Systems and methods for volumetric tissue scanning microscopy

• US 7,724,937 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2008
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Engelward, Bevin, Bahlmann, Karsten, Ragan, Timothy, Laiho, Lily Hsu, Kim, Ki Hean, So, Peter, Huang, Hayden
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns; Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US12/152,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20090072171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 382/128, 382/133, 382/134, 382/154, 356/39
• US Class Current: 382/133
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1456 without spatial resolution of the texture or inner structure of the particle, e.g. processing of pulse signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/282 with mapping; Identification of areas; Spatial correlated pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1006 for cytology
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0048 scanning mirrors, e.g. rotating or galvanomirrors, MEMS mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0076 arrangements using fluorescence or luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/69 Microscopic objects, e.g. biological cells or cellular parts

Abstract

In accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, a method for imaging tissue, for example, includes the steps of mounting the tissue on a computer controlled stage of a microscope, determining volumetric imaging parameters, directing at least two photons into a region of interest, scanning the region of interest across a portion of the tissue, imaging a plurality of layers of the tissue in a plurality of volumes of the tissue in the region of interest, sectioning the portion of the tissue and imaging a second plurality of layers of the tissue in a second plurality of volumes of the tissue in the region of interest, detecting a fluorescence image of the tissue due to said excitation light; and processing three-dimensional data that is collected to create a three-dimensional image of the region of interest.

Claims

1. A multifocal imaging system comprising:

a multiphoton light source;

a multifocal optical device that provides a plurality of optical pathways;

a scanner that provides relative movement between the plurality of optical pathways and a material to be imaged;

an optical system that couples light from the optical device onto a region of interest of the material;

a detector array that detects light from a plurality of focal locations in the region of interest to generate image data, the detector array having a plurality of detector elements correlated with the focal locations; and

an image processor connected to the detector array that generates three dimensional image data of the material.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second detector array that detects light from a plurality of focal locations in the region of interest to generate second image data.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the second detector array comprises a second multi anode photomultiplier tube.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the detector array comprises a first detection channel and the second detector array comprises a second detection channel.

5. The system of claim 2 further comprising a dichroic mirror that spectrally separates light from the material onto the first detector array and the second detector array.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a tissue sample stage that positions a tissue sample relative to the optical system.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the detector array comprises a multi anode photomultiplier tube.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a pinhole matrix having pinholes large enough to prevent confocalization.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the detector array has 16 to 64 pixels.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a sectioning device to remove a portion of tissue from a tissue sample being imaged.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the sectioning device comprises a microtome and a computer controlled translation stage.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the detector array operates in an analog detection mode or in a photon counting mode.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the detector array comprises a hybrid photomultiplier tube.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a detector array that detects fluorescent light from a tissue sample.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising more than two detection channels that detect spectrally resolved light from the material.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the image processor comprises a processing unit executed sequence of instructions that registers a plurality of three dimensional images to form a larger three dimensional image.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the scanner comprises a moving mirror.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the scanner comprises a translator that provides relative movement between a lens positioned a long the optical pathways and the material.

19. The system of claim 1 further comprising a processor that controls the scanner to provide a tissue scanning rate of at least 100 cells per second.

20. A method for multifocal imaging comprising:

illuminating a region of interest with light having at least two photons using a plurality of optical pathways;

providing relative movement between the plurality of optical pathways and the region of interest to scan a plurality of focal locations in three dimensions; and

detecting light from a plurality of focal locations in the region of interest to generate three dimensional image data.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising spectrally separating fluorescence from the region of interest onto a first detector channel and a second detector channel.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising detecting light from a tissue sample and imaging a tumor within the tissue sample.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing relative movement between a lens along the optical pathways and a region of interest.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising translating the lens relative to the tissue.

25. The method of claim 20 further comprising translating a stage on which tissue to be imaged is mounted.

26. The method of claim 20 further comprising scanning a first volume of tissue to provide a first volume image and scanning a second volume of tissue to provide a second volume image, the first volume image overlapping the second volume image.

27. The method of claim 20 further comprising detecting with a photomultiplier tube.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the photomultiplier tube comprises a multianode photomultiplier tube.

29. The method of claim 20 further comprising detecting light with a detector operating in analog detection mode.

30. The method of claim 20 further comprising detecting light with a detector operating in photon counting mode.

31. The method of claim 20 further comprising sectioning a first portion of the tissue and subsequently scanning a second portion of tissue to obtain and image of the second portion.

32. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing a focal array including 64 foci with a linear dimension of 200 micrometers.

33. The method of claim 20 further comprising using a lenslet array to couple light onto the plurality of focal locations.

34. The method of claim 20 further comprising imaging a plurality of tissue cells including 100 cells per second.

35. The method of claim 20 further comprising imaging tumor metastasis.

36. The method of claim 20 further comprising detecting a rare cell within a tissue region in a range of one cell in 1/10 to 1/10⁶.