Inspection method for microorganisms and the like, and unit therefor

This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for inspecting (i.e., detecting and/or identifying) bacteria and other microbes. A method and an apparatus for inspecting microbes, etc. including, as an apparatus for detecting microbes, etc., a cultivating device, an image taking-in device, and an arithmetic processing unit, in which an image of a medium to be inspected obtained from a sample collected from a substance or a physical solid having proper color microbes or the medium subjected to illumination treatment, dyeing treatment, etc. prior to or after cultivation in accordance with necessity is separated into the three primary colors, or the like, then, chromatic information of histogram, color and hue for each primary color are calculated, and the information thus obtained is compared with integrated data obtained by combining second data of generic information of microbes, etc. with first data of microbes, etc. which are preliminarily accumulated in the same procedure as the above, so that the features specific to microbes are extracted for identification of the kind of the microbes, and a state of propagation of the microbes after the passage of a predetermined time is anticipated, thereby a state of propagation of the microbes after the passage of a predetermined time required for cultivation of microbes in the medium can preliminarily be detected make anticipate in a short time.