Imaging system with adaptive object magnification
AssigneeFaxitron Bioptics, LLC
InventorsCiaran Purdy, Mikhail Viznyuk, Mehmet Akif Baysal
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Abstract
An imaging system that is configured to automatically obtain and provide two and three-dimensional digital images of various types of objects (e.g., tissue specimens, animals, electrical devices, etc.) for use in analysis thereof in a manner free of manual repositioning of the objects between images and free of movement of an electromagnetic radiation source and detector within or relative to a cabinet housing of the system.
Claims20
A method of imaging a tissue specimen in a cabinet including an x-ray source and an x-ray detector, the method comprising:
- placing the tissue specimen on an object holder disposed within a chamber of the cabinet, the object holder being disposed at least partially between the x-ray source and the x-ray detector, wherein the object holder is selectively moveable along a path between the x-ray source and the x-ray detector such that the object holder defines a first position;
- determining a position of the tissue specimen at the first position of the object holder relative to the x-ray source, wherein the position of the tissue specimen at the first position is a centroid of the tissue specimen relative to a beam axis of the x-ray source;
- after the position of the tissue specimen at the first position is determined, moving the object holder within the chamber towards a second position along the path based on the determined position of the tissue specimen such that the centroid of the tissue specimen intersects the beam axis;
- rotating the object holder while in the second position;
- simultaneously with rotating the object holder, emitting one or more x-ray beams through the tissue specimen;
- generating a plurality of two-dimensional x-ray images of the tissue specimen;
- and
- reconstructing the plurality of two-dimensional x-ray images into a three-dimensional data set of the tissue specimen.
A cabinet for imaging a tissue specimen comprising:
- an x-ray source;
- an x-ray detector positioned relative to the x-ray source;
- an object holder disposed at least partially between the x-ray source and the x-ray detector and within a chamber of the cabinet, the object holder configured to receive the tissue specimen, wherein the object holder is selectively moveable along a path between the x-ray source and the x-ray detector, and the object holder is rotatable;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to the x-ray source, the x-ray detector, and the object holder, wherein the controller is configured to:
- determine a position of the tissue specimen at a first position of the object holder relative to the x-ray source along the path, wherein the position of the tissue specimen at the first position is a centroid of the tissue specimen relative to a beam axis of the x-ray source;
- after the position of the tissue specimen at the first position is determined, the controller moves the object holder within the chamber towards a second position along the path based on the determined position of the tissue specimen such that the centroid of the tissue specimen intersects the beam axis;
- rotate the object holder while in the second position;
- simultaneously with rotating the object holder, emit one or more x-ray beams through the tissue specimen;
- generate a plurality of two-dimensional x-ray images of the tissue specimen;
- and
- reconstruct the plurality of two-dimensional x-ray images into a three-dimensional data set of the tissue specimen.
A motion control mechanism for an x-ray tissue specimen imaging cabinet, the motion control mechanism comprising:
- a rotary drive configured to support an object holder, the rotary drive including a motor and a shaft assembly configured to rotate the object holder around a rotational axis;
- and
- a sliding member supporting the rotary drive;
- and
- at least one linear drive coupled to the sliding member and configured to linearly move the sliding member in first and second opposite directions along a movement axis, and wherein the movement of the sliding member along the movement axis moves a position of the rotational axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.