Locally storing biological specimen data to a slide

• US 7,083,106 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cytyc Corporation (Hologic Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cytyc Corporation (Hologic Incorporated)
• Inventors: Albany, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Seung H
• Application Number:
  US10/656,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20050051614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/486, 382/128, 382/134, 382/133
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/34 Microscope slides, e.g. mounting specimens on microscope slides
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method for analyzing biological specimens, including storing data relating to the analysis in a read/write data storage device attached to specimen carrier. The data storage device can be a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, a magnetic device, or a an optical device.

Claims

1. Apparatus for analysis of a cytological specimen, comprising:

a cytological specimen carrier; and

a read/write data storage device attached to the carrier,

wherein data including a coordinate of a field of interest related to cellular analysis of the cytological specimen carried in or on the carrier may be stored in, and retrieved from, the data storage device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the cytological specimen carrier comprising a slide.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the cytological specimen carrier comprising a vial.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the data storage device comprising a radio frequency identification device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the data storage device comprising a magnetic storage device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the data storage device comprising an optical storage device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data related to the analysis of the cytological specimen is an identifier or a timestamp.

8. A system for analyzing a cytological specimen, comprising:

a cytological specimen carrier;

an imaging device configured to obtain images of a cytological specimen carried in the carrier;

a processor implemented program for analyzing images of the specimen obtained by the imaging device and for identifying objects in the specimen from the images;

a microscope for viewing objects in the specimen identified by the processor implemented program; and

a read/write data storage device attached to the cytological specimen carrier,

wherein data including a coordinate of a field of interest related to an analysis of the cytological specimen may be stored in or on, and retrieved from, the data storage device.

9. The system of claim 8, the cytological specimen carrier comprising a slide.

10. The system of claim 8, the cytological specimen carrier comprising a vial.

11. The system of claim 8, the data storage device comprising a radio frequency identification device.

12. The system of claim 8, the data storage device comprising a magnetic storage device.

13. The system of claim 8, the data storage device comprising an optical storage medium.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the data related to the analysis of the specimen includes an identifier or a timestamp.

15. A method for analyzing a cytological specimen, comprising:

providing a cytological specimen in or on a cytological specimen carrier;

storing data related to cellular analysis of the cytological specimen in a read/write data storage device attached to the cytological specimen carrier;

obtaining images of the cytological specimen; and

analyzing the images with a processor implemented program,

wherein the stored data comprises a location of an object of interest in the cytological specimen that was identified by the image analysis.

16. The method of claim 15, the data storage device comprising a radio frequency identification device.

17. Apparatus for analysis of a cytological specimen, comprising:

a cytological specimen carrier; and

a read/write data storage device attached to the carrier,

wherein data including a coordinate of a marked target zone related to the cellular analysis of the cytological specimen carried in or on the carrier may be stored in, and retrieved from, the data storage device.

18. A system for analyzing a cytological specimen, comprising:

a cytological specimen carrier;

an imaging device configured to obtain images of a cytological specimen carried in the carrier;

a processor implemented program for analyzing images of the specimen obtained by the imaging device and for identifying objects in the specimen from the images;

a microscope for viewing objects in the specimen identified by the processor implemented program; and

a read/write data storage device attached to the cytological specimen carrier,

wherein data including a coordinate of a marked target zone related to the analysis of the cytological specimen may be stored in or on, and retrieved from, the data storage device.

19. A method for analyzing a cytological specimen, comprising

providing a cytological specimen in or on a cytological specimen carrier;

storing data including a coordinate of a field of interest or a coordinate of a marked target zone related to the cellular analysis of the cytological specimen in a read/write data storage device attached to the cytological specimen carrier.

20. A method for analyzing a cytological specimen, comprising

providing a cytological specimen in or on a cytological specimen carrier;

storing data including a coordinate of a marked target zone related to the cellular analysis of the cytological specimen in a read/write data storage device attached to the cytological specimen carrier.

21. A system for analyzing a cytological specimen, comprising:

a cytological specimen carrier;

an imaging device configured to obtain images of a cytological specimen carried in the carrier;

a processor implemented program for analyzing images of the specimen obtained by the imaging device and for identifying objects in the specimen from the images;

a microscope for viewing objects in the specimen identified by the processor implemented program; and

a read/write data storage device attached to the cytological specimen carrier,

wherein data including coordinates of locations of identified objects in the cytological specimen related to an analysis of the cytological specimen may be stored in or on, and retrieved from, the data storage device.

22. A system for analyzing a cytological specimen, comprising:

a cytological specimen carrier;

an imaging device configured to obtain images of a cytological specimen carried in the carrier;

a processor implemented program for analyzing images of the specimen obtained by the imaging device and for identifying objects in the specimen from the images;

a microscope for viewing objects in the specimen identified by the processor implemented program; and

a read/write data storage device attached to the cytological specimen carrier,

wherein data including cellular analysis data related to an analysis of the cytological specimen may be stored in or on, and retrieved from, the data storage device.