JPWO2021096827A5

JPWO2021096827A5 -

Info

Publication number: JPWO2021096827A5
Application number: JP2022527125A
Authority: JP
Publication date: 2023-11-14

Claims

A method for replicating the operation of an automatic visual inspection (AVI) station, the method comprising:
constructing a mimetic AVI station that performs one or more AVI functions of said AVI station, said mimetic AVI station holding and/or supporting a mimetic lighting system, a mimetic imaging system, and a container containing a sample; constructing, including mimic sample positioning hardware configured to;
capturing one or more container images with an imaging system of the AVI station while the container is illuminated by a lighting system of the AVI station;
capturing one or more additional container images with the mimic imaging system while the container is illuminated by the mimic lighting system;
determining, by one or more processors, one or more differences between the one or more additional container images and the one or more container images;
generating, by the one or more processors, a visual indication of (i) the one or more differences and/or (ii) one or more suggestions for modifying the mimic AVI station;
modifying the simulated AVI station by modifying at least the simulated illumination system, the simulated imaging system, and/or the simulated sample positioning hardware based on the visual indication.

(i) the AVI station is included in commercial line equipment, and the mimic AVI station is a laboratory-based setup, or (ii) the mimic AVI station is included in the commercial line equipment, and 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the AVI station is one of the laboratory-based setups.

Modifying the imitation station includes:
modifying the spatial arrangement of at least one illumination device of the mimetic lighting system, at least one imaging device of the mimetic imaging system and/or of the mimetic sample positioning hardware; 2. The method of claim 1, comprising modifying hardware components of an illumination device, at least one imager of the mimic imaging system, and/or the mimic sample positioning hardware.

installing on the computer system of the imitation AVI station AVI software implementing inspection algorithms that are also implemented by the AVI equipment;
After modifying said imitative AVI station,
capturing one or more new container images with the mimetic imaging system while the test container is illuminated by the mimetic lighting system;
2. Determining one or more properties of the test container and/or a sample within the test container by processing the one or more new container images according to the inspection algorithm. The method described in.

troubleshooting or optimizing the simulated AVI station based at least in part on the determined one or more characteristics, the simulated illumination system, the simulated imaging system, the simulated sample positioning hardware; 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising troubleshooting or optimizing, including/or modifying or further modifying the AVI software.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising modifying the AVI station in response to the modifications or further modifications to the mimetic illumination system, the mimetic imaging system, the mimetic sample positioning hardware, and/or the AVI software. .

the one or more container images include a first plurality of container images;
The one or more additional container images include a second plurality of container images, and the one or more container images between the one or more additional container images and the one or more container images. Identifying the plurality of differences includes determining the differences between the first composite image obtained from the first plurality of container images and the second composite image obtained from the second plurality of container images. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising identifying one or more differences.

identifying the one or more differences between the one or more additional container images and the one or more container images;
container alignment,
out of focus,
Strength,
fluctuations in intensity,
2. The method of claim 1, comprising identifying differences with respect to motion blur and/or image sensor noise.

Identifying the one or more differences between the one or more additional container images and the one or more container images includes: (i) determining the difference between the one or more additional container images or the one or more container images obtained therefrom; and (ii) a FFT of the one or more additional container images or a composite image obtained therefrom. .

Identifying the one or more differences between the one or more additional container images and the one or more container images includes: (i) determining the difference between the one or more additional container images or the one or more container images obtained therefrom; and (ii) a histogram of pixel intensity levels of the one or more additional container images or a composite image obtained therefrom. Method described.

Identifying the one or more differences between the one or more additional container images and the one or more container images includes: (i) determining the difference between the one or more additional container images or the one or more container images obtained therefrom; and (ii) the Laplacian of the one or more additional container images or the composite image obtained therefrom.

(i) identifying the one or more differences; and (ii) generating the visual indication are performed in real time as the one or more additional container images are captured; The method according to claim 1.

further comprising generating, by the one or more processors, the one or more suggestions for modifying the imitation AVI station based on the one or more differences, and generating the visual indication. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising: generating the visual indication of the one or more suggestions.

Generating the one or more suggestions comprises:
a proposal to modify one or more configurable settings of at least one imaging device of the mimetic imaging system;
a proposal to modify one or more configurable settings of at least one lighting device of the mimetic lighting system;
14. The method of claim 13, comprising generating a proposal to modify the position of at least one imaging device of the mimetic imaging system and/or a proposal to modify the position of at least one lighting device of the mimetic lighting system. .

The mimetic sample positioning hardware is configured to move a container according to a movement profile, and the generating one or more suggestions generates a proposal to modify one or more characteristics of the movement profile. 14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

receiving by the one or more processors one or more operating parameters of the imaging system and one or more operating parameters of the mimetic imaging system;
comparing, by the one or more processors, the one or more operating parameters of the imaging system to the one or more operating parameters of the mimetic imaging system;
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating by the one or more processors an additional visual indication of at least one operating parameter that is different between the imaging system and the mimetic imaging system.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, transmitting information to the one or more processors according to any one of claims 1 to 16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for carrying out the described methods .

An automated visual inspection (AVI) station, the station comprising:
an imaging system;
lighting system;
and sample positioning hardware configured to hold and/or support a container containing a sample;
an imitation AVI station that performs one or more AVI functions of the AVI station,
imitation lighting system;
an imitation imaging system;
a mimic AVI station including mimic sample positioning hardware configured to hold and/or support a container containing a sample;
a computing system configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16 ;
system containing .