We claim:
1. In a sterilization container for sterilizing instruments, comprising:
a wall enclosing the container;
means for holding a medical instrument against movement within the container; and
at least one opening into the container, through an upper surface thereof, for admitting sterilizing gases; and
at least one drainage aperture through a lower surface of the container for draining liquid from the container;
the improvement comprising the wall being formed of a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer whereby the wall resists chemical attack from hydrogen peroxide, and ethylene oxide, the wall does not unduly interfere with any electromagnetic fields, and the wall resists attack from elevated temperatures.
2. A sterilization container according to claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer comprises a wholly aromatic polyester.
3. A sterilization container according to claim 2 wherein the wholly aromatic polyester comprises polybenzoate-naphthalate.
4. A sterilization container according to claim 2 wherein the wholly aromatic polyester comprises polybenzoate-terphthalate-bisphenol-isophthalate.
5. A sterilization container according to claim 1 wherein the liquid crystal polymer is reinforced with a filler.
6. A sterilization container according to claim 5 wherein the filler comprises glass or mineral fibers.
7. A method of sterilizing an instrument comprising the steps of:
placing the instrument into a sterilization container which comprises a wall formed of a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer enclosing the container, a first opening through an upper part of the wall for admitting sterilizing gases, a second opening through a lower portion thereof for draining liquid from the container, and a holding means for holding the instrument within the container;
holding the instrument in a fixed location within the container with the holding means; and
admitting a hydrogen peroxide gas into the container through the first opening and into contact with the instrument.
8. A method according to claim 7 and further comprising the step of applying an electromagnetic field to drive the hydrogen peroxide into the plasma phase.
9. A method according to claim 7 and further comprising the steps of removing the instrument from the container after contacting it with the hydrogen peroxide and then repeating the steps of placing the instrument into the container, holding the instrument in a fixed location and admitting hydrogen peroxide gas into the container.
10. A method according to claim 7 and further comprising the step of filtering gaseous material entering the container through a filter impermeable to microorganisms.
11. A method according to claim 7 wherein the filter comprises a wrappable material and the step of filtering includes the step of wrapping the container with the filter.
12. A method according to claim 7 wherein the thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer is a wholly aromatic polyester.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An image processor comprising:
a classifier configured to detect a predetermined target from an image, the classifier including a plurality of weak classifiers in which a next-stage weak classifier is configured to perform detection processing to a preceding-stage output domain to output an output domain;
an image acquisition part configured to acquire a photographed image photographed by a camera;
an assigned position specifying part configured to specify a position assigned by a user on the photographed image;
a search image generator configured to extract a domain near a position assigned by the assigned position specifying part from the photographed image and generate a search image;
a classifier performing part configured to cause the classifier to perform detection processing to the search image generated by the search image generator;
a processing domain specifying part configured to, based on a detection result of the detection processing, specify a processing domain having the largest number of hierarchies to which the detection processing can be performed by each of the plurality of weak classifiers; and
a registration image generator configured to extract the processing domain specified by the processing domain specifying part from the photographed image and generate a registration image.
2. The image processor according to claim 1, wherein the search image generator is configured to specify a domain on the photographed image near the position assigned by the assigned position specifying part, and the search image generator is configured to extract a domain larger than the specified domain from the photographed image and generate the search image.
3. The image processor according to claim 1, wherein the search image generator is configured to specify a plurality of domains having different sizes, the position assigned by the assigned position specifying part being located in the center in the plurality of domains, and the search image generator being configured to extract each of the plurality of domains specified by the search image generator from the photographed image, and to generate a plurality of search images.
4. The image processor according to claim 1, wherein, for a plurality of processing domains having the largest number of hierarchies to which the detection processing can be performed by each of the plurality of weak classifiers, the processing domain specifying part is configured to specify the processing domain having the highest index indicating superiority of the detection result.
5. The image processor according to claim 1, wherein, for a plurality of processing domains having the largest number of hierarchies to which the detection processing can be performed by each of the plurality of weak classifiers, the processing domain specifying part is configured to specify a domain in which the plurality of processing domains are integrated.
6. The image processor according to claim 1, wherein the registration image generator is configured to not perform registration image generating processing based on the processing domain specified by the processing domain specifying part when the number of hierarchies of the processing domains specified by the processing domain specifying part is less than or equal to a predetermined value.
7. An image processing method for an image processor including a classifier configured to detect a predetermined target from an image, the classifier including a plurality of weak classifiers in each of which a next-stage weak classifier is configured to perform detection processing to a preceding-stage output domain to output an output domain, the image processing method comprising the steps of:
acquiring a photographed image photographed by a camera;
specifying a position assigned by a user on the photographed image;
extracting a domain near a position assigned in the assigned position specifying step from the photographed image and generating a search image;
causing the classifier to perform detection processing to the search image generated in the search image generating step;
specifying a processing domain having the largest number of hierarchies to which the detection processing can be performed by each of the plurality of weak classifiers based on a detection result in the classifier performing step; and
extracting the processing domain specified in the processing domain specifying step from the photographed image and generating a registration image.
8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium in which a control program that causes a computer to act as the image processor of claim 1 is recorded.