Systems and methods for detection of blank fields in digital microscopes
First Claim
1. A method of identifying blank fields while capturing a plurality of color field images using a slide scanning microscope, each field image comprising an image of a portion of a target area of a microscope slide specimen area, the plurality of field images covering the target area, the slide scanning microscope having a moveable slide stage for holding a microscope slide, a movable objective lens, a digital video camera having a color digital image sensor that encodes RGB color data for each pixel in a field image, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the movable slide stage, the movable objective lens, and the digital video camera in capturing field images, the method comprising:
- a) performing a slide stage movement to move the slide stage to a desired stationary field position, the slide stage movement having a slide stage settle time following the slide stage movement, during which vibration of the slide stage microscope precludes capturing a usable image of a non-blank field using the digital video camera;
b) capturing a first color field image at the desired stationary field position using the digital video camera;
c) determining a grayscale pixel value for each pixel in the first color field image based on the RGB color data for the first color field image;
d) determining a first extreme grayscale pixel value as the first grayscale pixel value exceeding a first extreme grayscale threshold number of pixels;
e) determining a second extreme grayscale pixel value as the last grayscale pixel value exceeding a second extreme grayscale threshold number of pixels;
f) determining a first grayscale pixel range distance between the first extreme grayscale pixel value and the second extreme grayscale pixel value; and
g) initiating a repeat of step a) prior to the lapse of the slide stage settle time if the first grayscale pixel range distance is less than a non-blank grayscale pixel range threshold distance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for rapidly identifying blank fields while capturing a plurality of color field images using a slide scanning microscope having a movable slide stage, a movable objective lens, and a digital video camera having a color digital image sensor that encodes RGB color data for each pixel in a field image.
52 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of identifying blank fields while capturing a plurality of color field images using a slide scanning microscope, each field image comprising an image of a portion of a target area of a microscope slide specimen area, the plurality of field images covering the target area, the slide scanning microscope having a moveable slide stage for holding a microscope slide, a movable objective lens, a digital video camera having a color digital image sensor that encodes RGB color data for each pixel in a field image, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the movable slide stage, the movable objective lens, and the digital video camera in capturing field images, the method comprising:
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a) performing a slide stage movement to move the slide stage to a desired stationary field position, the slide stage movement having a slide stage settle time following the slide stage movement, during which vibration of the slide stage microscope precludes capturing a usable image of a non-blank field using the digital video camera; b) capturing a first color field image at the desired stationary field position using the digital video camera; c) determining a grayscale pixel value for each pixel in the first color field image based on the RGB color data for the first color field image; d) determining a first extreme grayscale pixel value as the first grayscale pixel value exceeding a first extreme grayscale threshold number of pixels; e) determining a second extreme grayscale pixel value as the last grayscale pixel value exceeding a second extreme grayscale threshold number of pixels; f) determining a first grayscale pixel range distance between the first extreme grayscale pixel value and the second extreme grayscale pixel value; and g) initiating a repeat of step a) prior to the lapse of the slide stage settle time if the first grayscale pixel range distance is less than a non-blank grayscale pixel range threshold distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of identifying blank fields while capturing a plurality of color field images using a slide scanning microscope, each field image comprising an image of a portion of a target area of a microscope slide specimen area, the plurality of field images covering the target area, the slide scanning microscope having a moveable slide stage for holding a microscope slide, a movable objective lens, a digital video camera having a color digital image sensor that encodes RGB color data for each pixel in a field image, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the movable slide stage, the movable objective lens, and the digital video camera in capturing field images, the method comprising:
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a) performing a slide stage movement to move the slide stage to a desired stationary field position, the slide stage movement having a slide stage settle time following the slide stage movement, during which vibration of the slide stage microscope precludes capturing a usable image of a non-blank field using the digital video camera; b) capturing a first color field image at the desired stationary field position using the digital video camera; c) determining a grayscale pixel value for each pixel in the first color field image based on the RGB color data for the first color field image; d) performing a grayscale pixel value distribution analysis of the first color field image, based on the grayscale pixel values determined for the pixels in the first color field image; e) determining whether the first color field image is a blank field based on the grayscale pixel value distribution analysis; and f) initiating a repeat of step a) prior to the lapse of the slide stage settle time, in response to a determination that the first field image is a blank field. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of identifying blank field images in the capture of a plurality of color field images using a slide scanning microscope, each field image comprising an image of a portion of a target area of a microscope slide specimen area, the plurality of field images covering the target area, the slide scanning microscope having a moveable slide stage for holding a microscope slide, at least one objective lens, at least one digital video camera having a color digital image sensor that encodes RGB color data for each pixel in a field image, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the movable slide stage, the at least one objective lens, and the at least one digital video camera in capturing field images, the method comprising:
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a) performing a slide stage movement to move the slide stage to a desired stationary field position, the slide stage movement having a slide stage settle time following the slide stage movement, during which vibration of the slide stage microscope precludes capturing a usable image of a non-blank field using the digital video camera; b) capturing a first color field image at the desired stationary field position using the digital video camera; c) performing a grayscale pixel value distribution analysis of the first field image comprising 1) determining a grayscale pixel value for each pixel in the first color field image based on the RGB color data for the first color field image; 2) determining the number of pixels of each grayscale pixel value in the first color field image; 3) determining a first extreme grayscale pixel value as the first grayscale pixel value having a number of pixels exceeding a first extreme grayscale threshold number of pixels; 4) determining a second extreme grayscale pixel value as the last grayscale pixel value having a number of pixels exceeding a second extreme grayscale threshold number of pixels; 5) determining a first grayscale pixel range distance as the distance between the first extreme grayscale pixel value and the second extreme grayscale pixel value; 6) comparing the first grayscale pixel range distance to a non-blank grayscale pixel range threshold distance; and d) initiating a repeat of step a) prior to the lapse of the slide stage settle time if the first grayscale pixel range distance is less than the non-blank grayscale pixel range threshold distance. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification