US 11,893,739 B2 · Method and system for digital staining of label-free fluorescence images using deep learning

Abstract

A deep learning-based digital staining method and system are disclosed that enables the creation of digitally/virtually-stained microscopic images from label or stain-free samples based on autofluorescence images acquired using a fluorescent microscope. The system and method have particular applicability for the creation of digitally/virtually-stained whole slide images (WSIs) of unlabeled/unstained tissue samples that are analyzes by a histopathologist. The methods bypass the standard histochemical staining process, saving time and cost. This method is based on deep learning, and uses, in one embodiment, a convolutional neural network trained using a generative adversarial network model to transform fluorescence images of an unlabeled sample into an image that is equivalent to the brightfield image of the chemically stained-version of the same sample. This label-free digital staining method eliminates cumbersome and costly histochemical staining procedures and significantly simplifies tissue preparation in pathology and histology fields.

Claims41

Dependent claims

A method of generating a digitally stained microscopic image of a label-free sample comprising:

providing a trained, deep neural network that is executed by image processing software using one or more processors of a computing device, wherein the trained, deep neural network is trained with a plurality of matched chemically stained images or image patches and their corresponding fluorescence images or image patches of the same sample;
obtaining one or more fluorescence images of the sample using a fluorescence microscope and one or more excitation light sources, wherein fluorescent light is emitted from endogenous fluorophores or other endogenous emitters of frequency-shifted light within the sample;
inputting the one or more fluorescence images of the sample to the trained, deep neural network;
and
the trained, deep neural network outputting the digitally stained microscopic image of the sample that is substantially equivalent to a corresponding brightfield image of the same sample that has been chemically stained.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for digital staining of label-free fluorescence images using deep learning

Life of this patent

Method and system for digital staining of label-free fluorescence images using deep learning

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims41