Patent ID: 7570786

Claim:
An object counting system for counting non-overlapping objects, said system comprising: at least one radiation source providing electromagnetic radiation; a digital imaging unit for providing a digital image by detecting at least part of said electromagnetic radiation, at least part of said digital image being associated with a plurality of objects to be counted, said plurality of objects being non-overlapping; a radiation diffusing surface positioned between said digital imaging unit and said at least one radiation source, said radiation diffusing surface being exposed to said electromagnetic radiation substantially uniformly; an object holding surface substantially transparent to said electromagnetic radiation, said object holding surface supporting said plurality of objects placed thereon to be counted automatically, and said object holding surface being supported by said radiation diffusing surface; and a computing unit interfaced with said digital imaging unit for receiving said digital image, and including software for converting said digital image to a binary digital image, and for analyzing said binary digital image to automatically count said plurality of objects, wherein said software for analyzing said binary digital image employs a Distance Transform to segment clusters of objects of said plurality of objects and to count said plurality of objects.