METHODS AND APPARATI FOR NONDESTRUCTIVE DETECTION OF UNDISSOLVED PARTICLES IN A FLUID
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The apparati, methods, and computer program products disclosed herein can be used to nondestructively detect undissolved particles, such as glass flakes and/or protein aggregates, in a fluid in a vessel, such as, but not limited to, a fluid that contains a drug.
-
Citations
152 Claims
-
1-89. -89. (canceled)
-
90. A method of nondestructive counting and sizing of undissolved particles in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, the method comprising:
-
(a) receiving at least one image of the particles in the vessel obtained under specified imaging conditions; (b) based on the at least one image, detecting the particles and determining information indicative of the apparent size of the detected particles in the image; (c) determining apparent particle size population information indicative of an apparent particle size distribution of the detected particles; and (d) determining actual particle size population information indicative of the actual particle size distribution of the detected particles based on (i) the apparent particle size population information and (ii) calibration population information indicative of the apparent size distribution of one or more sets of standard sized particles imaged under conditions corresponding to the specified imaging conditions. - View Dependent Claims (91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
-
-
98. An apparatus for counting and sizing undissolved particles in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, the apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to:
-
(a) receive at least one image of the particles in the vessel obtained under specified imaging conditions; (b) based on the at least one image, detect the particles and determine information indicative of the apparent size of the detected particles in the image; (c) determine apparent particle size population information indicative of an apparent particle size distribution of the detected particles; and (d) determine actual particle size population information indicative of the actual particle size distribution of the detected particles based on (i) the apparent particle size population information and (ii) calibration population information indicative of the apparent size distribution of one or more sets of standard sized particles imaged under conditions corresponding to the specified imaging conditions. - View Dependent Claims (99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105)
-
-
106. A computer program product for nondestructive counting and sizing of undissolved particles in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, the computer program product comprising nonvolatile, machine-readable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to
(a) receiving at least one image of the particles in the vessel obtained under specified imaging conditions; -
(b) based on the at least one image, detecting the particles and determining information indicative of the apparent size of the detected particles in the image (c) determining apparent particle size population information indicative of an apparent particle size distribution of the detected particles; and (d) determining actual particle size population information indicative of the actual particle size distribution of the detected particles based on (i) the apparent particle size population information and (ii) calibration population information indicative of the apparent size distribution of one or more sets of standard sized particles imaged under conditions corresponding to the specified imaging conditions.
-
-
107. An apparatus for nondestructive detection of an undissolved particle in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
-
(a) at least two imagers positioned to image the particle from different perspectives, each imager configured to acquire one or more two dimensional images of the particle in the fluid; (b) a memory operably coupled to the at least two imagers and configured to store the time-series; and (c) a processor operably coupled to the memory and configured to detect the particle by; (i) combining the two dimensional images from the at least two imagers to determine three dimensional data indicative of the position of the particle in the vessel; and (ii) detecting the particle based at least in part on the three dimensional data. - View Dependent Claims (108, 109)
-
-
110-113. -113. (canceled)
-
114. A method for nondestructive detection of an undissolved particle in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, the method comprising:
-
(a) using at least two imagers to image the particle from different perspectives to each acquire a respective one or more two dimensional images of the particle in the fluid; (b) combining the two dimensional images from the at least two imagers to determine three dimensional data indicative of the position of the particle in the vessel; and (c) detecting the particle based at least in part on the three dimensional data. - View Dependent Claims (117, 118)
-
-
115-116. -116. (canceled)
-
119-120. -120. (canceled)
-
121. A method for nondestructive detection of an undissolved particle in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, the method comprising:
-
(a) using at least one imager to image the particle; (b) processing the image to determine position data indicative of the position of the particle in the vessel; (c) detecting the particle based at least in part on the position data, wherein detecting the particle based at least in part on position data comprises identifying the presence of the particle in a sub-region of the vessel; (d) using a sensor to determine a characteristic of the particle when the particle is located in the sub-region of the vessel, (e) generating particle characteristic data indicative of the determined characteristic; and (f) associating the particle characteristic data with data identifying the particle.
