Flow meter
A system for regulating fluid flow having a processor configured to reduce image noise is provided. The system includes an image sensor to capture an image of the drip chamber and a valve to regulate the fluid flowing from the drip chamber to a patient. The processor captures the image of the drip chamber using the image sensor, performs an edge detection on the image to generate a first processed image, and performs an AND-operation on a pixel on a first side of an axis of the first processed image with a corresponding mirror pixel on a second side of the axis of the first processed image to generate a second processed image.
1. A system for regulating fluid flow having a processor configured to reduce image noise, the system comprising:
an image sensor configured to capture an image of a drip chamber; and
a valve configured to regulate fluid flowing from the drip chamber to a patient, wherein the processor is configured to:
capture the image of the drip chamber using the image sensor,
perform an edge detection on the image to generate a first processed image, and
perform an AND-operation on a pixel on a first side of an axis of the first processed image with a corresponding mirror pixel on a second side of the axis of the first processed image to generate a second processed image.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the edge detection is performed using a canny edge detection.
3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to match a template to the image.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the template includes at least a partial image of a drop of the fluid forming within the drip chamber.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to apply a blurring function to the image captured by the image sensor of the drip chamber.
6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the blurring function is a low pass filter.
7. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the blurring function is configured to blur in a vertical direction.
8. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the blurring function is configured to blur in a horizontal direction.
9. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the blurring function is a one-dimensional Gaussian Blur function.
10. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the blurring function is a two-dimensional Gaussian Blur function.
11. A method for reducing image noise, the method comprising:
capturing an image of a drip chamber;
performing an edge detection on the image to generate a first processed image, and
performing an AND-operation on a pixel on a first side of an axis of the first processed image with a corresponding mirror pixel on a second side of the axis of the first processed image to generate a second processed image.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the act of performing the edge detection includes performing a canny edge detection.
13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising matching a template to the image.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the template includes at least a partial image of a drop of the fluid forming within the drip chamber.
15. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising applying a blurring function to the image of the drip chamber.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the blurring function is a low pass filter.
17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the act of applying the blurring function comprises blurring in a vertical direction.
18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the act of applying the blurring function comprises blurring in a horizontal direction.
19. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the blurring function is a one-dimensional Gaussian Blur function.
20. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the blurring function is a two-dimensional Gaussian Blur function.