Figure 2

Flowchart of the automated counting programme "Plasmodium AutoCount". Images are first split into pixels to decide on foreground level and detect edges of objects (1 and 2). The process then splits into two paths: determination of the total number of cells via the Hough transform to detect red blood cell edges and detection of parasites by the stain (3 and 4). Finally, total numbers of all cells and infected cells are counted and parasitaemia is calculated (5).