Measuring CFU on a spreadplate with a scanner

[speedy_thrills]

Is there any software available that will measure the number of CFU on a cultured spread or pour plate using a scanner or digital camera? It occured to me today that you can scan text surely this should be easy and every lab in the world could save a few grand?

[GreenV8S]

speedy_thrills said:

It occured to me today that you can scan text surely this should be easy and every lab in the world could save a few grand?

I would assume these days that how it's done. It's extremely simple in computing terms. Surely you don't still have humans looking at them?

[ad551]

Hmmm.

537?

[trooperiziz]

speedy_thrills said:

Is there any software available that will measure the number of CFU on a cultured spread or pour plate using a scanner or digital camera? It occured to me today that you can scan text surely this should be easy and every lab in the world could save a few grand?

The software that analyses gel plates will easily be able to do it, for example

http://www.nonlinear.com/products/progenesis/sames...

unfortunately, this software is massively expensive (because it is built to do much more than just spot counting) unless you buy a plate scanner which will usually get you some software for free. You do have a 7 figure research budget to play with, don't you?

I don't know of any cheap way of doing it, but it is actually quite a difficult problem to solve, what is obvious to the human eye and brain is actually very tricky to reliably reproduce in software form. There may be something out there though...

[rhinochopig]

It's very easy technically, BUT, I think there is a legal issue with it. It is difficult to prove the reliability of the software (google SIL levels) so a lot of places will not consider using it for fear of litigation. A chap I used to row with at Uni built a vision recog system that was more accurate than doctors at diagnosing melanoma, but as I recall it died a death for the same reasons.

HTH