High numerical aperture telemicroscopy apparatus

• US 8,786,695 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2014
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Fletcher, Daniel, Hansen, Wendy, Switz, Neil, Breslauer, David N., Douglas, Erik, Maamari, Robi, Lam, Wilbur, Dill, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US14/150,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20140120982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 195 Days
• Field of Search: 348/61, 348/79
• US Class Current: 348/79
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8483 Investigating reagent band test-element handling not specific to a test method G01N33/4875; analytical elements specific to chemical analysis of biological material G01N33/52; autometer with reagent band G01N35/04
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0008 Microscopes having a simple construction, e.g. portable microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0092 Polarisation microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/02 Objectives
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/025 with variable magnification variable magnification G02B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/06 Means for illuminating specimens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/16 adapted for ultraviolet illumination ; Fluorescence microscopes G02B21/0076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/26 Stages; Adjusting means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/36 arranged for photographic purposes or projection purposes G02B21/18 takes precedenceor digital imaging or video purposes including associated control and data processing arrangements image data processing per se G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/361 Optical details, e.g. image relay to the camera or image sensor G02B21/364 takes precedence; illumination details G02B21/06 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/365 Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes G02B21/361, G02B21/362 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

An imaging system consisting of a cell-phone with camera as the detection part of an optical train which includes other components. Optionally, an illumination system to create controlled contrast in the sample. Uses include but are not limited to disease diagnosis, symptom analysis, and post-procedure monitoring, and other applications to humans, animals, and plants.

Claims

1. A telemicroscopy apparatus for making a wireless communications device into a microscope, the apparatus comprising:

a microscope housing removably attachable to a portable, hand-held cellular or other wireless communications device, said communications device having a camera with a window, a camera lens, and image sensor; and

a microscope lens system having high numerical aperture optics mounted to the microscope housing and comprising a microscope lens configured to be aligned with said camera lens when the microscope housing is attached to the communications device and an eyepiece lens configured to be positioned between the microscope lens and the camera lens and to couple the high numerical aperture optics of the microscope lens system with the camera lens so that the microscope lens and the camera lens work in combination;

wherein said microscope lens system has a collection numerical aperture (NA) of at least approximately 0.01 and a magnification (M) of at least about 1.

2. The telemicroscopy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications device is a cellular phone with built in camera.

3. The telemicroscopy apparatus of claim 1, wherein M≧

4.

4. The telemicroscopy apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sample holder.

5. The telemicroscopy apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sample holder comprises a microfluidic device or other small-volume fluid handling system that is removable from the sample holder.

6. The telemicroscopy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microscope lens system is telecentric on an object side, on an image side, or on both sides.

7. The telemicroscopy apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a contrast selected from transillumination brightfield, darkfield, phase contrast, differential interference contrast, polarization contrast, Hoffman modulation contrast, fluorescence, Schlieren, and oblique transillumination.

8. The telemicroscopy apparatus of claim 7, wherein the illumination source is a fluorescence excitation source.

9. The telemicroscopy apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an illumination source associated with the microscope lens system.

10. The telemicroscopy apparatus of claim 1, wherein said microscope lens system in combination with said camera lens has a collection numerical aperture (NA) of at least approximately 0.01 and a magnification (M) of at least about 1.

11. The telemicroscopy apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microscope housing is configured to snap onto said communications device.

12. A telemicroscopy method for making a wireless communications device into a microscope, comprising:

(a) removably connecting a microscope housing to a hand-held cellular or other wireless communications device, the communications device having a camera with a window, camera lens, and image sensor, to form a telemicroscopy apparatus, wherein said microscope housing includes a microscope lens system having high numerical aperture optics comprising a microscope lens configured to be aligned with the camera lens of the camera and an eyepiece lens configured to be positioned between the microscope lens and the camera lens and to couple the high numerical aperture optics of the microscope lens with the camera lens, so that the microscope lens and the camera lens work in combination;

(b) imaging a sample at a first location using the telemicroscopy apparatus wherein said microscope lens system has a collection numerical aperture (NA) of at least approximately 0.01 and a magnification (M) of at least about 1; and

(c) transmitting the sample image and information derived therefrom from the communications device to a second location.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

analyzing received sample images and information at the second location; and

transmitting information based on this analysis of the sample back from the second location to the communications device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the sample is a blood sample.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising inputting the blood sample into a microfluidic device associated with the imaging system.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising staining the blood sample and analyzing the sample by cell counting.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein staining the blood sample comprises staining with a fluorescent dye, and further comprising exciting fluorescence of the sample.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising obtaining location data at the first location, and adding location information to the transmitted sample image.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said microscope lens system in combination with said camera lens has a collection numerical aperture (NA) of at least approximately 0.01 and a magnification (M) of at least about 1.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising performing disease monitoring or tracking at the second location based on information received from the first location.