System and method to simultaneously track multiple organisms at high resolution
AssigneeRamona Optics Inc.
InventorsVeton Saliu, Mark Harfouche, Gregor Horstmeyer, John Efromson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microscopy includes multiple cameras working together to capture image data of a sample having a group of organisms distributed over a wide area, under the influence of an excitation instrument. A first processor is coupled to each camera to process the image data captured by the camera. Outputs from the multiple first processors are aggregated and streamed serially to a second processor for tracking the organisms. The presence of the multiple cameras capturing images from the sample, configured with 50% or more overlap, can allow 3D tracking of the organisms through photogrammetry.
Claims15
A microscope comprising:
- a plurality of cameras;
- wherein each camera unit of the plurality of cameras is configured to capture one or more images of a region of a sample;
- one or more radiation sources;
- wherein the one or more radiation sources are configured to illuminate the sample;
- one or more excitation sources;
- wherein the one or more excitation sources are configured to affect an organism in the sample;
- a processor;
- wherein the processor is configured to control the one or more radiation sources to create one or more illumination patterns to the sample;
- wherein the processor is configured to control the plurality of camera units to capture images of the sample under the one or more illumination patterns;
- wherein the processor is configured to track changes of the organism caused by the one or more excitation sources across the plurality of cameras;
- a second processor coupled between the plurality of cameras and the processor;
- wherein the second processor comprises multiple devices with each device coupled to a camera of the plurality of cameras for processing image data captured by the camera;
- wherein the second processor is configured to from a serial data stream to the processor from multiple parallel data streams outputted from the multiple devices;
- wherein the each device is configured to determine if the organism is present in the images captured by the camera;
- wherein the processor is configured to receive only images from cameras showing a presence of the organism:
- wherein one of:
- determining if the organism is present comprises calculating a frame to frame change between a newly captured image and a background image or a previously captured image;
- or
- determining if the organism is present comprises detecting if there is a finite area in a newly captured image with a deviation greater than a threshold value with respect to a background image or to a previously captured image;
- or
- determining if the organism is present comprises detecting the organism in the captured images.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.