×

Systems and methods for high-throughput radiation biodosimetry

  • US 20080181473A1
  • Filed: 08/24/2007
  • Published: 07/31/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A high-throughput method of analyzing a plurality of biological samples, comprising:

  • (a) etching an identifier marking onto each of a plurality of capillary vessels;

    (b) collecting a biological sample in each of the plurality of capillary vessels;

    (c) transporting a receptacle to a centrifuge using a first robotic device, said receptacle containing the plurality of capillary vessels;

    (d) extracting a predetermined component from each biological sample, wherein said extracting comprises;

    centrifuging the receptacle;

    transferring the receptacle from the centrifuge to a cutting device using a second robotic device;

    reading the identifier marking on each of the plurality of capillary vessels;

    cutting each of the plurality of capillary vessels using the cutting device, wherein said cutting step comprises focusing a laser on a predetermined point on the capillary vessel and cutting the capillary vessel using a laser at the predetermined point;

    transferring at least a portion of each of the plurality of biological samples from each of the capillary vessels to a corresponding well in a multi-well plate using a third robotic device, said multi-well plate having a plurality of filter-bottomed wells arranged in an array;

    correlating each identifier marking to a corresponding well;

    performing a biological process on each of the plurality of biological samples, said biological process comprising at least one of adding a reagent to each said sample and incubating said sample;

    (e) image scanning the plurality of biological samples, said image scanning comprising;

    detecting an image of a sample in the multi-well plate with an optical device by directing the image toward a sensor, said directing comprising;

    positioning a first mirror relative to the sample, wherein the first mirror directs a portion of the image of the sample in a first direction, andpositioning a second mirror relative to the sample and the first mirror, wherein the second mirror directs the image of the sample in a second direction;

    controlling the position of the first mirror and the position of the second mirror using a processor; and

    detecting the image of the sample with the optical device using the sensor positioned relative to the first mirror and the second mirror;

    (f) focusing the image with the optical device, said focusing comprising;

    collecting light from a region of the sample with an objective lens, said region having a feature with a known geometric characteristic;

    splitting the collected light into a first portion and a second portion, and directing said first portion through a weak cylindrical lens to a focusing sensor, and directing said second portion to an imager;

    observing, with said focusing sensor, a shape of the feature;

    focusing the optical device by moving at least one of the objective lens and the object to be imaged until the observed shape of the feature has a predetermined relationship to the known geometric characteristic;

    acquiring a focused image of the sample;

    (g) determining the radiation exposure of an organism from which the sample originated by analyzing the focused image.

View all claims
  • 2 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×