Image analysis system and method

• US 20040218804A1
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEXUS Biosystems, Inc. (Azenta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Discovery Partners International, Inc. (Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hansen, Eric, Ewing, William R., Neeper, Robert K., Affleck, Rhett L., Lillig, John E., Levin, Robert K., Bodnar, Mike, DeSieno, Duane
• Application Number:
  US10/769,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20040218804A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/141
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/523 for multisample carriers, e.g. used for microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/58 Macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 7/00 Single-crystal growth from solutions using solvents which are liquid at normal temperature, e.g. aqueous solutions from molten solvents C30B9/00; by normal or gradient freezing C30B11/00; under a protective fluid C30B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1433 using image recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1475 using image analysis for extracting features of the particle
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/4027 evaporation leaving a concentrated sample
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1493 Particle size
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00356 Holding samples at elevated temperature (incubation)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00455 Controlling humidity in analyser
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/042 moved independently, e.g. by fork manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0425 Stacks, magazines or elevators for plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/0463 in incubators
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/253 for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus analytical automats G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/0099 comprising robots or similar manipulators robots per se B25J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/028 having reaction cells in the form of microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0016 Technical microscopes, e.g. for inspection or measuring in industrial production processes

Abstract

An image analysis system and related methods for automation of the monitoring of samples to determine crystal growth. Samples are imaged from time to time using a set of imaging parameters. The resulting images are evaluated to determine the contents of the samples. If the evaluation of the image indicates the presence of crystals, the sample may be re-imaged using a different set of imaging parameters, and the resulting image analyzed to determine its contents. The sample may also be evaluated by generating multiple images of a sample using various sets of imaging parameters, identifying pixels that depict regions of interest in a plurality of images, merging the pixels from each region of interest into a composite image and analyzing the composite image. An image of a sample can also be evaluated by classifying the pixels of the image based on the contents of the sample that they depict, color-coding the pixels using the classifications, and displaying the colored image for analysis.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating crystal growth in a crystal growth system, comprising:

receiving a first image of a sample, said first image generated by an imaging system using a first set of imaging parameters;

analyzing information depicted in said first image to determine the contents of said sample;

determining whether to generate another image of said sample based on the contents of said sample; and

providing information to said imaging system to generate a second image of the sample using a second set of imaging parameters, wherein said second set of imaging parameters comprises at least one imaging parameter that is different from an imaging parameter in said first set of imaging parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving said second image of said sample.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising analyzing information depicted in said second image to determine the contents of said sample.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said different imaging parameter is depth-of-field.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said different imaging parameter is illumination brightness level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said different imaging parameter is illumination source type.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said different imaging parameter is magnification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said different imaging parameter is polarization.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said different imaging parameter is illumination source position.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said different imaging parameter is the location of the area imaged.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said different imaging parameter is the focus.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing information comprises determining whether said first image depicts the presence of crystals.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said first image comprises pixels, and said determining comprises classifying said pixels and comparing the number of pixels classified as crystals to a threshold value.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said classifying comprises using a neural network.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said first image comprises pixels, and wherein said determining comprises counting the number of said pixels depicting objects in the sample and evaluating said number using a threshold value.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said first image comprises pixels, and wherein said determining comprises classifying said pixels as either clear or non-clear and evaluating said classified pixels using a threshold value.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing information depicted in said first image comprises determining a region of interest in said first image and wherein said information is used to adjust said second set of imaging parameters so that the imaging system generates a zoomed-in second image of said region on interest.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing information depicted in said first image comprises displaying said first image and receiving user input based on said displayed image.

19. A method of analyzing crystal growth, comprising:

receiving a first image having pixels depicting crystal growth information of a sample;

identifying a first set of pixels in said first image comprising a first region of interest;

receiving a second image having pixels depicting crystal growth information of said sample;

identifying a second set of pixels in said second image comprising a second region of interest;

merging said first set of pixels and said second set of pixels to form a composite image; and

analyzing said composite image to identify crystal growth information of said sample.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said first image is generated by an imaging system using a first set of imaging parameters, said second image is generated by said imaging system using a second set of imaging parameters, and wherein said second set of imaging parameters comprises at least one imaging parameter that is different from the imaging parameters in said first set of imaging parameters.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein different imaging parameter is depth-of-field.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said different imaging parameter is illumination brightness level.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said different imaging parameter is illumination source type.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said different imaging parameter is magnification.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein said different imaging parameter is polarization.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein said imaging parameter is illumination source position.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein said different imaging parameter is the location of the area imaged.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein said different imaging parameter is the focus.

29. A method of analyzing crystal growth information, comprising:

receiving a first image comprising a set of pixels that depict the contents of a sample;

determining information for each pixel in said set of pixels, wherein said information comprises a classification describing the type of sample content depicted by said each pixel, and a color code associated with each classification;

generating a second image based on said information and said set of pixels; and

displaying said second image.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising determining crystal growth information of the sample.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said classification comprises crystals.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said classification further comprises precipitate, edges, or clear.

33. A system for detecting crystal growth information, comprising:

an imaging subsystem with means for generating an image of a sample, wherein said image comprises pixels that depict the content of said sample;

an image analyzer subsystem coupled to said imaging system with means for receiving said image, means for classifying the content of said sample using said pixels and means for determining whether said sample should be re-imaged based on said classifying; and

a scheduler subsystem coupled to said imaging analyzer system with means for causing said imaging subsystem to re-image said sample.

34. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for analyzing samples in a crystal growth system, by:

receiving a first image of a sample, said first image generated by an imaging system using a first set of imaging parameters;

analyzing information depicted in said first image to determine the contents of said sample;

determining whether to generate another image of said sample based on the contents of said sample;

providing information to said imaging system to generate a second image of the sample using a second set of imaging parameters, wherein said second set of imaging parameters comprises at least one imaging parameter that is different from an imaging parameter in said first set of imaging parameters;

receiving said second image of said sample; and

analyzing information depicted in said second image to determine the contents of said sample.

35. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for analyzing crystals, by:

receiving a first image having pixels depicting crystal growth information of a sample;

identifying a first set of pixels in said first image comprising a first region of interest;

receiving a second image having pixels depicting crystal growth information of said sample;

identifying a second set of pixels in said second image comprising a second region of interest;

merging said first set of pixels and said second set of pixels to form a composite image; and

analyzing said composite image to identify crystal growth information of said sample.

36. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for analyzing crystal growth information, by:

receiving a first image comprising a set of pixels that depict the contents of a sample;

determining information for each pixel in said set of pixels, wherein said information comprises a classification describing the type of sample content depicted by said each pixel, and a color code associated with each classification;

generating a second image based on said information and said set of pixels;

displaying said second image; and

visually analyzing said second image to determine crystal growth information of the sample.

37. A method of analyzing crystal growth, comprising:

generating a first image having pixels depicting crystal growth information of a sample at a first time;

generating a second image having pixels depicting crystal growth information of said sample at a second time;

analyzing said first image and said second image to identify crystal growth information of said sample.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein analyzing comprises comparing the number of pixels depicting crystal growth in said first image with the number of pixels depicting crystal growth in said second image.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein analyzing comprises comparing the number of pixels within grid elements of said first image with the number of pixels within respective grid elements of said second image.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the size of the grid elements defined by dividing up the said first image and said second image can vary from 1 pixel up to the total number of pixels in each image.