# US 2019/0170996 A1 · Systems and methods for sample image capture using integrated control

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- Number: US 2019/0170996 A1
- Document ID: US20190170996A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/175,550
- Filed: 2018-10-30
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-05-14
- Assignees: Life Technologies Corporation
- Applicants: Life Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: Terence Tak-Shing TAM; Christopher MARTIN; Frank METTING; Jason MECHAM; Robert DAIN; Larry RYSTROM; Paul Adrian BOESCHOTEN; Steven W. LYTLE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170996A1

## CPC

- G02B 21/365: {Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes (G02B21/361, G02B21/362 take precedence)}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for sample image capture using integrated control. A digital microscope or other imaging device can be associated with a sample chamber containing cell, tissue, or other sample material. The chamber can be configured to operate using a variety of environmental variables, including gas concentration, temperature, humidity, and others. The imaging device can be configured to operate using a variety of imaging variables, including magnification, focal length, illumination, and others. A central system control module can be used to configure the settings of those hardware elements, as well as others, to set up and carry out an image capture event. The system control module can be operated to control the physical, optical, chemical, and/or other parameters of the overall imaging environment from one central control point. The variables used to produce the image capture can be configured to dynamically variable during the media capture event.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-22. (canceled)

### Claim 23

An imaging system, comprising:
a chamber having a set of environmental settings, the set of environmental settings comprising at least one of: a temperature of the chamber, a humidity of the chamber, a pressure of the chamber, or a concentration of gas within the chamber;
an imaging device for imaging a sample within the chamber, the imaging device having a set of imaging parameters, the set of imaging parameters comprising at least one of: a magnification setting, a focal length setting, a resolution setting, an illumination setting, a monochrome setting, a color setting, a fluorescent stain setting, a transparency setting, or a phase setting;
a system controller operatively connected to the chamber and the imaging device and configured to individually and simultaneously change one or more of the set of environmental settings or the set of imaging parameters.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The imaging system of claim 23, wherein the set of environmental settings additionally comprises an introduction of one or more reagents, growth factors, or other adjuvants for stimulating or modifying a growth of a sample within the chamber.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The imaging system of claim 23, wherein the set of environmental settings additionally comprises a regulation of one or more reagents, growth factors, or other adjuvants for stimulating or modifying a growth of a sample within the chamber.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The imaging system of claim 23, wherein the chamber comprises a sealed chamber enclosing a sample plate.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein the imaging device comprises a microscope.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The system of claim 27, wherein the microscope comprises a digital imaging microscope.

### Claim 29

An imaging system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more hardware storage devices having stored thereon computer readable media that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the imaging system to:
initiate a system controller operatively connected to a chamber and to an imaging device;
receive, at the system controller, a set of initial environmental settings for the chamber, the set of initial environmental settings comprising at least one of a temperature of the chamber, a humidity of the chamber, a pressure of the chamber, or a concentration of gas within the chamber;
receive, at the system controller, a set of initial imaging parameters for operating the imaging device, the set of initial imaging parameters comprising at least one of a magnification setting, a focal length setting, a resolution setting, an illumination setting, a monochrome setting, a color setting, a fluorescent stain setting, a transparency setting, or a phase setting;
initiate, sequentially or simultaneously via the system controller, the set of initial environmental settings at the chamber and the set of initial imaging parameters to operate the imaging device;
receive, at the system controller, a triggering event and at least one of a set of changed environmental settings or a set of changed imaging parameters; and
in response to the triggering event, dynamically update the set of initial environmental settings to the set of changed environmental settings or the set of initial imaging parameters to the set of changed imaging parameters,
wherein the set of changed environmental settings comprises at least one of a changed temperature of the chamber, a changed humidity of the chamber, a changed pressure of the chamber, or a changed concentration of gas within the chamber, and
wherein the set of changed imaging parameters comprises at least one of a changed magnification setting, a changed focal length setting, a changed resolution setting, a changed illumination setting, a changed monochrome setting, a changed color setting, a changed fluorescent stain setting, a changed transparency setting, or a changed phase setting.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The imaging system of claim 29, wherein the computer readable media further configure the imaging system to introduce or regulate, via the system controller, one or more reagents, growth factors, or other adjuvants for stimulating or modifying a growth of a sample within the chamber.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The imaging system of claim 30, wherein the imaging system introduces or regulates, via the system controller, the one or more reagents, growth factors, or other adjuvants in response to the triggering event.

### Claim 32 (depends on 29)

The imaging system of claim 29, wherein the computer readable media further configure the imaging system to initiate, via the system controller, an image capture event for a sample in the chamber.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The imaging system of claim 32, wherein the computer readable media further configure the imaging system to capture media from the image capture event via the imaging device.

### Claim 34 (depends on 32)

The imaging system of claim 32, wherein in response to the image capture event, the computer readable media further configure the imaging system to introduce or regulate, via the system controller, one or more reagents, growth factors, or other adjuvants for stimulating or modifying a growth of a sample within the chamber.

### Claim 35 (depends on 29)

The imaging system of claim 29, wherein the set of changed imaging parameters is the changed illumination setting, the changed illumination setting comprising a changed illumination type or a changed illumination intensity.

### Claim 36

A method, comprising:
invoking a system controller operatively connected to a chamber and an imaging device;
initiating, via the system controller, a set of initial environmental settings associated with physical conditions of the chamber;
initiating, via the system controller, a set of initial imaging parameters associated with operation of the imaging device;
initiating, via the system controller, an image capture event for a sample in the chamber;
in response to executing the image capture event, dynamically updating the set of initial environmental settings to a set of changed environmental settings or the set of initial imaging parameters to a set of changed imaging parameters; and
capturing media from the image capture event, via the imaging device.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, wherein the set of initial environmental settings comprising at least one of a temperature of the chamber, a humidity of the chamber, a pressure of the chamber, or a concentration of gas within the chamber, and wherein the set of changed environmental settings comprises at least one of a changed temperature of the chamber, a changed humidity of the chamber, a changed pressure of the chamber, or a changed concentration of gas within the chamber.

### Claim 38 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, wherein the set of initial imaging parameters comprising at least one of a magnification setting, a focal length setting, a resolution setting, an illumination setting, a monochrome setting, a color setting, a fluorescent stain setting, a transparency setting, or a phase setting, and wherein the set of changed imaging parameters comprises at least one of a changed magnification setting, a changed focal length setting, a changed resolution setting, a changed illumination setting, a changed monochrome setting, a changed color setting, a changed fluorescent stain setting, a changed transparency setting, or a changed phase setting.

### Claim 39 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, wherein the image capture event comprises a video capture of contents of the chamber.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39, wherein the video capture comprises a time-lapse video capture.

### Claim 41 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39, wherein one or more of the set of changed imaging parameters or the set of changed environmental settings are recorded in a textual strip located at the bottom of the frames comprising the video capture.

### Claim 42 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, wherein one or more of the set of changed imaging parameters or the set of changed environmental settings are recorded in the captured media for the image capture event.

### Claim 43 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, further comprising introducing or regulating, via the system controller, one or more reagents, growth factors, or other adjuvants for stimulating or modifying a growth of a sample within the chamber.