Flat-form imaging for microscopic objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11932844-B2
Application number	US-201817256333-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2018
Priority date	Oct 9, 2018
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

An example apparatus includes a sampling layer to position microscopic objects thereon, a light encoding layer to encode light from passing through the microscopic objects of the sampling layer, the light encoding layer having a substantially flat form, and an imaging layer to capture an image of the sampling layer, the image being encoded by the light encoding layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a sampling layer to position microscopic objects thereon;
a light encoding layer to encode light from passing through the microscopic objects of the sampling layer, the light encoding layer having a substantially flat form; and
an imaging layer to capture an image of the sampling layer, the image being encoded by the light encoding layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a light source positioned on a first side of the sampling layer to illuminate the sampling layer,
wherein the light encoding layer is positioned on a second side of the sampling layer, the second side being opposite the first side.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substantially flat form of the light encoding layer provides a wide field of view to encompass the microscopic objects on the sampling layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sampling layer includes an array of wells.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein sampling layer includes a material to accommodate solid phase cell culturing in discrete positions.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light encoding layer includes a flat-form, lens-less computational imaging layer.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the flat-form computational imaging layer includes at least one of an amplitude mask or a diffuser.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light encoding layer includes a substantially flat array of lenses.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the imaging layer includes at least one of a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device.

10. A system, comprising:
a well plate including an array of wells;
a light encoding layer positioned below the well plate, the light encoding layer to encode light passing through the array of wells, the light encoding layer having a substantially flat form;
an imaging layer to capture the encoded image from the light encoding layer; and
a controller to generate a reconstructed image based on the encoded image.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a dispenser to dispense samples into the array of wells.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is to generate the reconstructed image via application of at least one reconstruction matrix to the encoded image.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is to monitor growth of samples in the array of wells.

14. A method, comprising:
projecting light through a sampling layer, the sampling layer including microscopic objects;
encoding the light passing through the sampling layer with a substantially flat-form light encoding layer; and
imaging the microscopic objects on the sampling layer using encoded light from the flat-form light encoding layer.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the substantially flat-form light encoding layer provides a wide field of view to encompass the microscopic objects on the sampling layer.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• D'Apuzzo Fausto
• Rogacs Anita

Classifications

• C12M41/36 Primary

  of biomass, e.g. colony counters or by turbidity measurements (electrooptical investigation of individual particles G01N15/14, flow cytometers G01N15/1404) · CPC title

• G02B1/002

  made of materials engineered to provide properties not available in nature, e.g. metamaterials · CPC title

• G02B1/06

  made of fluids in transparent cells · CPC title

• G02B21/0004

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• G02B21/06

  Means for illuminating specimens · CPC title