Fully automatic rapid microscope slide scanner
AssigneeLeica Biosystems Imaging, Inc.
InventorDirk G. Soenksen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Microscope slide scanner. In an embodiment the microscope slide scanner comprises a single enclosure unit that includes at least one objective lens, at least one line scan camera, at least one communication port, and at least one processor. The line scan camera may be configured to capture image data of a sample as a plurality of image stripes via the objective lens. The communication port provides communication over a network. The processor may align the plurality of image stripes into a contiguous image of at least a portion of the sample, and executes a web server that provides an operator interface over the network to one or more remote devices.
Claims20
A system for acquiring a digital image of at least a portion of a microscope sample, the system comprising:
- a motorized stage configured to support a microscope sample and move the microscope sample at a substantially constant velocity;
- an illumination system configured to illuminate at least a portion of the microscope sample;
- an objective lens positioned for viewing the illuminated portion of the microscope sample;
- a focus map having a plurality of focus points on the microscope sample;
- at least one line scan camera optically coupled with the objective lens, wherein the at least one line scan camera is configured to create a digital image strip of a portion of the microscope sample, and wherein the digital image strip is captured while the microscope sample is moving at substantially constant velocity;
- a focusing system configured to provide focus for the at least one line scan camera during creation of each digital image strip in accordance with the focus map;
- an image composer configured to align adjacent digital image strips into a contiguous digital image of at least a portion of the microscope sample;
- and
- a data storage area configured to store the contiguous digital image.
A method for creating a digital image of a portion of a microscope sample, the method comprising:
- focusing a line scan camera on a plurality of focus points within a microscope sample, wherein the line scan camera has a linear field of view;
- creating a focus map based on the plurality of focus points;
- scanning a first strip of the microscope sample while the microscope sample is in motion by moving the microscope sample at substantially constant velocity relative to the line scan camera while the first strip is exposed to the linear field of view of the line scan camera during said motion, illuminating at least a portion of the first strip while the microscope sample is in said motion, and adjusting the focus of the line scan camera during said scanning in accordance with the focus map;
- storing a digital image of the first strip;
- scanning a substantially unscanned second strip of the microscope sample while the microscope sample is in motion by moving the microscope sample at substantially constant velocity relative to the line scan camera while the second strip is exposed to the linear field of view of the line scan camera during said motion, illuminating at least a portion of the second strip while the microscope sample is in said motion, and adjusting the focus of the line scan camera during said scanning;
- storing a digital image of the second strip;
- and
- composing the digital image of the first strip and the digital image of the second strip into a contiguous digital image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.