Imaging and analyzing parameters of small moving objects such as cells
First Claim
1. An imaging system adapted to determine one or more characteristics of an object from an image of the object, comprising:
- (a) a collection lens disposed so that light traveling from the object passes through the collection lens and travels along a collection path;
(b) a plurality of light reflecting elements disposed in the collection path, each light reflecting element reflecting light of a predefined characteristic and passing light that does not have that characteristic, each light reflecting element being positioned at a different angle with respect to the collection path to reflect light of the predefined characteristic in a direction different from that of other light reflecting elements, each light reflecting element being positioned adjacent to a preceding light reflecting element such that light reflected by all but a first light reflecting element passes through at least one preceding light reflecting element a second time; and
(c) a detector disposed to receive light that has been reflected by the light reflecting elements, producing an output signal that is indicative of at least one characteristic of the object, said detector integrating the output signal over time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Light from an object such as a cell moving through an imaging system is collected and dispersed so that it can be imaged onto a detector. The light can be emitted from a luminous object or can be light from a light source that has been scattered or not absorbed by the object or can include a light emission by one or more probes within or on the object. Multiple objects passing through the imaging system can be imaged, producing both scatter images and dispersed images at different locations on one or more detectors. In one embodiment, the detector is divided into a plurality of zones so that each of a plurality of different images are spectrally dispersed onto a different zone of the detector.
169 Citations
40 Claims
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1. An imaging system adapted to determine one or more characteristics of an object from an image of the object, comprising:
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(a) a collection lens disposed so that light traveling from the object passes through the collection lens and travels along a collection path;
(b) a plurality of light reflecting elements disposed in the collection path, each light reflecting element reflecting light of a predefined characteristic and passing light that does not have that characteristic, each light reflecting element being positioned at a different angle with respect to the collection path to reflect light of the predefined characteristic in a direction different from that of other light reflecting elements, each light reflecting element being positioned adjacent to a preceding light reflecting element such that light reflected by all but a first light reflecting element passes through at least one preceding light reflecting element a second time; and
(c) a detector disposed to receive light that has been reflected by the light reflecting elements, producing an output signal that is indicative of at least one characteristic of the object, said detector integrating the output signal over time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for determining one or more characteristics of an object based upon light from the object, comprising the steps of:
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(a) focussing the light from the object along a collection path;
(b) at each of a plurality of successive points disposed along the collection path, reflecting light of a predefined characteristic, and passing light that does not have the predefined characteristic, a different predefined characteristic being associated with each of the plurality of points so that light of a different one of the different predefined characteristics is reflected from each successive point in a direction different from that at other points, and so that light reflected at all but a first point of the plurality of successive points passes through at least one preceding point of the successive points a second time;
(c) receiving the light that was reflected at a detector, said detector integrating an output signal over time in response thereto; and
(d) analyzing the output signal from the detector to determine at least one characteristic of the object. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An imaging system adapted to determine one or more characteristics of an object from an image of the object while there is relative movement between the object and the imaging system, comprising:
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(a) a collection lens disposed so that light traveling from the object passes through the collection lens and travels along a collection path;
(b) a dispersing component comprising a plurality of light reflecting elements disposed in the collection path, each light reflecting element reflecting light of a predefined characteristic and passing light that does not have that characteristic, each light reflecting element being positioned at a different angle with respect to the collection path to reflect light of the predefined characteristic in a direction different from that of other light reflecting elements, each light reflecting element being positioned adjacent to a preceding light reflecting element such that light reflected by all but a first light reflecting element passes through at least one preceding light reflecting element a second time;
(c) an imaging lens disposed to receive the light from the dispersing component, producing a plurality of images, each image corresponding to a different one of the directions in which light is reflected by the plurality of light reflecting elements, each image being projected by the imaging lens toward a different predetermined location; and
(d) a detector disposed to receive the plurality of images produced by the imaging lens as the images move over a surface of the detector due to the relative movement between the object and the imaging system, producing an output that is indicative of at least one characteristic of the object, while the relative movement between the object and the imaging system occurs. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An imaging system adapted to determine one or more characteristics of an object from an image of the object, comprising:
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(a) a collection lens disposed so that light traveling from the object passes through the collection lens and travels along a collection path;
(b) a plurality of light reflecting elements disposed in the collection path, each light reflecting element reflecting light of a predefined characteristic and passing light that does not have that characteristic, each light reflecting element being positioned at a different angle with respect to the collection path to reflect light of the predefined characteristic in a direction different from that of other light reflecting elements, each light reflecting element being positioned adjacent to a preceding light reflecting element such that light reflected by all but a first light reflecting element passes through at least one preceding light reflecting element a second time; and
(c) a time delay and integration (TDI) detector disposed to receive light that has been reflected by the light reflecting elements, producing an output signal that is indicative of at least one characteristic of the object, said detector integrating the output signal over time in response to the light from the light reflecting elements.
