low image levels. An area difference between the first and second areas and a level difference between the high and low image levels are then calculated, along with a ratio of the area difference to the level difference. The calculated area difference and ratio are then compared with a predetermined reference value to discriminate whether or not the aggregation pattern is positive.

Method and apparatus for discriminating aggregation pattern

An apparatus for discriminating a particle aggregation pattern includes a memory circuit for storing line data output from a CCD line sensor, which line data represents the aggregation pattern. A maximum value is obtained for each set of line data, and thereafter a further maximum value is obtained from the afore-mentioned previously obtained maximum values. A threshold value is determined on the basis of the further maximum value, and is then applied to the line data in order to extract therefrom information regarding the shape and area of the aggregation pattern. In another embodiment, the threshold value is determined on the basis of minimum values obtained from the line data.

Apparatus for discriminating particle aggregation pattern

A CCD driving circuit for reading and outputting data from a plurality of CCD sensors, each CCD sensor being actuable to convert an image into data by first optically sensing the image during a first time period and thereafter converting the optically-sensed image into data during a second time period, including a driving arrangement for actuating the CCD sensors such that the first time periods associated therewith are staggered so that the second time periods associated therewith do not overlap each other. A multiplexing arrangement is provided for multiplexing and outputting the data read from each of the CCD sensors.

Circuit for reading a plurality of CCD sensors during respective

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Yokohama, Japan

Hideo Suda