Camera and specimen alignment to facilitate large area imaging in microscopy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10416426-B2
Application number	US-201816023308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2018
Priority date	Feb 10, 2017
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

A microscope system and method allow for a desired x′-direction scanning along a specimen to be angularly offset from an x-direction of the XY translation stage, and rotates an image sensor associated with the microscope to place the pixel rows of the image sensor substantially parallel to the desired x′-direction. The angle of offset of the x′-direction relative to the x-direction is determined and the XY translation stage is employed to move the specimen relative to the image sensor to different positions along the desired x′-direction without a substantial shift of the image sensor relative to the specimen in a y′-direction, the y′-direction being orthogonal to the x′ direction of the specimen. The movement is based on the angle of offset.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microscopy method for imaging a specimen comprising:
rotating an image sensor having pixel rows and pixel columns, about its center axis, relative to a specimen on an XY translation stage that is movable in an x direction and a y direction, wherein rotating the image comprises:
identifying an axis-defining feature on the specimen running in an x′ direction, wherein the x direction and the y direction in which the XY translation stage is movable defines a plane of the XY translation stage, and the x′ direction is in the plane of the XY translation stage and angularly offset from the x direction of the XY translation stage; and
aligning the pixel rows, using computer vision, substantially parallel to the axis-defining feature on the specimen.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising aligning the pixel rows substantially parallel to the x direction of the XY translation stage, before rotating the image sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the axis-defining feature has a detectable shape running in the x′ direction, and the aligning the pixel rows uses computer vision to align the pixel rows substantially parallel to the detectable shape.

4. A microscope system comprising:
a microscope;
an image sensor, having pixel rows and pixel columns and rotatable about its center axis, configured to record image data;
an XY translation stage that is movable in an x direction and a y direction;
a processor configured to:
rotate an image sensor having pixel rows and pixel columns relative to a specimen;
identify an axis-defining feature on a specimen running in an x′ direction wherein the x direction and the y direction in which the XY translation stage is movable defines a plane of the XY translation stage, and the x′ direction is in the plane of the XY translation stage and angularly offset from the x direction of the XY translation stage; and
use computer vision to align the pixel rows substantially parallel to the axis-defining feature.

5. The microscope system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to align the pixel rows substantially parallel to the x direction of the XY translation stage, before rotating the image sensor.

6. The microscope system of claim 4 , wherein the axis-defining feature has a detectable shape running in the x′ direction, and the processor is configured to use computer vision to align the pixel rows substantially parallel to the detectable shape.

7. A microscopy method for imaging a specimen comprising:
rotating an image sensor having pixel rows and pixel columns, about its center axis, relative to a specimen on an XY translation stage that is movable in an x direction and a y direction, wherein rotating the image comprises: taking a mosaic of images suitable for calculating a reference line between a first focal feature and a second focal feature on the specimen and using computer vision to align the pixel rows of the image sensor with the reference line.

8. A microscope system comprising:
a microscope;
an image sensor, having pixel rows and pixel columns and rotatable about its center axis, configured to record image data;
an XY translation stage that is movable in an x direction and a y direction;
a processor configured to:
rotate an image sensor having pixel rows and pixel columns relative to a specimen;
identify an axis-defining feature on a specimen running in the x′ direction;
take a mosaic of images suitable for calculating a reference line between a first focal feature and a second focal feature on the specimen; and
use computer vision to align the pixel rows of the image sensor with the reference line.

Assignees

• Nanotronics Imaging Inc

Inventors

• Putman Matthew C
• Putman John B
• Scott Brandon
• Fashbaugh Dylan

Classifications

• G02B21/26 Primary

  Stages; Adjusting means therefor · CPC title

• G02B21/002 Primary

  Scanning microscopes (scanning near field optical microscopes G01Q60/18) · CPC title

• G02B21/362

  Mechanical details, e.g. mountings for the camera or image sensor, housings (G02B21/364 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/3876

  Recombination of partial images to recreate the original image · CPC title

• G02B21/367

  providing an output produced by processing a plurality of individual source images, e.g. image tiling, montage, composite images, depth sectioning, image comparison · CPC title