Image analysis and measurement of biological samples
AssigneeTheranos, Inc.
InventorsKaran Mohan, Chinmay Pangarkar, James R. Wasson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, devices, apparatus, and systems are provided for image analysis. Methods of image analysis may include observation, measurement, and analysis of images of biological and other samples; devices, apparatus, and systems provided herein are useful for observation, measurement, and analysis of images of such samples. The methods, devices, apparatus, and systems disclosed herein provide advantages over other methods, devices, apparatus, and systems.
Claims54
A system for analyzing a sample, the system comprising:
- a sample holder comprising a sample chamber configured to hold said sample, at least a portion of said sample holder comprising an optically transmissive material, said optically transmissive material comprising an optically transmissive surface and a reflective surface;
- and
- an illumination source configured to provide light that illuminates and passes through said optically transmissive surface;
- wherein said sample holder is configured effective that said light from said illumination source simultaneously provides both epi-illumination and trans-illumination to a sample in the sample holder, where epi-illumination comprises light traveling from said illumination source to said sample without reflection at a surface of the optically transmissive material of the sample holder, and where trans-illumination comprises light traveling within the optically transmissive material and to the sample following at least one reflection from at least one surface of said optically transmissive material.
A cuvette comprising a sample chamber configured to hold a sample, at least a portion of said cuvette comprising an optically transmissive material, said optically transmissive material comprising an optically transmissive surface and a reflective surface, wherein said optically transmissive surface and said reflective surface are configured effective that light passing through the optically transmissive surface simultaneously provides both epi-illumination and trans-illumination to said sample in the sample chamber, where epi-illumination comprises light traveling from an illumination source to the sample without reflection at a surface of the optically transmissive material, and where trans-illumination comprises light traveling within the optically transmissive material and to the sample following at least one reflection from at least one surface of said optically transmissive material.
37-40. (canceled)
A method of identifying a cell in a sample containing a plurality of cells, comprising:
- (a) placing said sample in a sample holder comprising a sample chamber configured to hold the sample, at least a portion of said sample holder comprising an optically transmissive material, said optically transmissive material comprising an optically transmissive surface and a reflective surface, wherein said optically transmissive surface and said reflective surface are configured effective that light passing through the optically transmissive surface simultaneously provides both epi-illumination and trans-illumination to the sample in the sample chamber, where epi-illumination comprises light traveling from said illumination source to the sample without reflection at a surface of the optically transmissive material, and where trans-illumination comprises light traveling within the optically transmissive material and to the sample following at least one reflection from at least one surface of said optically transmissive material;
- (b) illuminating said sample holder effective to simultaneously provide both epi-illumination and trans-illumination of the sample;
- and
- (c) identifying a cell in the sample.
A method for the measurement of a component of interest in cells of a cellular population in a sample, comprising:
- a) obtaining a quantitative measurement of a marker present in cells of the cellular population in the sample;
- b) determining, with the aid of a computer, an approximate amount of cells in the cellular population present in the sample based on the measurement of part a);
- c) adding an amount of a cell marker to the sample, where the amount of said cell marker added is based on the results of part b), and wherein the cell marker binds specifically to the component of interest in cells of the cellular population and is configured to be readily detectable;
- d) assaying cells in the sample for marker bound to the component of interest;
- and
- e) determining the amount of the component of interest in cells of the cellular population of the sample based on the amount of marker bound to the component of interest.
A method for focusing a microscope, comprising:
- a) mixing a sample containing an object for microscopic analysis with a reference particle having a known size, effective to generate a mixture containing the sample and reference particle;
- b) positioning the mixture of step a) into a light path of a microscope;
- c) exposing the mixture of step a) to a light beam configured to visualize the reference particle;
- and
- d) focusing the microscope based on the position of the reference particle within the mixture or based on the sharpness of the image of the reference particle.
48-50. (canceled)
A system for imaging a sample, the system comprising
- a sample vessel containing said sample,
- a stage having a sample vessel receiver with an optically transparent surface;
- a light source for illuminating formed components in the sample through the stage,
- wherein the sample vessel has an interface surface configured to engage the optically transparent surface of the sample vessel receiver whereby the interface surface conforms to the optically transparent surface without significant distortion of light passing through the interface surface.
59-64. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.