CYTOLOGICAL IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20100128944A1
• Filed: 01/27/2010
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cytyc Corporation (Hologic Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cytyc Corporation (Hologic Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ostgaard, Roy, Zelinski, Matthew S., Chinnock, Randal, Geiselman, Theodore S., Hassenpflug, Eric, Danhof, Scott N., Greene, Howard L., Zahniser, David, Juratovac, Joseph A., Haubert, Thomas D., Zambanini, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US12/695,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20100128944A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/30 Staining; Impregnating ; Fixation; Dehydration; Multistep processes for preparing samples of tissue, cell or nucleic acid material and the like for analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1012 Calibrating particle analysers; References therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1433 using image recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1468 with spatial resolution of the texture or inner structure of the particle
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/147 the analysis being performed on a sample stream
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1006 for cytology
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1472 with colour
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1488 Methods for deciding
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3151 using two sources of radiation of different wavelengths G01N21/33 - G01N21/39 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0016 Technical microscopes, e.g. for inspection or measuring in industrial production processes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/32 Micromanipulators structurally combined with microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/34 Microscope slides, e.g. mounting specimens on microscope slides
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30024 Cell structures in vitro; Tissue sections in vitro
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/693 Acquisition

Abstract

The present invention relates to the analysis of specimens. Specifically, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for reviewing specimen slides, including apparatus for holding the slides. The invention also relates to an automatic focusing method for an imaging system and methods for accommodating vibration in the imaging system. In particular, the methods and apparatus may be applied to the automated analysis of cytological specimen slides.

Claims

1. An automated method of reviewing a specimen, comprising:

loading the specimen in an optical instrument;

locating a first datum mark on the specimen;

locating a second datum mark on the specimen; and

establishing a coordinate system by

centering the first datum mark,

assigning a reference coordinate value to the first datum mark,

storing in memory the first datum mark coordinate value,

centering the second datum mark,

assigning a reference coordinate value to the second datum mark,

storing in memory the second datum mark coordinate value, and

performing a coordinate transformation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

computing a location of each of a plurality of predetermined number of fields of interest in the specimen within the established coordinate system;

and

presenting the fields of interest to allow for viewing of objects of interest in the fields of interest.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of establishing a coordinate system further comprises comparing the datum mark coordinate values to known parameters to determine if the specimen is loaded in a proper orientation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the specimen comprises a cytological material disposed on a slide.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the specimen is stained with a thionin-phenol solution.

6. An automated method of reviewing a specimen, comprising:

loading the specimen in an optical instrument;

locating a first datum mark on the specimen;

locating a second datum mark on the specimen;

establishing a coordinate system based, at least in part, on the first and second datum marks;

computing a location of each of a plurality of predetermined number of fields of interest in the specimen within the established coordinate system;

presenting the fields of interest to allow for viewing of objects of interest in the fields of interest;

reading a specimen identifier; and

accessing a specimen data record stored within the computer to obtain coordinate values for the objects of interest.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising electronically marking an object of interest located within at least one of the fields of interest and updating the specimen data record to include the coordinate values of the electronically marked object of interest.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the specimen comprises a cytological material disposed on a slide.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the specimen is stained with a thionin-phenol solution.

10. An automated method of reviewing a specimen, comprising:

loading the specimen in an optical instrument;

locating a first datum mark on the specimen;

locating a second datum mark on the specimen;

establishing a coordinate system based, at least in part, on the first and second datum marks;

computing a location of each of a plurality of predetermined number of fields of interest in the specimen within the established coordinate system;

presenting the fields of interest to allow for viewing of objects of interest in the fields of interest; and

performing an autoscan after all fields of interest are presented.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the specimen comprises a cytological material disposed on a slide.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the specimen is stained with a thionin-phenol solution.