Classifying microbeads in near-field imaging
AssigneeAlentic Microscience Inc.
InventorAlan Marc Fine
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Among other things, an imaging sensor includes a two-dimensional array of photosensitive elements and a surface to receive a sample within a near-field distance of the photosensitive elements. Electronics classify microbeads in the sample as belonging to different classes based on the effects of different absorption spectra of the different classes of microbeads on light received at the surface. In some examples, the number of different distinguishable classes of microbeads can be very large based on combinations of the effects on light received at the surface of the different absorption spectra together, spatial arrangements of colorants in the microbeads that impart the different absorption spectra, different sizes of microbeads, and different shapes of microbeads, among other things.
Claims20
A method comprising
- placing a sample at a surface of an imaging sensor, the imaging sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of photosensitive elements,
- the sample including (a) microbeads, at least some of which are attached to units in the sample, (b) and target elements, at least some of which are attached to the units attached to the microbeads,
- holding the sample statically within a near-field distance of the photosensitive elements,
- using the imaging sensor to capture a two-dimensional image of the statically-held sample including the microbeads,
- counting the microbeads belonging to each of two different classes in the two-dimensional image, or identifying locations of the microbeads of each of the two different classes in the two-dimensional image, or both counting the microbeads belonging to each of the two different classes and identifying the locations of the microbeads of each of the two different classes, and
- based on at least one of the count of the microbeads belonging to each of the two different classes and the locations of the microbeads of each of the two different classes, performing at least one of an assay, a count, a classification, and an analysis of the target elements in the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.