Stray light compensating methods and apparatus for characterizing a specimen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11815519-B2
Application number	US-201816632321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2018
Priority date	Jul 19, 2017
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A quality check module for characterizing a specimen and/or a specimen container including stray light compensation. The quality check module includes an imaging location within the quality check module configured to receive a specimen container containing a specimen, one or more image capture devices configured to capture images of the imaging location from one or more viewpoints, and one or more light sources configured to provide back lighting for the one or more image capture devices, and one or more stray light patches located in an area receiving stray light from the one or more light sources enabling stray light affecting the images to be compensated for and to provide a stray light compensated image. Calibration methods, methods of characterizing a specimen, specimen testing apparatus including a quality check module, and specimen container carriers including one or more stray light patches are provided, as are other aspects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A quality check module, comprising:
an imaging location within the quality check module configured to receive a specimen container containing a specimen;
one or more image capture devices configured to capture images of the imaging location from one or more viewpoints;
one or more light sources configured to provide back lighting for the one or more image capture devices; and
one or more stray light patches located in an area receiving stray light from the one or more light sources,
wherein the one or more stray light patches are located within 30 mm of the specimen container during imaging, and
each one of the one or more stray light patches contain an exposed patch area of at least 1 mm 2 .

2. The quality check module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more light sources are spectrally-switchable between at least two light spectra.

3. The quality check module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more stray light patches are provided on a carrier holding the specimen container.

4. The quality check module of claim 3 , wherein the one or more stray light patches are provided on one or more tines of the carrier holding the specimen container.

5. The quality check module of claim 3 , wherein the one or more stray light patches comprise a location within a view window of the one or more image capture devices.

6. The quality check module of claim 3 , comprising a plurality of stray light patches provided on the carrier.

7. The quality check module of claim 3 , comprising a plurality of image capture devices, and wherein the one or more stray light patches comprise at least one stray light patch within a view window of each of the plurality of image capture devices.

8. The quality check module of claim 1 , comprising an enclosure forming an imaging chamber enclosing at least some of a space including the imaging location, and one or more imaging devices that reside outside of the imaging chamber.

9. The quality check module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more stray light patches are provided on a stationary support not coupled to a carrier supporting the specimen container.

10. The quality check module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more stray light patches are provided on a movable support that is not coupled to a carrier supporting the specimen container.

11. The quality check module of claim 10 , wherein the movable support is configured to move from a first location remote from the imaging location to a second location adjacent to the imaging location wherein imaging takes place when the movable support is located at the second location.

12. The quality check module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more stray light patches are provided on the specimen container, on a cap of the specimen container, or both.

13. The quality check module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more stray light patches are provided on a label on the specimen container.

14. The quality check module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more stray light patches are located directly adjacent to the specimen container during imaging.

15. The quality check module of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the stray light patches comprise a white-colored surface.

16. The quality check module of claim 1 , comprising a computer configured to determine a stray light compensated image based at least upon a stray light intensity ρ c,b at the one or more stray light patches.

17. A quality check module, comprising:
an imaging location configured to receive a specimen container containing a specimen;
an image capture device configured to capture images of the specimen container and specimen at the imaging location;
a light source located adjacent to the imaging location and configured to provide back lighting for the image capture device;
a stray light patch located in an area receiving stray light from the light source; and
a computer configured to determine a stray light compensated image based at least upon a stray light intensity ρ c,b at the stray light patch,
wherein the stray light patch is located within 30 mm of the specimen container during imaging, and
the stray light patch contains an exposed patch area of at least 1 mm 2 .

18. The quality check module of claim 17 , wherein the computer is configured and operable to determine a spatially-resolved optical correction factor.

19. The quality check module of claim 17 , wherein the computer is configured and operable to determine a calibration image Intensity, I c,b of a front side of a calibration object.

20. A characterization method, comprising:
providing a specimen container containing a specimen at an imaging location;
providing one or more image capture devices configured to capture images at the imaging location;
back lighting the imaging location with one or more light sources;
providing a stray light patch located in an area receiving stray light from the one or more light sources;
capturing an image of the specimen container, the specimen, and the stray light patch with the one or more image capture devices; and
determining a stray light compensated image,
wherein the stray light patch is located within 30 mm of the specimen container during imaging, and
the stray light patch contains an exposed patch area of at least 1 mm 2 .

Assignees

• Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc

Inventors

• Wissmann Patrick
• Pollack Benjamin S

Classifications

• G01N35/00732 Primary

  Identification of carriers, materials or components in automatic analysers · CPC title

• G01J1/0295

  Constructional arrangements for removing other types of optical noise or for performing calibration · CPC title

• G01N35/00623

  of instruments · CPC title

• G01N35/00693

  Calibration · CPC title

• G06T7/0012

  Biomedical image inspection · CPC title