Patent ID: 7840357

Claim:
A method of measuring a chromosome territory, the method detecting a difference in state between a plurality of cells containing a chromosome territory by measuring a desired area of said cells from information obtained from a plurality of images formed from a plurality of pixels having an attribute value, the images being taken of said plurality of cells, the method comprising: extracting said chromosome territory from an image; standardizing a positioning state of said chromosome territory and then quantifying said positioning state; and detecting a difference in state between said cells based on the quantified positioning state of said chromosome territory, said extracting including: classifying said image into a plurality of classes; and extracting any of said classes from said image as a region representing said chromosome territory, and said classifying including: setting an initial value for an attribute parameter indicating an attribute value of each of said classes and for a mixture ratio of each of said classes; calculating, using a processor, based on said attribute parameter and said mixture ratio a class membership probability of each of said plurality of pixels being classified into each of said classes; calculating, using a processor, an evaluation function representing a goodness of estimation based on said membership probability and a mixture probability distribution defined by said attribute parameter and said mixture ratio and determining whether or not said evaluation function satisfies predetermined conditions; updating said attribute parameter and said mixture ratio when said evaluation function does not satisfy said predetermined conditions; and classifying said plurality of pixels into any of said plurality of classes based on said attribute parameter and said mixture ratio when said evaluation function satisfies said predetermined conditions.