SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EMBEDDED IMAGES IN LARGE FIELD-OF-VIEW MICROSCOPIC SCANS

• US 20170242235A1
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Published: 08/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ViewsIQ Inc.
• Original Assignee: ViewsIQ Inc.
• Inventors: LALLEMENT, Sebastien, LE GUERROUE DREVILLON, Thomas, LIN, Li-Heng, LO, Hok Man Herman, RASOULIAN, Abtin
• Application Number:
  US15/504,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20170242235A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/367 providing an output produced by processing a plurality of individual source images, e.g. image tiling, montage, composite images, depth sectioning, image comparison
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10056 Microscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30024 Cell structures in vitro; Tissue sections in vitro
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches

Abstract

A method and system are provided for acquiring and combining images captured by a microscope. The method comprises: capturing a new image from the microscope using an imaging device; comparing the new image against a previous image to provide an estimated position of the new image; identifying neighboring key frames of a scan stored in memory based on the estimated position of the new image; comparing the new image to the identified key frames to determine a relative displacement of the new image from the neighboring key frames; and determining a position of the new image based on the relative displacement of the new image. The system includes: a microscope; a camera coupled to the microscope for capturing images through the microscope; and a computing device coupled to the camera, the computing device comprising: a memory; and a processor configured and adapted to perform a method as described herein.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a microscope;

a camera coupled to the microscope for capturing images through the microscope;

a computing device coupled to the camera, the computing device comprising;

a memory; and

a processor configured and adapted to;

acquire a new image from the camera;

compare the new image against a previous image to provide an

estimated position of the new image;

based on the estimated position of the new image, identify neighboring key frames of a scan stored in memory;

compare the new image to the identified key frames to determine a relative displacement of the new image from the neighboring key frames; and

determine a position of the new image based on the relative displacement of the new image from the neighboring key frames.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine if the new image has been localized; and

if the image has not been localized, perform an exhaustive search to determine a location of the new image.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the exhaustive search is performed in iterations by selecting a portion of the key frames in each iteration and comparing the new image against the selected portion of key frames.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display coupled to the computing device;

wherein the processor is further configured to render the scan and the new image on the display.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to embed the new image in an existing scan.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to embed a z-stack in an existing scan, the z-stack being a set of images of the sample captured at different depths.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to compress the z-stack in a manner to permit random access of each image in the z-stack.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an input device;

wherein the processor is further configured to accept user input to move an embedded image relative to the existing scan.

9. A method of acquiring and combining images captured by a microscope, the method comprising:

capturing a new image from the microscope using an imaging device;

comparing the new image against a previous image to provide an estimated position of the new image;

identifying neighboring key frames of a scan stored in memory based on the estimated position of the new image;

comparing the new image to the identified key frames to determine a relative displacement of the new image from the neighboring key frames; and

determining a position of the new image based on the relative displacement of the new image.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining if the new image has been localized; and

if the image has not been localized, performing an exhaustive search to determine a location of the new image.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the exhaustive search is performed in iterations by selecting a portion of the key frames in each iteration and comparing the new image against the selected portion of key frames.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising rendering the scan and the new image on a display.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising embedding the new image in an existing scan.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising embedding a z-stack in an existing scan, the z-stack being a set of images of the sample captured at different depths.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising compressing the z-stack in a manner to permit random access of each image in the z-stack.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising detecting user input at an input device and moving an embedded image relative to the existing scan in response to the user input.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable memory storing statements and instructions for execution by a processor to perform operations for acquiring and combining images captured by a microscope, the operations comprising:

capturing a new image from the microscope using an imaging device;

comparing the new image against a previous image to provide an estimated position of the new image;

identifying neighboring key frames of a scan stored in memory based on the estimated position of the new image;

comparing the new image to the identified key frames to determine a relative displacement of the new image from the neighboring key frames; and

determining a position of the new image based on the relative displacement of the new image.