Imaging system for counting and sizing particles in fluid-filled vessels

#The present application relates generally to particle detection in fluid-filled vessels.

#In analytical research and clinical diagnostic testing, vessels, or wells, in plates are used as test tubes. The fluid contained in these wells may intentionally or unintentionally contain particles in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Unintentional particles can originate from a number of different sources, such as from the environment, from incorrect handling or storage of the fluids, or as a residual from forming, packaging, or filling. The fluid can also contain bubbles. As a result, the fluid contained in the vessels is subjected to quality control procedures in which particles contained in the fluid need to be characterized.

#Traditional plate-reading systems are incapable of imaging large volumes of fluid at once. For example, conventional plate-reading systems may rely on fluorescence techniques or optical components that utilize microscope objectives. When microscope objectives are implemented, only a thin volume or “slice” of sample fluid can be imaged at any given time given the short field of view that is inherent with such systems. Thus, to analyze an entire volume of fluid, such systems need to analyze several obtained image slices for each vessel, which increases the time required to perform image analyses.

#The skilled artisan will understand that the figures, described herein, are included for purposes of illustration and are not limiting on the present disclosure. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that, in some instances, various aspects of the described implementations may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the described implementations. In the drawings, like reference characters throughout the various drawings generally refer to functionally similar and/or structurally similar components.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a visual inspection system 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram 200 illustrating light paths between a light source and an imager that are associated with visual inspection system 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

#The various concepts introduced above and discussed in greater detail below may be implemented in any of numerous ways, and the described concepts are not limited to any particular manner of implementation. Examples of implementations are provided for illustrative purposes.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a visual inspection system 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The visual inspection system 100 includes a stage 102 that is configured to selectively agitate and to receive a plate 104, which may include one or more vessels 106. In an embodiment, the stage 102 includes a plate holder 105 that functions as an adaptor between the stage 102 and the plate 104 to facilitate receipt of the plate 104 for vessel fluid imaging. Although stage 102 is shown in FIG. 1 as receiving a single type of plate holder 105, embodiments include stage 102 being configured to accept any suitable number of plate holders having varying sizes and/or shapes. For example, stage 102 may be configured having several nested, adjustable, and/or interchangeable cavities or other suitable formed parts that accept different types of plate holders. In this way, visual inspection system 100 may facilitate the testing of vessels included in plates of different types, sizes, and/or shapes. The design of plate holder 105 is further discussed below with reference to FIG. 6.

#In various embodiments, vessels 106 may have one or more transparent and/or opaque portions. For example, vessels 106 may be entirely transparent or have transparent bottoms with the side walls being opaque. In any event. the visual inspection system 100 further includes an illumination system 108 that is configured to illuminate the fluid contained in the one or more vessels 106 held by the stage 102, one or more imagers 112 that acquire images of the fluid contained within the one or more vessels 106 before and after vessel 106 is agitated, and may optionally include an optical system 110. The stage 102 and/or the illumination system 108 may also be configured to move in one or more axes to accommodate the inspection of each vessel 106 included in plate 104 and to accommodate the testing of different sizes of plates and vessels.