Device for observing a living cell or a set of living cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12522790-B2
Application number	US-202017628164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2020
Priority date	Jul 18, 2019
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

An imaging device (100) for observing the development of a living cell or a set of living cells such as embryos (80), comprising a lighting system (110), and an imaging system (120) equipped with a wide-field camera (121) which is adapted to allow the identification, the imaging and the observation of one or more living cells or sets of living cells (80) to be observed. The invention also relates to a method for observing the development of embryos by way of such a device (100).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . Imaging device for observing a development of living cells or sets of living cells in context of reproduction study, comprising:
an imaging system comprising a wide-field camera adapted for observing of one or more living cells or the sets of the living cells to be observed, the one or more living cells or the sets of the living cells being deposited in a Petri dish containing a compartment for each living cell or set of living cells; a support capable of receiving the Petri dish and positioned between a lighting system and the imaging system; the lighting system comprising three light sources, adapted to emit light rays to illuminate an object which is the one or more living cells or the sets of the living cells to be observed, including a central source, a first lateral source placed on a first side of the central source, and a second lateral source placed on a second side of the central source, the lighting system comprising an optical shaping system and being configured to implement each of the following specific types of lighting: a “detection” type lighting for detecting the one or more living cells or the sets of the living cells to be observed by the imaging system, the “detection” type lighting being produced using the central source, the first lateral source and the second lateral source, light rays from the light sources being focused by the optical shaping system on the object according to a cone (α_GC) having an angular aperture between 26° and 34°; a “contour” type lighting for counting a number of living cell(s) present in the one or more living cells or the set of the living cells observed by the imaging system, the “contour” type lighting being produced using the first lateral source and the second lateral source, the light rays from the first lateral source and the second lateral source being separated by the optical shaping system into two symmetrical collimated beams with respect to an axis (P) perpendicular to a plane formed by a Petri dish support or the Petri dish per se, a first beam from the first lateral source illuminating the object according to an angle of incidence with respect to the perpendicular axis (P) between 10° and 14°, a second beam from the second lateral source illuminating the object according to an angle of incidence with respect to the perpendicular axis (P) between 10° and 14°; a “relief” type lighting for viewing a texture and granularity of the one or more living cells or the sets of the living cells present in the one or more living cells or the set of the living cells observed by the imaging system, the “relief” type lighting being produced using the first lateral source and the optical shaping system so that a single collimated light beam propagates along an axis inclined by an angle with respect to the perpendicular axis (P) between 8° and 16°; movement means for relative movement of the Petri dish with respect to an assembly formed by the lighting system and the wide-field camera so as to be able to observe the one or more living cells or the sets of the living cells located in the compartments of the Petri dish, the wide-field camera having a field of view covering at least a total surface area of one of the compartments of the Petri dish, and the imaging device being adapted to image, without relative movement of the Petri dish with a movement means with respect to the assembly formed by the lighting system and the wide-field camera, one living cell or the set of the living cells in any position in the compartment associated thereto in the Petri dish and the wide-field camera having a resolution adapted for observing the living cell or the set of the living cells at a micrometric level of detail.

2 . Imaging device according to claim 1 wherein the living cells or the sets of the living cells are one or more embryos.

3 . Imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein a light source of the lighting system is disposed in a parallel plane with a horizontal plane defined by the support capable of receiving the Petri dish, and the optical shaping system is disposed between the light source and the Petri dish.

4 . Imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the movement means are capable of moving the assembly formed by the lighting system and the wide-field camera of the imaging system, relative to the Petri dish wherein the living cells or the sets of the living cells to be observed are deposited, in a plane parallel to a plane defined by the support of the Petri dish.

5 . Imaging device according to claim 1 further comprising a liquid lens, adapted to control a focal distance of the living cell or the set of the living cells in a direction of a depth thereof.

6 . Method for observing a development of living cells or sets of living cells by an imaging device as defined in claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
a preparation step of successively depositing a living cell or a set of living cells into a Petri dish and which can be chosen from at least one Petri dish disposed on a support of the imaging device, the Petri dish having an identification element, followed by a drop of a culture medium in the Petri dish, the preparation step being repeated as many times as needed according to a number of living cells or sets of living cells to be observed; then covering all deposited living cells or sets of cells with a liquid; an identification step of the Petri dish of detecting and viewing, using a dedicated reader, the identification element of the Petri dish containing the living cell(s) or sets of living cells to be observed; and an observation step of a first living cell or set of living cells using the imaging system.

7 . Method for observing the development of living cells or the sets of the living cells according to claim 6 further comprising, prior to the identification step, an approximate positioning step of a chosen Petri dish with respect to the assembly formed by the lighting system and the wide-field camera of the imaging system relative to the chosen Petri dish using the movement means, such that the Petri dish is roughly aligned with the assembly formed by the lighting system and the wide-field camera of the imaging system.

8 . Method for observing the development of living cells or the sets of the living cells according to claim 6 , after the step of observing a first living cell or a first set of living cells, a relative movement step of the Petri dish with respect to the assembly formed by the lighting system and the wide-field camera of the imaging system for observing another living cell or another set of living cells located in another compartment of the Petri dish.

9 . Method for observing the development of the living cells or the sets of the living cells according to claim 6 , in a case wherein the imaging device further comprises a liquid lens, wherein the step of observing a first living cell or a first set of living cells is performed in a horizontal observation plane parallel with the support capable of receiving the Petri dish and perpendicular to a direction of a depth of the first living cell or of the set of the living cells, the plane being determined in an additional determination step by a configuration of the liquid lens.

10 . Method for observing the development of the living cells or the sets of the living cells according to claim 9 , wherein the step of determining an observation plane of the first living cell or of the set of the living cells is repeated for different planes perpendicular to the direction of the depth of the first living cell or of the set of the living cells by different configurations of the liquid lens, so as to observe a first living cell or a first set of living

Assignees

• Univ Versailles Saint Quentin En Yvelines
• Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal De Poissy Saint Germain
• Centre Hospitalier Univ Bordeaux
• Centre Nat Rech Scient
• Univ Bordeaux
• Univ De Versailles Saint Quentin En Yvelines Versailles Fr

Inventors

• Vialard François
• Jimenez Clément
• Geindre Christophe
• Hiberty Bruno
• Ducros Hugo

Classifications

• G02B26/005

  based on electrowetting · CPC title

• G02B21/361

  Optical details, e.g. image relay to the camera or image sensor (G02B21/364 takes precedence; illumination details G02B21/06 and subgroups) · CPC title

• G02B21/06 Primary

  Means for illuminating specimens · CPC title

• G02B21/0088

  Inverse microscopes · CPC title

• C12M23/12

  Well or multiwell plates (C12M25/04 takes precedence) · CPC title