Systems, processes, methods and machines for transforming image data into sizing and volume measurements for tissue

• US 9,858,664 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Prodo Laboratories
• Original Assignee: Prodo Laboratories
• Inventors: McCord, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): YANG, WEI WEN
• Application Number:
  US15/055,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20160180522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0211 Investigating a scatter or diffraction pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1433 using image recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1006 for cytology
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1493 Particle size
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/008 Details of detection or image processing, including general computer control
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/69 Microscopic objects, e.g. biological cells or cellular parts

Abstract

Automated islet measurement systems (AIMS) in combination with tissue volume analysis (TVA) software effectively gauges volumetric and size-based data to generate heretofore unavailable information regarding, for example, populations of islet cells, stem cells and related desiderata.

Claims

1. An automatic tissue scanning camera (ATSC) system, which comprises, in combination:

a non-phase contrast microscope;

a monochrome charge-coupled device (CCD) camera;

a horizontally-mounted culture flask;

a trans-illumination means, which exceeds the deep field image size by a factor of at least two; and

an automated islet measurement system (AIMS), comprising tissue volume analysis (TVA) software, the AIMS configured to;

identify a cell in the culture flask, wherein opposing surfaces of the culture flask do not deform the cell;

image the cell with the camera, wherein the cell has a natural, undeformed by a mechanical force, shape, the image comprising pixels;

evaluate a cross-section size of the cell;

measure an optical transmission at each pixel within the cell;

calculate a volume of tissue at each pixel; and

calculate a total volume for the cell.

2. The automatic tissue scanning camera (ATSC) system of claim 1, wherein the cell is an islet.

3. The automatic tissue scanning camera (ATSC) system of claim 1, wherein the cell is a stem cell.