-
-
122-123. -123. (canceled)
-
125-126. -126. (canceled)
-
128. An apparatus for nondestructive detection of an undissolved particle in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
-
(a) at least one imager positioned image the particle; (b) at least one sensor configured to determine a characteristic of the particle when the particle is located in the sub-region of the vessel (c) at least one processer operably couple to the each least one imager and the sensor and configured to; process the image to determine position data indicative of the position of the particle in the vessel; detect the particle based at least in part on the position data and identify the presence of the particle in a sub-region of the vessel; use a signal from the sensor to determine a characteristic of the particle when the particle is located in the sub-region of the vessel, generate particle characteristic data indicative of the determined characteristic; and associate the particle characteristic data with data identifying the particle. - View Dependent Claims (129, 130, 131)
-
- 132. (canceled)
-
134. (canceled)
-
135. An apparatus for nondestructive detection of an undissolved particle in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, wherein the vessel comprises a transparent tubular vessel wall disposed about a longitudinal axis, the apparatus comprising:
-
an imager configured to acquire one or more images of the particle in the fluid, the imager comprising a at least one imaging optical element positioned to image the particle onto the sensor; an illumination source positioned to substantially eliminate the presence of light rays emitted from the source that reflect or refract from a surface of the vessel wall and are imaged by the at least one optical element onto the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (136)
-
-
137-140. -140. (canceled)
-
141. A method for nondestructive detection of an undissolved particle in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, wherein the vessel comprises a transparent tubular vessel wall disposed about a longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
-
using an imager to acquire one or more images of the particle in the fluid, the imager comprising at least one imaging optical element positioned to image the particle onto the sensor; and illuminating the vessel with an illumination source positioned to substantially eliminate the presence of light rays emitted from the source that reflect or refract from a surface of the vessel wall and are imaged by the at least one optical element onto the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (142)
-
-
143-146. -146. (canceled)
-
147. An apparatus for nondestructive detection of an undissolved particle in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
-
(a) an imager configured to acquire time-series data representing a trajectory of the particle in the fluid; (b) a memory operably coupled to the imager and configured to store the time-series data; and (c) a processor operably coupled to the memory and configured to the particle by; (i) reversing a time ordering of the time-series data to form reversed time-series data; (ii) estimating the trajectory of the particle from the reversed time-series data; and (iii) determining a presence or type of the particle based on the trajectory.
-
-
148. A method of nondestructive detection of an undissolved particle in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, the method comprising:
-
(a) reversing a time ordering of time-series data representing a trajectory of the particle in the fluid to form reversed time-series data; (b) estimating the trajectory of the particle from the reversed time-series data; and (c) detecting or identifying the particle based on the trajectory.
-
-
149. A computer program product for nondestructive detection of an undissolved particle in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, the computer program product comprising nonvolatile, machine-readable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
-
(a) reverse a time ordering of time-series data representing a trajectory of the particle in the fluid to form reversed time-series data; (b) estimate the trajectory of the particle from the reversed time-series data; and (c) detect or identifying the particle based on the trajectory.
-
-
150. An apparatus for nondestructive detection of one or more transparent or reflective objects in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
-
(a) an imager configured to acquire data that represent light reflected from a plurality of spatial locations in the vessel as a function of time; (b) a memory operably coupled to the imager and configured to store the data; and (c) a processor operably coupled to the memory and configured to detect the objects based on the data by; (i) identifying a respective maximum amount of reflected light for each location in the plurality of locations, and (ii) determining a presence or absence of the objects in the vessel based on the number of spatial locations whose respective maximum amount of reflected light exceeds a predetermined value.
-
-
151. A method of nondestructive detection of transparent or reflective objects in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, the method comprising:
-
(a) identifying a respective maximum amount of reflected light for each location in a plurality of locations in the vessel based on data representing light reflected from the plurality of spatial locations as a function of time; and (b) determining a presence or absence of the objects in the vessel based on the number of spatial locations whose respective maximum amount of reflected light exceeds a predetermined value.
-
-
152. A computer program product for nondestructive detection of transparent or reflective objects in a vessel that is at least partially filled with a fluid, the computer program product comprising nonvolatile, machine-readable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
-
(a) identify a respective maximum amount of reflected light for each location in a plurality of locations in the vessel based on data representing light reflected from the plurality of spatial locations as a function of time; and (b) determine a presence or absence of the objects in the vessel based on the number of spatial locations whose respective maximum amount of reflected light exceeds a predetermined value.
-
Specification