Patent ID: 8041086

Claim:
A specific macromolecule crystal detecting method comprising: a specific macromolecule detecting step in which a sample solution is irradiated with irradiating ultraviolet light and a fluorescent image emitted from a sample in the sample solution is detected; and a crystal detecting step in which the outline of the sample is detected from a visible light image of the sample contained in the sample solution, the crystal detecting step itself includes the steps of: an image input step for obtaining a visible light image of the sample contained in the sample solution as image data; an image processing step for binarizing the image data of the obtained visible light image; an edge detecting step of detecting pixels corresponding to an edge of the sample contained in the sample solution from the binarized image data; a contour line detecting step of searching continuity of the pixels corresponding to the detected edge of the sample and detecting a closed contour line of the sample; and a gravity center detecting step of recognizing an internal area of the closed contour line and detecting the position of the center of gravity of the internal area; wherein a sample for which a fluorescent image is detected in the specific macromolecule detecting step and an outline indicating a crystal detected in the crystal detecting step is identified as a specific macromolecule crystal.