Microscopy imaging

• US 10,114,203 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2017
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alentic Microscience Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alentic Microscience Inc.
• Inventors: Fine, Alan Marc, Gregson, Peter Hodges
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Nam D
• Application Number:
  US15/642,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20170322402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0008 Microscopes having a simple construction, e.g. portable microscopes

Abstract

Among other things, an imaging device has a photosensitive array of pixels, and a surface associated with the array is configured to receive a specimen with at least a part of the specimen at a distance from the surface equivalent to less than about half of an average width of the pixels.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a portable housing containing

a lid,

a light source,

a photosensitive array of pixels at a first surface,

the first surface being configured to receive a specimen with at least a part of the specimen at a distance from the first surface equal to less than three times the average wavelength produced by the light source,

a second surface configured to be movable to and from a predefined position relative to the first surface, and

a fluid flow system configured to enable a droplet of the specimen to be applied from a pipette or syringe to the first surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the photosensitive array of pixels comprises an imaging integrated circuit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a computer-based system programmed to display, analyze, or store high-resolution images of the specimen using information derived from the photosensitive array of pixels.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the specimen comprises a liquid or is suspended or dissolved in a liquid.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the second surface is configured to transmit light.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the light source is positioned to deliver light through the second surface to the first surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the light source comprises light-emitting diodes.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the photosensitive array of pixels provides a high resolution image.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the distance from the first surface is less than the average wavelength produced by the light source.