Full resolution color imaging of an object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10255478-B2
Application number	US-201514730437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2015
Priority date	Oct 18, 2012
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates generally to both a method and apparatus for the creation of full resolution color digital images of diagnostic cassettes or objects of interest using a gray-scale digital camera or sensor combined with time sequential illumination using additive primary colors followed by post exposure digital processing. Such procedures and equipment is of significant economic value when employed in situations such as diagnostic clinical analyzers where space is limited and image quality requirements are high.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus for the construction of a color digital image of an object of interest comprising:
a gray-scale digital camera or sensor capable of generating a plurality of gray-scale images while the object of interest is illuminated with lights having different wavelengths,
a mechanical means to hold said object of interest with respect to the gray-scale digital camera or sensor,
a source of front illumination capable of multiple illuminations of said object of interest with red, green, and blue wavelength light,
a source of rear illumination capable of multiple illuminations of said object of interest with red, green, and blue wavelength light, and
a means to construct a color digital image of said object of interest by combining color plane data created from the plurality of gray-scale images viewed by the gray-scale digital camera or sensor, wherein said means is in electrical contact with said gray-scale digital camera or sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the means to construct a color digital image is an electric circuit containing at least one application-specific integrated circuit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the means to construct a color digital image is an electric circuit containing at least one field-programmable gate array.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the means to construct a color digital image is software in a general purpose digital computer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is an imaging subsystem for a diagnostic clinical analyzer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the object of interest is a diagnostic cassette.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the constructed color digital image is of full resolution.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a cylindrical reflector in optical connection with said source of front illumination and in optical connection with said source of rear illumination provides uniform illumination to said object of interest.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said source of front illumination is provided by a plurality of light emitting diode circuit boards.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said source of rear illumination is provided by at least one light emitting diode circuit board.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gray-scale images are composed exclusively of black, white, and shades of gray varying from black to white.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the color plane data includes varying reflection or transmission intensities or densities observed by the gray-scale digital camera or sensor while the object of interest is illuminated with lights having different wavelengths.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein construction of the color digital image includes creation of a color plane from the color plane data from at least one of the plurality of gray-scale images, multiplication of the color plane by a pre-defined color weighting matrix to produce a weighted color plane, and multiplication of the weighted color plane by a pre-defined selected gain scalar to produce a final color plane.

Assignees

• Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Inc

Inventors

• Jorgensen Jens H
• Lacourt Michael W
• Moran Jr Donald J
• Hawks David J
• Wycallis Joseph
• Arnold Stephen C

Classifications

• G01N21/82 Primary

  producing a precipitate or turbidity · CPC title

• G02B27/024

  comprising a light source, e.g. for viewing photographic slides, X-ray transparancies (G02B27/023, and photographic, cine and overhead projectors G03B21/00 and subgroups) · CPC title

• G06T2207/30004

  Biomedical image processing · CPC title

• G06T2207/10152

  Varying illumination · CPC title

• G06T2207/20216

  Image averaging · CPC title