Methods, systems and devices for automatically focusing a microscope on a substrate
AssigneeAbbott Laboratories
InventorsTrevor David Shields, Robert John Fahey, Damian J. Verdnik, Svitlana Y. Berezhna, Mahmoud Janbakhsh, Koshy T. Chacko
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Abstract
Methods, systems and devices for automatically focusing a microscope on a specimen and collecting a focused image of the specimen are provided. Aspects of the methods include detecting the presence of a substrate in a microscope, determining whether the substrate is in a correct orientation for imaging, focusing the microscope on a specimen that is placed on the substrate, and collecting one or more images of the specimen. Systems and devices for carrying out the subject methods are also provided.
Claims21
1-52. (canceled)
A method for automatically analyzing a substrate orientation in a microscope, the method comprising:
- placing a substrate substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the microscope, wherein the substrate comprises a planar surface;
- directing a light beam from an optical source to sequentially reflect off a first position and a second, different position on the planar surface to generate two reflected light beams, wherein the first position comprises a non-reflective region and the second position comprises a reflective region;
- varying a distance between the substrate and an objective lens of the microscope;
- collecting a plurality of measurements of one or more characteristics of the two reflected light beams with a detector, wherein each of the plurality of measurements is collected when the substrate is in a different position along the optical axis of the microscope with respect to the objective lens;
- determining whether the measurements of the two reflected light beams differ from one another by an amount that exceeds a threshold value;
- determining that the substrate is correctly oriented in the microscope if the measurements of the two reflected light beams differ from one another by an amount that exceeds the threshold value;
- and
- determining that the substrate is incorrectly oriented in the microscope if the measurements of the two reflected light beams do not differ from one another by an amount that exceeds the threshold value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.