System and method for color correction of a microscope image with a built-in calibration slide
AssigneeDatacolor Holding AG
InventorsHong Wei, Michael H. Brill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method are disclosed for correcting the color of microscope images for different illuminants. The system includes a microscope having at least one image setting value selector with a plurality of pre-set positions, and an optical train having a distal end and a proximal end and being configured to convey illumination. The optical train is further configured to allow introduction of a calibration slide into the optical train of the microscope at a plurality of possible positions, each position being a conjugate plane of the sample plane, when the sample is in focus. The calibration slide incorporates an integral transmission filter array of known transmission values.
Claims16
A system for correcting the color of microscope images for different illuminants, comprising:
- a microscope having:
- at least one image setting selector with a plurality of pre-set values;
- a housing defining an optical train, the housing having a distal end and a proximal end, said optical train being configured to convey illumination the optical train having a sample image plane and a plurality of conjugate image planes, the housing configured to receive a selectable microscope calibration slide at one or more of the conjugate plane locations wherein the image produced at the conjugate plane is of a lower magnification than an image obtained at the image plane;
- an illumination source configured to direct illumination into the distal end of the optical train;
- a selectable sample slide securing a sample to be analyzed and configured for insertion into the optical train at the sample plane;
- a selectable microscope calibration slide, integral to the microscope at a conjugate plane of the sample plane and configured to be inserted or withdrawn from the field of view of the microscope without being removed from the microscope, the microscope slide further having an integral transmission filter array of known transmission spectra for each value of the image setting selector;
- an image recording device, configured to record a least one sample image of the sample slide a using a pre-set image setting selector value while the sample slide is inserted in the optical train at the sample plane, and at least one calibration image of the microscope calibration slide using the same pre-set image setting selector value while the calibration slide is inserted at a conjugate plane of the sample plane and the sample slide is withdrawn from the optical train, and each image is comprised of a pixel array with each pixel having a color value.
A method for managing the color on microscope images comprising:
- recording at least one focused image of a sample secured to a slide at a sample plane under at least one lighting condition;
- extracting from the at least one image, data points relating to color values of individual image pixels of the sample slide;
- removing the sample slide from the field of view of the microscope;
- positioning a calibration slide, integral to the microscope and positioned at a conjugate plane of the sample plane, into the field of view of the microscope;
- recording at least one image of the calibration slide under said at least one lighting condition;
- extracting from the plurality of images data points relating to color values of individual image pixels of the calibration slide;
- calibrating the data points of the sample slide to conform to the data points of the calibration slide;
- transforming the pixels of the sample slide to reproduce a corrected image with calibrated color values;
- and
- outputting the corrected image to a display device or storage device.
A computer-implemented method for utilizing a particular connection with an electronic device combining a microscope equipped with at least one calibration port positioned at a conjugate plane of the sample plane at a given image setting value, at least one sample secured to a sample slide, at least one calibration slide with an integral color filter array, a digital imaging device and an imaging processor, the imaging processor equipped with a memory storage device and configured to execute code for transforming the color values of pixels of an image recorded by the imaging, comprising the steps of:
- recording at least one focused image of a sample secured to a slide under at least one lighting condition;
- extracting from the at least one image, data points relating to color values of individual image pixels of the sample slide;
- removing the sample slide from the field of view of the microscope;
- inserting a calibration slide integral to the microscope and positioned at a conjugate plane of the sample plane into the field of view of the microscope where the conjugate plane produces an image at a lower magnification than the sample plane;
- recording at least one image of the calibration slide under at least one lighting condition wherein the image includes the complete color filter array;
- extracting from the plurality of images data points relating to color values of individual image pixels of the calibration slide;
- calibrating the data points of the sample slide to conform to the data points of the calibration slide;
- transforming the pixels of the sample slide to reproduce a corrected image with calibrated color values;
- and
- outputting the corrected image to a display device or storage device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.