System and method for real time assay monitoring

A computer implemented method of monitoring a specimen undergoing an assay, the method comprising:

• capturing an image of a specimen undergoing an assay with an imaging system comprising a camera, wherein the specimen is disposed on a substrate;
• selecting a region of the captured image, the region including at least a portion of the specimen undergoing the assay;
• calculating a saturation index value for the selected region of the captured image;
• converting the calculated saturation index value to a signal intensity score using a predetermined correlation based on experimental data;
• and
• evaluating the specimen undergoing the assay using the signal intensity score;
• and
• controlling the assay in real-time based on the evaluation of the specimen.

An assay monitoring system, comprising:

• a sample processing system comprising at least one sample having at least one specimen undergoing an assay;
• an imaging system positioned adjacent the sample processing system, the imaging system configured to capture an image of the at least one sample during the assay;
• and
• a controller communicatively coupled to the imaging system to receive the captured image of the at least one sample from the imaging system, the controller configured to process the captured image to determine at least one attribute associated with the assay based on the processed image and to control the sample processing system in response to the determined at least one attribute.