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37. A method for determining one or more characteristics of an object based upon light from the object, comprising the steps of:
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(a) focussing the light from the object along a collection path;
(b) at each of a plurality of successive points disposed along the collection path, reflecting light of a predefined characteristic, and passing light that does not have the predefined characteristic, a different predefined characteristic being associated with each of the plurality of points so that light of a different one of the different predefined characteristics is reflected from each successive point in a direction different from that at other points, and so that light reflected at all but a first point of the plurality of successive points passes through at least one preceding point of the successive points a second time;
(c) receiving the light that was reflected at a detector, said detector including a plurality of taps and having a length and a width, said width being divided into a plurality of regions, each region having a corresponding one of the plurality of taps, a charge generated in each region in response to the region receiving light from one of the points being integrated over the length of the detector to produce an output signal; and
(d) analyzing the output signal from at least one of the plurality of taps of the detector to determine at least one characteristic of the object.
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38. An imaging system adapted to determine one or more characteristics of an object from an image of the object while there is relative movement between the object and the imaging system, comprising:
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(a) a collection lens disposed so that light traveling from the object passes through the collection lens and travels along a collection path;
(b) a dispersing component comprising a plurality of light reflecting elements disposed in the collection path, each light reflecting element reflecting light of a predefined characteristic and passing light that does not have that characteristic, each light reflecting element being positioned at a different angle with respect to the collection path to reflect light of the predefined characteristic in a direction different from that of other light reflecting elements, each light reflecting element being positioned adjacent to a preceding light reflecting element such that light reflected by all but a first light reflecting element passes through at least one preceding light reflecting element a second time;
(c) an imaging lens disposed to receive the light from the dispersing component, producing a plurality of images, each image corresponding to a different one of the directions in which light is reflected by the plurality of light reflecting elements, each image being projected by the imaging lens toward a different predetermined location; and
(d) a detector disposed to receive the plurality of images produced by the imaging lens, said detector including a plurality of taps and having a length and a width, said width being divided into a plurality of regions, each region having a corresponding one of the plurality of taps, a charge generated in each region in response to the region receiving light for one of the images being integrated over the length of the detector to produce an output signal at one of the plurality of taps that is indicative of at least one characteristic of the object.
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39. An imaging system adapted to determine one or more characteristics of an object in a broad, flat flow, from an image of the object, comprising:
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(a) a collection lens having a field angle in an object space that is sufficiently large to collect light traveling from the object that is in the broad, flat flow so that the light passes through the collection lens and travels along a collection path;
(b) a plurality of light reflecting elements disposed in the collection path, each light reflecting element reflecting light of a predefined characteristic and passing light that does not have that characteristic, each light reflecting element being positioned at a different angle with respect to the collection path to reflect light of the predefined characteristic in a direction different from that of other light reflecting elements, each light reflecting element being positioned adjacent to a preceding light reflecting element such that light reflected by all but a first light reflecting element passes through at least one preceding light reflecting element a second time; and
(c) a detector disposed to receive light that has been reflected by the light reflecting elements, producing an output signal that is indicative of at least one characteristic of the object, said detector integrating the output signal over time.
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40. An imaging system adapted to determine one or more characteristics of an object in a broad, flat flow, from an image of the object while there is relative movement between the object and the imaging system comprising:
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(a) a collection lens having a field angle in an object space that is sufficiently large to collect light traveling from the object that is in the broad, flat flow so that the light passes through the collection lens and travels along a collection path;
(b) a plurality of light reflecting elements disposed in the collection path, each light reflecting element reflecting light of a predefined characteristic and passing light that does not have that characteristic, each light reflecting element being positioned at a different angle with respect to the collection path to reflect light of the predefined characteristic in a direction different from that of other light reflecting elements, each light reflecting element being positioned adjacent to a preceding light reflecting element such that light reflected by all but a first light reflecting element passes through at least one preceding light reflecting element a second time;
(c) an imaging lens disposed to receive the light beams from the dispersing component, producing a plurality of images corresponding to each of the light beams, each image being projected by the imaging lens toward a different predetermined location; and
(d) a time delay integration (TDI) detector disposed to receive the plurality of images produced by the imaging lens, producing an output signal that is indicative of at least one characteristic of the object in the broad, flat flow, said TDI detector producing the output signal by integrating light from at least a portion of the object over time, while the relative movement between the object and the imaging system occurs.
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Specification