Automated microscopic image acquisition, compositing, and display

US7027628B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America, as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services · US

Inventors

• MariBeth Gagnon · Rockaway, US
• Roger Taylor · Lilburn, US
• James V. Lange · Stone Mountain, US
• Tommy Lee · Danville, US
• Carlyn Collins · Atlanta, US
• Richard Draut · Snellville, US
• Edward T. Kujawski · Atlanta, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 13, 2001
• Grant date: Apr 11, 2006
• Expiry date: Jun 26, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06T2207/10056
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An automated microscope and computer system captures a set of images for a capture area in a plurality of focal planes. The images can then be integrated into composite images for browsing to simulate viewing an item, such as a biological sample, under a microscope. A corrective filter can be constructed from the images to avoid an effect called “tiling.” Before capture, variable focal plane error can be avoided by collecting z locations for a set of points in the capture area. During image browsing, entire composite images can be loaded into memory in compressed form. Compressed image portions can be pre-decompressed to avoid delay as a browsing user navigates throughout the composite images. Pre-decompression can be done by a thread separate from the thread performing navigation operations.