Parallel imaging system
AssigneeIndevr, Inc.
InventorsEric SMITH, Robert STOUGHTON, Kathy L. ROWLEN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided herein are enhanced imaging techniques which allow for the use of multiple optical sensors, each of which corresponds to only a portion of an array, including utilizing individual sensors for each individual well of a multi-well plate. The provided systems and methods may reduce the amount of time to perform optical analysis of an array, reduce the amount of moving parts or mechanical devices required to perform optical analysis and/or reduce the amount of space between the sensors and the array being analyzed resulting in more compact, efficient optical analyzers.
Claims39
An imaging system for a multi-well plate comprising:
- a receptacle configured to receive a multi-well plate having a plurality of wells;
- a plurality of image capture devices with each image capture device in optical alignment with an individual well, wherein each of said image capture devices is configured to capture an image of one of said wells;
- wherein said imaging system aggregates said plurality of captured digital images to simultaneously generate an aggregate image of said multi-well plate that includes each individual well without any moving parts.
An assay plate analyzer comprising:
- an imaging system for an assay plate comprising:
- a receptacle configured to receive a multi-well plate having a plurality of wells;
- a plurality of image capture devices with each image capture device in optical alignment with an individual well, wherein each of said image capture devices is configured to capture an image of one of said wells;
- a plurality of light sources in optical communication with said plurality of image capture devices positioned to provide a uniform light intensity across a surface of said multi-well plate;
- a lens array positioned between said plurality of image capture devices and said plurality of light sources comprising:
- a plurality of convergent lenses to direct light from said light sources toward the plurality of wells;
- a plurality of convergent lenses to focus light into the plurality of optical sensors;
- wherein imaging system aggregates said plurality of captured digital images to simultaneously generate an aggregate image of said multi-well plate that includes each individual well without any moving parts;
- and
- an analyzer in communication with said imaging system;
- wherein said analyzer analyzes said digital images corresponding to each of said wells and characterizes said multi-well plate based on said images.
A method for imaging a multi-well plate comprising the steps of:
- providing a multi-well plate having a plurality of wells;
- providing a plurality of image capture devices with each image capture device in optical alignment with an individual well;
- illuminating said plurality of wells with a plurality of light sources;
- simultaneously generating a digital image with each of said plurality of image capture devices corresponding to each of said plurality of wells thereby generating a plurality of digital images;
- and
- aggregating said plurality of images into a plate image corresponding to said multi-well plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.