Amadesi, Alessandra (2020) A FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC automated system for parasitological diagnosis in animals. New tools for Faecal Egg Count of gastrointestinal nematodes in ruminants. [Tesi di dottorato]

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Abstract

This PhD project has allowed to design, project and validate the Kubic FLOTAC Microscope, a new compact, low-cost, versatile digital microscope able to automatically scan the fecal specimens prepared with Mini-FLOTAC or FLOTAC techniques, used for Faecal Egg Count (FEC). This microscope will improve significantly the performances of diagnostic techniques. In this thesis, technical, mechanical, electronical and informatic aspects of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning were described. CHAPTER I provides an examination of the most common techniques for copromicroscopic diagnosis of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in ruminants. Moreover, the limitations for each technique and the factors that led to the development of the FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC techniques are discussed. This chapter highlights also the factors that influence the variability of FEC techniques based on the flotation principle (e.g. method of preservation of faecal sample, choosing of flotation solution) and that are important for the standardization of methods. CHAPTER II shows the results of three studies aimed to evaluate and implement the performances of the Mini-FLOTAC techniques. These studies permitted to integrate and strengthen the data on Mini-FLOTAC techniques, in order to develop an automated system for the recognition and counting of GIN eggs in ruminants. In CHAPTER III is presented the Kubic FLOTAC Microscope (KFM), a digital microscope for the use in field and in laboratory for the reading of FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC through the use of Smartphone, Tablet and other newdevices, which allow to send via Internet the captured images for a real-time consultation, in vision of the Tele-Parasitology. The fully automated recognition and counting of the KFM system are in development. In addition, the first validations of the KFM were performed, using faecal samples collected from cattle experimentally infected with Cooperia oncophora and Ostertagia ostertagi at the Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology of the University of Ghent (Belgium). As described in the general discussion (CHAPTER IV), this doctoral thesis has allowed the development of a digital microscope which will be integrated, in the future, in a system that will permit the automation of the FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC techniques from the sampling to the reading phase.

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