Multi-modal optical imaging system for tissue analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018180550-A1
Application number	US-201615501727-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 29, 2016
Priority date	Apr 29, 2016
Publication date	Jun 28, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A modular system for organic sample analysis is disclosed which includes a sample stage including a support platform and a motorized positioning mechanism mounted on the support platform, and a sample holder mounted on the motorized positioning mechanism upon which a sample is placed. A probe support rack is mounted on the support platform and two or more bio-imaging probes mounted on the probe support and arranged in a pre-defined geometry with respect to each other, and at least one bio-imaging probe has a field of view independent of all other bio-imaging probes. The system includes a computer controller connected to the motorized positioning mechanism and the two or more bio-imaging probes. The computer is programmed for controlling motorized positioning mechanism to move the sample holder having the sample located thereon to positions in the field of view of each bio-imaging probe where the sample can be analyzed individually by each of the bio-imaging probes. The computer includes a storage medium for storing an imaging data from each bio-imaging probe. The computer is programmed for spatially correlating imaging data of the selected volume of interest with the imaging data obtained from at least one other bio-imaging probe and storing the spatially correlated imaging data in the computer storage medium.

First claim

1 . A modular system for organic sample analysis of organic samples, comprising:
a sample stage including a support platform and a motorized positioning mechanism mounted on said support platform, and a sample holder mounted on said motorized positioning mechanism upon which a sample is placed; a probe support rack mounted on said support platform; two or more bio-imaging probes mounted on said probe support with said bio-imaging probes arranged in a pre-defined geometry with respect to each other and at least one bio-imaging probe having a field of view independent of all other bio-imaging probes; and a computer controller connected to said motorized positioning mechanism and said two or more bio-imaging probes, said computer controller being programmed with instructions for instructing said motorized positioning mechanism to move said sample holder having the sample located thereon to positions in the field of view of each bio-imaging probe where the sample can be analyzed individually by each of said bio-imaging probes, said computer controller including a storage means for storing an imaging data from each of said bio-imaging probe, and said computer controller being programmed with instructions for spatially correlating imaging data of a selected volume of interest with the imaging data obtained from at least one other bio-imaging probe and storing said spatially correlated imaging data in said storage means.

2 . The modular system according to claim 1 wherein said computer controller includes a user interface to facilitate a user obtaining, using a designated bio-imaging probe, imaging data of the sample to be visually displayed, and used by an input selection means for selecting a volume of interest of the sample to be imaged by said at least one additional bio-imaging probe.

3 . The modular system according to claim 2 wherein said user interface is configured to allow a user to select a single volume of a tissue sample to be probed by the two or more bio-imaging probes, or to allow a user to select multiple volumes independent of each other to be probed by the two or more bio-imaging probes.

4 . The modular system according to claim 2 wherein said computer controller includes pre-defined algorithms that facilitate sample analysis by executing pre-determined sequence of selections of sample volumes of interest, sample positioning steps, data acquisitions by the bio-imaging probes, and data analysis.

5 . The modular system according to claim 2 wherein said computer controller includes machine learning algorithms that facilitates sample analysis by making choices of selections of sample volumes of interest, sample positioning steps, data acquisitions by the bio-imaging probes, and imaging data analysis and where these choices are based on information about the samples previously acquired.

6 . The modular system according to claim 4 wherein said computer controller includes pre-defined algorithms that perform sample analysis by executing pre-determined sequence of selections of the sample volumes of interest, sample positioning steps, data acquisitions by the bio-imaging probes, and data analysis.

7 . The modular system according to claim 6 wherein said computer controller additionally includes machine learning algorithms that facilitates sample analysis by making choices of selections of the sample volumes of interest, sample positioning steps, data acquisitions by the bio-imaging probes, and imaging data analysis and where these choices are based on information about the sample previously acquired.

8 . The modular system according to claim 4 wherein said computer controller is connected to a distant computer system and where said distant computer system may contain a user interface and where said user interface can be operated by a distant user who can control the computer controller within the modular system thus controlling the sequence of selections of the sample volumes of interest, sample positioning steps, data acquisitions by the bio-imaging probes, and data analysis.

9 . The modular system according to claim 1 wherein said computer controller is connected to a distant computer system and where said distant computer system may contain pre-defined algorithms that facilitate sample analysis by controlling the computer controller within the modular system thus controlling the sequence of selections of the sample volumes of interest, sample positioning steps, data acquisitions by the bio-imaging probes, and data analysis.

10 . The modular system according to claim 1 wherein said computer controller is connected to a distant computer system and where said distant computer system may include machine learning algorithms that facilitates sample analysis by controlling the computer controller within the modular system by making choices of selections of the sample volumes of interest, sample positioning steps, data acquisitions by the bio-imaging probes, and imaging data analysis and where these choices are based on information about the sample previously acquired.

11 . The modular system according to claim 2 wherein said computer controller is programmed with instructions to assign imaging data acquired at a certain point in the field of view of a selected bio-imaging probe to visually displayed imaging data of the designated probe.

12 . The modular system according to claim 2 wherein said designated bio-imaging probe is a 3D scanner, and wherein said computer controller is programmed with instructions to display a 3D profile on a two dimensional computer display.

13 . The modular system according to claim 1 wherein said designated bio-imaging probe is a 3D scanner, and wherein said computer controller is programmed with instructions to display a 3D profile on a three dimensional computer display.

14 . The modular system according to claim 12 wherein said 3D profile is a surface profile of a sample and where said surface profile of a sample is stored by a control computer as a set of coordinates relative to said 3D scanner.

15 . The modular system according to claim 12 wherein operation of said 3D scanner is based on one of these systems: time-of-flight, triangulation, structured light, modulated light, stereoscopic systems, and photometric systems.

16 . The modular system according to claim 2 wherein said designated bio-imaging probe is one of a visible light camera and an infrared camera.

17 . The modular system according to claim 16 including a pair of lasers fixed at a predetermined geometry with each other and said designated probe such that two laser beams emitted by the pair of lasers intersect within the field of view of the designated bio-imaging probe, and wherein said user interface is configured to receive input from a user to activate the motorized positioning mechanism to move it and display movement of the sample and to stop movement of the tissue sample when the two laser beams intersect at a location of interest in the tissue sample, said computer controller being programmed with instructions to calculate, based on coordinates of the location of interest at a point where the two laser beams intersect, a distance to move the motorized positioning system to place the location of interest in a predetermined location within the field of view of each bio-imaging probe in order to acquire imaging data of the location of interest by each bio-imaging probe and to spatially correlate the imaging data acquired by each bio-imaging probe.

18 . The modular system according to claim 1 wherein the two or more bio-imaging probes are o

Assignees

• Synaptive Medical Barbados Inc

Inventors

• Franjic Kresimir
• Mak Siu Wai Jacky
• Hynna Kai Michael
• Wood Michael Frank Gunter
• Kuchnio Piotr
• Bismilla Yusuf
• Holmes Lachlan Noel
• Bright Stewart
• Cheung Aaron Yu Lai
• Kuzyk Yuri Alexander
• Taub Aryeh Benjamin
• Rezaei Sanaz

Classifications

• G01B11/24

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title

• G01N21/6408

  with measurement of decay time, time resolved fluorescence · CPC title

• G01N21/31

  Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry {(G01N21/72 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01N21/4795

  spatially resolved investigating of object in scattering medium (in vivo A61B) · CPC title

• G01N2021/655

  Stimulated Raman · CPC title