Portable and low-cost microscopic imaging device
AssigneeVital Biosciences Inc.
InventorsIman Khodadadzadeh, Eric James Mahoney
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Microscopic imaging devices, systems and methods are provided. A microscopic imaging device includes a lens assembly, a first light source assembly, and one or more detection assemblies. The lens assembly has relatively short working distance, a relatively light weight, and/or multiple optical elements. The first light source assembly is configured to illuminate and/or excite a sample disposed at the working distance of the lens assembly. The one or more detection assemblies are configured to detect the light from the sample. The lens assembly, the first light source assembly, and at least one detection assembly are positioned to form an epiconfiguration.
Claims47
An imaging device, comprising:
- a lens assembly comprising a compound lens configured to be in optical communication with a sample chamber at a detection area, wherein the lens assembly has (i) an optical path of less than about 15 mm, (ii) a working distance of no more than about 5 mm, (iii) a weight of no more than about 50 grams, or any combination thereof;
- a first light source assembly comprising a first light source configured to emit light onto the sample chamber at the detection area, wherein the first light source assembly is positioned on the same side of the sample chamber as the lens assembly;
- and
- one or more detection assemblies in optical communication with the sample chamber at the detection area, wherein the one or more detection assemblies are configured to detect light traveling from the sample chamber at the detection area through the lens assembly;
- wherein the imaging device is configured to define a first optical path in which light emitted from the first light source passes through the lens assembly and is directed onto the sample chamber at the detection area, and
- wherein the imaging device is configured to define a second optical path in which light returning from the sample chamber at the detection area on the sample stage assembly passes through the lens assembly and at least a portion of the light returning from the sample chamber at the detection area is directed to the one or more detection assemblies.
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a sample stage assembly configured for positioning the sample chamber at the detection area.
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lens assembly has a back focal plane of no more than 8 mm, no more than 7.5 mm, no more than 7 mm, no more than 6.5 mm, no more than 6 mm, no more than 5.5, or no more than 5 mm.
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the compound lens comprises a plurality of lenses packaged in a plastic lens barrel.
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the compound lens comprises between 2 and 10 lenses.
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a first dichroic mirror, wherein the first dichroic mirror:
- (i) has a passband comprising either (a) an excitation wavelength band emitted by the first light source, or (b) one or more emission wavelength bands;
- (ii) has a stopband comprising the other of (a) the excitation wavelength band emitted by the first light source, or (b) the one or more emission wavelength bands;
- (iii) is positioned in the first optical path between the lens assembly and the first light source assembly;
- and
- (iv) is positioned in the second optical path between the lens assembly and the one or more detection assemblies.
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a voice coil actuator, coupled or integrated with the lens assembly, that is configured to adjust a focus of the compound lens.
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a second light source assembly, wherein:
- the second light source assembly is positioned on the opposite side of the sample stage assembly as the lens assembly,
- the second light source assembly is configured to emit light onto the sample chamber at the detection area, and
- the imaging device is configured to define a third optical path in which light emitted from the second light source assembly passes through the sample chamber at the detection area and the lens assembly, and at least a portion of the light that passed through the sample chamber at the detection area is directed to the one or more detection assemblies.
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sample chamber is a portion of a centrifugal micro-fluidic biodisk, a portion of a capillary tube device, or a portion of a flow cell device.
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the compound lens is a commodity lens reversely positioned such that the sample chamber is located at a back focal plane of the commodity lens.
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the imaging device has dimensions of less than 25 centimeters (cm) in length, less than 25 cm in width, and 25 cm in height.
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first light source assembly is configured to emit light at a single narrow wavelength band.
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first light source assembly comprises one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first light source is a single LED.
The imaging device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lens assembly has an overall length that is about 5 mm to about 20 mm, and a diagonal dimension at an object side plane of the lens assembly that is about 3 mm to 20 mm.
A system, comprising:
- the imaging device of any one of the preceding claims configured to capture one or more images of a sample in the sample chamber at the detection area;
- a control unit in wire or wireless communication with the imaging device and configured to control the imaging device;
- and
- a computing device in wire or wireless communication with the control unit to process the one or more captured images of the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.