Systems and methods for facilitating clone selection

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

• receive a plurality of time-sequence images of a well containing a medium, the plurality of time-sequence images being generated by a first imaging unit, and including a first time-sequence image generated at a first time and a second time-sequence image generated at a second time later than the first time;
• detect, by analyzing the first time-sequence image, one or more candidate objects depicted in the first time-sequence image;
• for each of the one or more candidate objects, determine, by analyzing an image of the candidate object using a convolutional neural network, whether the candidate object is a single cell;
• detect, by analyzing the second time-sequence image, a cell colony depicted in the second time-sequence image;
• determine whether the cell colony was formed from only one cell based at least in part on whether each of the one or more candidate objects was determined to be a single cell;
• and
• generate output data indicating whether the cell colony was formed from only one cell.

A system comprising:

• a visual inspection system including
• a stage configured to accept a well plate, and
• a first imaging unit configured to generate images of wells within the well plate on the stage, wherein each image corresponds to a single well;
• and
• a computer system including
• one or more processors, and
• one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to
• command the first imaging unit to generate a plurality of time-sequence images of a well containing a medium, the plurality of time-sequence images including a first time-sequence image generated at a first time and a second time-sequence image generated at a second time later than the first time,
• detect, by analyzing the first time-sequence image, one or more candidate objects depicted in the first time-sequence image,
• for each of the one or more candidate objects, determine, by analyzing an image of the candidate object using a convolutional neural network, whether the candidate object is a single cell,
• detect, by analyzing the second time-sequence image, a cell colony depicted in the second time-sequence image,
• determine whether the cell colony was formed from only one cell based at least in part on whether each of the one or more candidate objects was determined to be a single cell, and
• generate output data indicating whether the cell colony was formed from only one cell.