BIO-IMAGING METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20140293036A1
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomerieux B.V. (Compagnie Merieux Alliance SAS)
• Original Assignee: Biomerieux B.V. (Compagnie Merieux Alliance SAS)
• Inventors: Pinston, Frdric, Desseree, Denis, Boissier, Guillaume, Tachier, Christophe, Fulchiron, Corine, Lapierre, Lorette, Allano, Lorne, Jacolin, Lontine, Ddecaux, Dominique
• Granted Patent: US 9,606,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/80
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/01 Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/17 Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated where the material investigated is optically excited causing a change in wavelength of the incident light G01N21/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/255 Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/27 using photo-electric detection G01N21/31 takes precedence; circuits for computing concentration logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0626 Use of several LED's for spatial resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/69 Microscopic objects, e.g. biological cells or cellular parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/693 Acquisition

Abstract

An imaging system for generating images of biological samples having a surface, the system comprising: a sample support for supporting a biological sample in use; a plurality of illumination sources, the plurality of illumination sources being arranged around the sample support and each adapted to illuminate the biological sample, in use, from a different direction; an image capture device for capturing illumination which has impinged on the biological sample to thereby form an image of the sample; wherein at least one of the illumination sources direction is not perpendicular to the surface of the sample.

Claims

1. An imaging system for generating images of biological samples having a surface, the imaging system comprising:

a sample support for supporting a biological sample in use;

a plurality of illumination sources, the plurality of illumination sources being arranged around the biological sample support and each illumination source of the plurality of illumination sources adapted to illuminate the biological sample, in use, from a different direction;

an image capture device for capturing illumination which has impinged on the biological sample to thereby form an image of the biological sample;

wherein at least one illumination source of the plurality of illumination sources is arranged in a direction that is not perpendicular to the surface of the biological sample.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the directions of at least two of the illumination sources of the plurality of illumination sources are substantially not coplanar.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of illumination sources include two or more of:

a backlighting source;

a near horizontal source;

an annular source directed towards the surface;

an annular source directed away from the surface; and

a vertical source.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of illumination sources are used to produce a plurality of images, which images can be combined to form a composite resultant image.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein different combinations of the plurality of illumination sources can be used to produce different images for different biological analyses.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each illumination source of the plurality of illumination sources is included in a unit and wherein each unit can be stacked one on top of another.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the units are moveable relative to one another.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the biological sample is movable relative to the plurality of illumination sources.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of illumination sources comprise red, green, blue sources, white light sources or UV sources.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the biological sample is capable of being illuminated by a near horizontal source.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processing system for enhancing or processing images to effect a biological analysis of the biological sample.

12. The system of claim 1, comprising with an incubator system for incubating the biological samples prior to imaging the biological samples.

13. An incubator for incubating the biological samples including an imaging system according to claim 1.

14. A method of generating images of biological samples wherein the biological sample has a surface, the method comprising:

illuminating a biological sample with a plurality of illumination sources, the plurality of illumination sources being arranged around a sample support and each illumination source of the plurality of illumination sources being adapted to illuminate the biological sample, in use, from a different direction;

capturing illumination which has impinged on the biological sample to thereby form an image of the biological sample;

wherein the step of illuminating comprises illuminating the biological sample with at least one illumination source of the plurality of illumination sources which at least one illumination source is directed in a direction which is not perpendicular to the surface of the biological sample.