System and method for imaging a rotating object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10564145-B2
Application number	US-201615761630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2016
Priority date	Sep 29, 2015
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

An imaging system for a rotatable object includes an imaging unit configured to take a series of images of a portion of the rotatable object and a light source. The light source is directed at the rotatable object and is configured to generate pulses of light that illuminate the rotatable object during rotation of the rotatable object and allow the imaging unit to take the series of images of the rotatable object. The system also includes a synchronizer that monitors the rotational position of the rotatable object as it rotates, and a controller in communication with the imaging unit, the light source, and the synchronizer. The controller controls the operation of the imaging unit and/or the light source based upon the rotational position of the rotatable object such that each of the series of images is taken at the same rotational position of the rotatable object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging system for a rotatable object comprising:
an imaging device configured to take a series of images of at least a portion of the rotatable object, the rotatable object configured to rotate about an axis, the imaging device including a lens defining a lens plane and an image sensor defining an image plane, the lens plane not parallel to the image plane;
a light source directed at the rotatable object and configured to generate pulses of light that illuminate the at least a portion of the rotatable object during rotation of the rotatable object, thereby allowing the imaging device to take the series of images of the at least a portion of the rotatable object;
a synchronizer configured to monitor a rotational position of the rotatable object as it rotates; and
a controller in communication with the imaging device, the light source, and the synchronizer and configured to control the operation of at least one of the imaging device and/or the light source based upon the rotational position of the rotatable object such that each of the series of images is taken at the same rotational position of the rotatable object.

2. An imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the light source is a monochromatic light source.

3. An imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the light source is a wide band light source.

4. An imaging system according to claim 3 , wherein the imaging system includes a monochromator configured to selectively separate a predetermined wavelength of light from the wide band light source.

5. An imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging device is off-set from the axis of rotation of the rotatable object.

6. An imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the lens and/or the image sensor is oriented at an angle with respect to the at least a portion of the rotatable object.

7. An imaging system according to claim 6 , wherein the lens, image sensor, and the at least a portion of the rotatable object are oriented and positioned according to the Scheimpflug principle.

8. An imaging system according to claim 6 , wherein the lens is a scanning variable focus lens configured to scan across a top surface of the rotatable object, the image sensor capturing a plurality of images of the top surface of the rotatable object as the scanning variable focus lens scans.

9. An imaging system according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to stitch together the plurality of images of the top surface, thereby obtaining an image of the top surface of the rotatable object.

10. An imaging system according to claim 6 , wherein the lens is a wide angle lens.

11. An imaging system according to claim 6 , further comprising a mirror located above a top surface of the rotatable object and configured to generate a reflection of at least a portion of the rotatable object, the imaging device focused on the mirror such that the series of images of at least a portion rotatable object includes a series of images of the reflection.

12. An imaging system according to claim 11 , wherein the mirror is a MEMS mirror, the controller in communication with the MEMS mirror and configured to adjust the MEMS mirror to cause the MEMS mirror to scan across the at least a portion of the rotatable object.

13. An imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotatable object is a blood processing device.

14. An imaging system according to claim 13 , wherein the blood processing device includes one or more chambers configured to hold one or more blood storage containers, the imaging device configured to take a series of images of the one or more blood storage containers.

15. An imaging system according to claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a level of separation of blood contained within the one or more blood storage containers.

16. An imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotatable object is configured to hold one or more fluid samples, the imaging device configured to take a series of images of the one or more fluid samples.

17. An imaging system according to claim 16 , wherein the fluid samples are reagents, the controller configured to determine a level of agglutination.

18. An imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotatable object includes a plurality of parts located on a surface of the rotatable object, the imaging device configured to take images of each of the plurality of parts.

19. An imaging system according to claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to determine one or more measurements of each of the plurality of parts based on the images of the each of the plurality of parts.

20. An imaging system according to claim 19 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a level of uniformity between the plurality of parts based on the one or more measurements.

21. An imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the light source includes a microlens diffuser configured to diffuse the light generate by the light source.

22. An imaging system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an enclosure having a chamber within an interior of the enclosure and a lid configured to selectively close the enclosure, the rotatable object located within the chamber during rotation.

23. An imaging system according to claim 22 , wherein the lid includes a window.

24. An imaging system according to claim 22 , wherein the lid includes a support structure extending downward from the lid toward the rotatable object, the support structure configured to support the rotatable object as the object rotates.

25. An imaging system according to claim 22 further comprising:
a turntable configured to support the chamber;
a motor configured to rotate the turntable and the rotatable object; and
a drive shaft operably coupling the motor and the turntable.

26. An imaging system according to claim 25 , further comprising a bottom plate located below and secured to the chamber, the bottom plate having an opening, the drive shaft configured to extend through the opening.

27. A method of imaging a rotating object comprising:
rotating an object about and axis;
monitoring the rotational position of the object as it rotates;
pulsing a light source to illuminate at least a portion of the rotating object;
taking, using an imaging device, a first image of the at least a portion of the rotating object as the rotating object rotates, the first image being taken at a first rotational position of the rotating object and when the at least a portion of the rotating object is illuminated by the light source, wherein the imaging device includes a lens defining a lens plane and an image sensor defining an image plane, the lens plane not parallel to the image plane;
taking, using the imaging device, a second image of the at least a portion of rotating object as the rotating object, the second image being taken at a second rotational position and when the at least a portion of the rotating object is illuminated by the light source; and
analyzing the first and second images to determine at least one characteristic of the rotating object.

28. An imaging system for a blood processing device comprising:
an imaging device configured to take a series of images of at least a portion of a blood component separation device, the blood component separation device configured to rotate about an

Assignees

• Haemonetics Corp

Inventors

• Stacey Gary
• Sullivan James

Classifications

• G01N33/491 Primary

  by separating the blood components (G01N15/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N2015/045

  by optical analysis · CPC title

• G01N15/05

  in blood · CPC title

• A61B5/0066

  Optical coherence imaging · CPC title

• G01N2021/1765

  Method using an image detector and processing of image signal · CPC title