Microscopy imaging

• US 20110249109A1
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alentic Microscience Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alentic Microscience Inc.
• Inventors: Fine, Alan Marc
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/79
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6408 with measurement of decay time, time resolved fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/062 LED's
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/20 Fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0008 Microscopes having a simple construction, e.g. portable microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/002 Scanning microscopes scanning near field optical microscopes G01Q60/18
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/16 adapted for ultraviolet illumination ; Fluorescence microscopes G02B21/0076 takes precedence
• 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: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers

Abstract

Among other things, an imaging device has a photosensitive array of pixels, and a surface associated with the array is configured to receive a specimen with at least a part of the specimen at a distance from the surface equivalent to less than about half of an average width of the pixels.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an imaging device having

a photosensitive array of pixels, and

a surface associated with the array and configured to receive a specimen with at least a part of the specimen at a distance from the surface equivalent to less than about half of an average width of the pixels.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 also comprising:

a specimen chamber that is adjacent the surface and is defined in part by a wall that is spaced apart from the surface and transmits light to illuminate the specimen.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 also comprising a fluid channel to carry a fluid specimen into the chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 also comprising a second fluid channel to carry the fluid specimen out of the chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 also comprising an atomic force microscope positioned near the surface of the array.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 also comprising one or more chamber lid electrodes contacting the top of the specimen chamber.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the surface has a conductive layer functioning as one or more surface electrodes.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 also comprising wires electrically connecting the one or more surface electrodes and the one or more chamber lid electrodes to a potential-applying device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 also comprising wires electrically connecting the one or more surface electrodes and the one or more chamber lid electrodes to a potential-measuring device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the potential-applying device is also capable of measuring a potential.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the one or more chamber lid electrodes are arranged in a matrix and the potential-applying device is configured to address the one or more chamber lid electrodes individually or as a group.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 in which the one or more surface electrodes are arranged in a matrix and the potential-applying device is configured to address the one or more surface electrodes individually or as a group.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the light source is emitting light primarily in the far ultraviolet wavelength band.

14. A method of fluorescence lifetime imaging comprising operating the apparatus of claim 13.

15. A method of collecting specimen comprising operating the apparatus of claim 8 with a potential applied between the chamber lid electrode and the surface electrode.

16. A method of performing would healing experiments comprising operating the apparatus of claim 8.