Automated microscopic image acquisition compositing, and display
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of browsing a composite image representing an item viewed under a microscope, wherein the composite image comprises a set of composite image portions, the method comprising:
- decompressing the composite image portions of the composite image for a browsing area currently being browsed at a computer;
displaying at least portions of the decompressed images; and
decompressing composite image portions of the composite image that are outside the browsing area currently being browsed and likely to be next displayed during navigation of the composite image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automated microscope and computer system captures a set of images for a capture area in a plurality of focal planes. The images can then be integrated into composite images for browsing to simulate viewing an item, such as a biological sample, under a microscope. A corrective filter can be constructed from the images to avoid an effect called “tiling.” Before capture, variable focal plane error can be avoided by collecting z locations for a set of points in the capture area. During image browsing, entire composite images can be loaded into memory in compressed form. Compressed image portions can be pre-decompressed to avoid delay as a browsing user navigates throughout the composite images. Pre-decompression can be done by a thread separate from the thread performing navigation operations.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of browsing a composite image representing an item viewed under a microscope, wherein the composite image comprises a set of composite image portions, the method comprising:
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decompressing the composite image portions of the composite image for a browsing area currently being browsed at a computer; displaying at least portions of the decompressed images; and decompressing composite image portions of the composite image that are outside the browsing area currently being browsed and likely to be next displayed during navigation of the composite image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A browsing system for displaying composite images comprising a set of compressed images forming portions of the composite images, the system comprising:
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variables for tracking the current browsing area; a composite image manager for providing access to the portions of the composite images; a decompression cache manager for tracking pre-decompressed images; a decompressed image store for storing decompressed versions of the portions of the composite images; a video memory cache manager for tracking which of the decompressed versions of the portions of the composite images are currently loaded in video memory. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A browsing system for displaying composite images comprising a set of compressed images forming portions of the composite images, the system comprising:
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means for tracking the current browsing area; means for providing access to the portions of the composite images; means for tracking pre-decompressed images; means for storing decompressed versions of the portions of the composite images; means for tracking which of the decompressed versions of the portions of the composite images are currently loaded in video memory.
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Specification