Apparatus and Method for Analyzing a Bodily Sample

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016279633-A1
Application number	US-201615174490-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 6, 2016
Priority date	Dec 29, 2010
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described for use with a digital camera that is configured to acquire images of a bodily sample. Two or more stains are configured to stain the bodily sample. A computer processor drives the digital camera to acquire, for each of a plurality of imaging fields of the bodily sample, two or more digital images, at least one of the images being acquired under brightfield lighting conditions, and at least one of the images being acquired under fluorescent lighting conditions. The computer processor performs image processing on the digital images, by extracting visual classification features from the digital images and analyzing the extracted visual classification features. The computer processor outputs a result of the image processing that includes an indication of one or more entities that are contained within the sample. Other applications are also described.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . Apparatus for use with a digital camera that is configured to acquire images of a bodily sample, the apparatus comprising:
two or more stains that are configured to stain the bodily sample; and at least one computer processor configured:
to drive the digital camera to acquire, for each of a plurality of imaging fields of the bodily sample, two or more digital images, at least one of the images being acquired under brightfield lighting conditions, and at least one of the images being acquired under fluorescent lighting conditions;
to perform image processing on the digital images, by extracting visual classification features from the digital images and analyzing the extracted visual classification features; and
to output a result of the image processing that includes an indication of one or more entities that are contained within the sample.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein one of the two or more stains comprises Hoechst.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein one of the two or more stains comprises acridine orange.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the two or more stains is configured to differentially stain DNA.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the two or more stains is configured to differentially stain RNA.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to analyze the extracted visual classification features by using a machine-learning algorithm.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to extract the visual classification features by extracting one or more features selected from the group consisting of: motion, size, shape, coloring, contrast, location in respect to additional biological structures, presence of internal structures, presence of extracellular structures, aspect ratio, optical density, fluorescence at predetermined wavelengths, optical birefringence, clustering behavior, and pattern matching.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to perform image processing on the digital images, by utilizing at least one module selecting from the group consisting of: a single frame classification cascade module, a multi-frame candidate construction module, a multi-frame candidate tracking module, a multi-frame candidate classification module, a sample classification module, a motion field construction module, an image verification module, a camera control model, and a masking module.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the bodily sample includes blood, and wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to output a result of the image processing that includes an indication of one or more entities that are contained within the blood.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to output a result of the image processing that includes a result selected from the group consisting of: a finding of anemia, a finding of an unusual cell count, a cell count, a detection of red blood cells which contain a significant amount of DNA, and information on quality of the sample.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to output a result of the image processing that includes an indication of one or more pathogens that are contained within the sample.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to output a result of the image processing that includes an indication of plasmodium contained within the sample.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to output a result of the image processing that includes a result selected from the group consisting of: a presence of the pathogen, a species of the pathogen, a number of pathogens detected, a concentration of the pathogen, and a life stage of the pathogen.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one computer processor is configured to output a result of the image processing that includes one or more images of the pathogen.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a cartridge for supporting the bodily sample, the cartridge comprising at least one microfluidic channel upon said cartridge.

17 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the cartridge defines one or more microfluidic channels that define a channel height that permits only a single layer of cells to fill the channel, such that the cells form a monolayer within the channel.

18 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein at least one of the two or more stains is present within the cartridge in a form selected from the group consisting of: liquid, solid, a coating, and dried within the cartridge.

19 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the cartridge comprises an orifice that is configured to facilitate addition of a reagent to the bodily sample after the bodily sample has been placed within the cartridge.

Assignees

• S D Sight Diagnostics Ltd

Inventors

• Bachelet Ido
• Pollak Joseph Joel
• Levner Daniel
• Bilu Yonatan
• Yorav-Raphael Noam

Classifications

• G01N2015/1006

  for cytology · CPC title

• G01N2021/6419

  Excitation at two or more wavelengths · CPC title

• G01N21/5907

  Densitometers · CPC title

• G01N21/23

  Bi-refringence · CPC title

• B01L3/502715 Primary

  characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces · CPC title