Imaging and analyzing parameters of small moving objects such as cells

An imaging system adapted to determine one or more characteristics of an object from a scatter pattern image of the object while there is relative movement between the object and the imaging system, comprising:

• (a) a light source that produces light incident on the object;
• (b) a collection lens disposed so that light emitted by the light source and traveling from the object passes through the collection lens and travels along a collection path, said collection lens having a focal plane that is conjugate to the object;
• (c) a cylindrical lens disposed in the collection path to receive the light that has passed through the collection lens from the object, said cylindrical lens having a central axis around which the cylindrical lens is curved, said central axis being generally orthogonal to a direction of the relative movement between the object and the imaging system, so that the cylindrical lens produces a scattered pattern image of the object along a direction that is substantially parallel to said central axis of the cylindrical lens;
• and
• (d) a time delay integration (TDI) detector disposed to receive the scattered pattern image produced by the cylindrical lens, producing an output signal that is indicative of at least one characteristic of the object, said TDI detector producing the output signal by integrating light from at least a portion of the object over time.

An imaging system adapted to determine different characteristics of an object from images of the object in which components of the object are detected while there is relative movement between the object and the imaging system, comprising:

• (a) a first collection lens disposed so that light from the object passes through the first collection lens and travels along a first collection path, said first collection lens substantially collimating the light traveling along the first collection path;
• (b) a first light dispersing element disposed in the first collection path so as to disperse the light that has passed through the first collection lens, producing first dispersed light;
• (c) a first imaging lens disposed to receive the first dispersed light, producing at least one image from the first dispersed light;
• (d) a first time delay integration (TDI) detector disposed to receive said at least one image produced by the first imaging lens, said at least one image clearly separately distinguishing components included in the object, producing a first output signal that is indicative of at least one characteristic of the object, said first TDI detector producing the first output signal by integrating the first dispersed light from at least a portion of the object over time, while the relative movement between the object and the imaging system occurs;
• (e) a second collection lens disposed so that light from the object passes through the second collection lens and travels along a second collection path different than the first collection path, said second collection lens substantially collimating the light traveling along the second collection path;
• (f) a second light dispersing element disposed in the second collection path so as to disperse the light that has passed through the second collection lens, producing second dispersed light;
• (g) a second imaging lens disposed to receive the second dispersed light from the second light dispersing element, producing at least one image from said second dispersed light;
• and
• (h) a second TDI detector disposed to receive said at least one image produced by the second imaging lens, said at least one image clearly separately distinguishing components included in the object, producing a second output signal that is indicative of at least one other characteristic of the moving object, said second TDI detector producing the second output signal by integrating the second dispersed light from at least a portion of the object over time while the relative movement between the object and the imaging system occurs, said first and second output signals being indicative of substantially different characteristics of the moving object.

An imaging system adapted to determine characteristics of an object from images of the object, while there is relative movement between the object and the imaging system, comprising:

• (a) a light source that emits light incident on the object;
• (b) a collection lens disposed so that light from the light source that has illuminated the object and is traveling from the object passes through the collection lens and travels along a collection path;
• (c) a beam splitter that is disposed in the collection path so that light from the light source that is scattered from the object is directed along a different path, while light that is emitted by the object continues through the beam splitter along the collection path;
• (d) a spectral dispersing element disposed beyond the beam splitter in the collection path, said spectral dispersing element spectrally dispersing the light emitted by the object, producing spectrally dispersed light;
• (e) an imaging lens disposed to receive the spectrally dispersed light, producing an image thereof;
• (f) a cylindrical lens disposed to receive the light scattered from the object, said cylindrical lens having a central axis around which the cylindrical lens is curved, said central axis being generally orthogonal to a direction of the relative movement between the object and the imaging system, so that the cylindrical lens produces a scattered pattern image of the object along a direction that is substantially parallel to said central axis of the cylindrical lens;
• and
• (g) at least one time delay integration (TDI) detector disposed to receive the image produced by the imaging lens, producing an output signal that is indicative of at least one characteristic of the object, and to receive the scattered pattern image produced by the cylindrical lens, producing a different output signal that is indicative of at least one other characteristic of the object, said at least one TDI detector producing said output signals by integrating light from the object over time while the object is moving.

A method for determining one or more characteristics of a moving object from an image of the object in which at least one component of the object is detected, while there is relative movement between the object and the imaging system, comprising the steps of:

• (a) focusing light from the object along a collection path that is in a different direction than the relative movement between the object and the imaging system. said light traveling along the collection path being substantially collimated;
• (b) dispersing the light that is traveling along the collection path, producing dispersed light;
• (c) focusing the dispersed light to produce an image, said image clearly separately distinguishing components included in the object;
• (d) providing a time delay integration (TDI) detector disposed to receive the image;
• and
• (e) analyzing an output signal from the TDI detector to determine at least one characteristic of the object.

A method for determining one or more characteristics of an object from a moving scattered pattern image of the object, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing and positioning a light source to produce light that is incident on the object;
• (b) focusing light from the light source that is scattered from the object, along a collection path;
• (c) providing a cylindrical lens disposed in the collection path;
• (d) producing a scattered pattern image of the object with the cylindrical lens;
• (e) providing a time delay integration (TDI) detector disposed to receive the scattered pattern image produced by the cylindrical lens;
• and
• (f) analyzing an output signal from the TDI detector that has been produced by integrating light from at least a portion of the object over time, as the scattered pattern image of the object moves over the TDI detector.

A method for determining characteristics of an object from images of the object, wherein components of the object are detected in the images while the images of the object move, comprising the steps of:

• (a) focusing light from the object along a first collection path in which the light is substantially collimated, and along a second collection path in which the light is substantially collimated, said second collection path being in a different direction than the first collection path;
• (c) producing first dispersed light from the light traveling along the first collection path;
• (d) producing an image from the first dispersed light;
• (e) providing a first time delay integration (TDI) detector disposed to receive the image;
• (f) analyzing a first output signal from the first TDI detector produced in response to the image of the first dispersed light by integrating the first dispersed light from at least a portion of the object over time while the image of the object is moving over the first TDI detector;
• (g) producing second dispersed light from the light traveling along the second collection path;
• (h) producing an image from said second dispersed light said image clearly separately distinguishing components included in the object;
• (i) providing a second TDI detector disposed to receive the image produced from the second dispersed light;
• and
• (j) analyzing a second output signal from the second TDI detector that was produced in response to the image of the second dispersed light by integrating the second dispersed light from at least a portion of the object over time while the image of the object is moving over the second TDI detector, said steps of analyzing the first and second output signals determining at least one characteristic of the object.

A method for determining characteristics of an object from images of the object, while the images of the object are moving, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a light source that emits light incident on the object;
• (b) focusing light from the object along a collection path;
• (c) splitting light scattered from the object apart from light that is emitted by the object and directing the light scattered from the object along a different path than the collection path;
• (d) spectrally dispersing the light emitted by the object to produce spectrally dispersed light;
• (e) producing an image of the spectrally dispersed light;
• (f) providing a cylindrical lens disposed to receive the light scattered from the object;
• (g) using the cylindrical lens to produce a scattered pattern image of the object;
• (h) providing a time delay integration (TDI) detector disposed to receive the image produced from the spectrally dispersed light, and to receive the scattered pattern image produced by the cylindrical lens;
• (i) analyzing output signals from the TDI detector to determine at least one characteristic of the moving object for each image by integrating light from the object over time while the images of the object move over the TDI detector.