Methods and Systems for In Situ Calibration of Imaging in Biological Analysis

• US 20070002314A1
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Biosystems LLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Applera Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kinney, Patrick, Talbot, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,541,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4228 arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/44 Electric circuits for command of an exposure part G03B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/148 Charge coupled imagers individual charge coupled devices H01L29/765
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/673 by using reference sources

Abstract

Software, methods, and systems for calibrating photometric devices are provided. These involve using a non-uniform test illumination field to approximate a photon transfer curve by calculating stable pixel values and statistical dispersions on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A method for assessing the operational characteristics of a photometric sensor, the method comprising:

receiving a series of electromagnetic signals of non-uniform intensity captured with a photometric sensor having a plurality of pixels wherein at least a portion of each the series of electromagnetic signals is distributed over two or more pixels;

assessing intensity variations between each of the series of electromagnetic signals on a pixel-by-pixel basis;

approximating a noise level and an illumination level associated with the photometric sensor based on the intensity variations in the series of electromagnetic signals for each pixel; and

assessing the illumination level versus the noise level associated with the photometric sensor to determine its operating characteristics.

23. An apparatus for assessing the operating characteristics of a photometric sensor, the apparatus comprising:

a photometric sensor having a plurality of pixels that receives a series of electromagnetic signals wherein at least a portion of each electromagnetic signal is distributed over two or more pixels and wherein each portion of each electromagnetic signal associated with a particular pixel has a corresponding intensity; and

a photometric sensor interface circuit that assesses intensity variations in the received portions of the electromagnetic signals distributed over various pixels on a pixel-by-pixel basis and approximates a noise level and an illumination level based on the intensity variations to determine the operating characteristics of the photometric sensor.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the photometric sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a charge coupled device (CCD), a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, a spectrometer and a line-scan camera.