US 11,153,499 B2Granted

Rapid, high dynamic range image acquisition with a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera

AssigneePerkinElmer Health Sciences, Inc.

InventorsAli Behrooz, William Hurley, Ilias Faqir

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Abstract

Presented herein are systems and methods that provide for fast image acquisition with a CCD camera for tomographic imaging by synchronizing illumination with the image acquisition sequence of the CCD camera. The systems and methods described herein allow images to be acquired with a CCD camera using short image acquisition times that would otherwise result in the introduction of severe artifacts into the acquired images. This unique capability is achieved by selectively illuminating the one or more object(s) to be imaged during specific phases of the CCD camera that are used to acquire an image. Reducing the time required to acquire artifact-free images in this manner allows for rapid imaging with a CCD camera. This capability is of particular relevance to tomographic imaging approaches, in which multiple images of one or more objects are acquired and used to produce a single tomographic image.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for synchronizing illumination of one or more object(s) to be imaged with a global exposure phase of a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera for rapid image acquisition by the CCD camera, the method comprising:

(a) directing a beam of illumination light emitted from an output of an illumination source to a source galvanometer mirror, wherein the source galvanometer mirror is operable to rotate through a plurality of angles;
(b) automatically adjusting the source galvanometer mirror for alignment at a plurality of rotational angles comprising a first rotational angle and a second rotational angle, wherein, at the first rotational angle, the source galvanometer mirror is aligned to reflect the beam of illumination light to direct it to one or more object(s) to be imaged thereby illuminating the one or more object(s), and at the second rotational angle, the source galvanometer mirror is aligned to reflect the beam of illumination light to direct it away from the one or more object(s) to be imaged such that the one or more object(s) is/are not illuminated;
and
(c) acquiring one or more images with the CCD camera, wherein:
the CCD camera is aligned and operable to (i) detect light emitted from the one or more object(s) as a result of illumination of the one or more object(s) by the beam of illumination light and/or (ii) detect illumination light transmitted through or reflected by the one or more object(s), and
acquiring each of the one or more images comprises:
(A) responsive to a first trigger signal indicating a start of a global exposure phase of the CCD camera, rotating the source galvanometer mirror to the first rotational angle such that during the global exposure phase of the CCD camera the one or more object(s) is/are illuminated with the beam of illumination light;
and
(B) responsive to a second trigger signal indicating an end of the global exposure phase of the CCD camera, rotating the source galvanometer mirror to the second rotational angle such that when the CCD camera is not in the global exposure phase, the one or more object(s) is/are not illuminated with the beam of illumination light,
thereby synchronizing illumination of the one or more object(s) with the global exposure phase of the CCD camera for rapid image acquisition by the CCD camera.

7 more elements

A method for synchronizing illumination of one or more object(s) with a global exposure phase of a CCD camera for rapid image acquisition by the CCD camera, the method comprising:

(a) directing a beam of illumination light emitted from an output of an illumination source through a laser shutter, to the one or more object(s) to be imaged;
(b) automatically opening and closing the laser shutter, such that when the laser shutter is open, the beam of illumination light allowed to pass through the laser shutter, thereby illuminating the one or more object(s), and when the laser shutter is closed, it blocks the beam of illumination light, thereby preventing the one or more object(s) from being illuminated with the beam of illumination light;
and
(c) acquiring one or more images with the CCD camera, wherein:
the CCD camera is aligned and operable to detect (i) light emitted from the one or more object(s) as a result of illumination of the one or more object(s) by the beam of illumination light and/or (ii) detect illumination light transmitted through or reflected by the one or more object(s), and
acquiring each of the one or more images comprises:
(A) responsive to a first trigger signal indicating a start of the global exposure phase of the CCD camera, opening the laser shutter such that during the global exposure phase of the CCD camera the one or more object(s) is/are illuminated with the beam of illumination light;
and
(B) responsive to a second trigger signal indicating an end of the global exposure phase of the CCD camera, closing the laser shutter such that when the CCD camera is not in the global exposure phase the one or more object(s) is/are not illuminated with the beam of illumination light,
thereby synchronizing illumination of the one or more object(s) with the global exposure phase of the CCD camera for rapid image acquisition by the CCD camera.

7 more elements

A system for synchronizing illumination of one or more object(s) to be imaged with a global exposure phase of a CCD camera for rapid image acquisition by the CCD camera, the system comprising:

(a) an illumination source aligned and operable to emit a beam of illumination light from its output and direct the beam of illumination light to a source galvanometer mirror;
(b) a source galvanometer mirror operable to rotate through a plurality of angles and aligned to:
(i) at a first rotational angle, reflect the beam of illumination light to direct it to the one or more object(s), and (ii) at a second rotational angle, reflect the beam of illumination light to direct it away from the one or more object(s), such that when the source galvanometer mirror is rotated to the first rotational angle, the one or more object(s) is/are illuminated with the beam of illumination light and when the source galvanometer mirror is rotated to the second rotational angle, the one or more object(s) is/are not illuminated with the beam of illumination light;
and
(c) a CCD camera aligned and operable to acquire one or more images of the one or more object(s), by (i) detecting light emitted from the one or more object(s) as a result of illumination of the one or more object(s) by the beam of illumination light and/or (ii) detecting illumination light transmitted through or reflected by the one or more object(s);
(d) a source galvanometer controller module operable to:
(A) responsive to a first trigger signal indicating a start of the global exposure phase of the CCD camera, cause rotation of the source galvanometer mirror to the first rotational angle such that during the global exposure stage of the CCD camera the one or more object(s) is/are illuminated with the beam of illumination light;
and
(B) responsive to a second trigger signal indicating an end of the global exposure phase of the CCD camera, cause rotation of the source galvanometer mirror to the second rotational angle such that when the CCD camera is not in the global exposure phase the one or more object(s) is/are not illuminated with the beam of illumination light;
(e) a processor;
and
(f) a memory having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive and/or access data corresponding to one or more images acquired by the CCD camera;
and
obtain one or more tomographic image(s) of the one or more object(s) using the data corresponding to the acquired images.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/163,094Filed 17 Oct 2018 · continuation in part
Priority: 19 Jul 2017
Published: US 2019/0021602 A125 Apr 2019
Granted: 19 Oct 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H04N 23/72
Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene: combination of two or more compensation controls
G06T 5/50
Image enhancement or restoration: using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
H04N 23/30
Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof: for generating image signals from X-rays
H04N 23/56
Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof: provided with illuminating means

Family

Application15/654,442Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 19 Jul 2017
Application62/574,043Us provisional application · filed 18 Oct 2017
US 2019/0124247 A1Pre-grant publication · published 25 Apr 2019
US 11,141,064 B2Related patent
US 2019/0021602 A1Published application
US 11,153,499 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.