Imaging a well of a microplate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018376048-A1
Application number	US-201816015363-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2018
Priority date	Jun 26, 2017
Publication date	Dec 27, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An imaging system and method are provided in which a well of a microplate 050 is imaged by a camera 110 comprising magnification optics 112. The camera is controlled to acquire a series of images of the well with different exposures. The series of images comprise a base image with a base exposure and at least one further image with a larger exposure than the base exposure. The series of images are then merged into an output image which comprises in a center region of the well image content from the base image and at a peripheral region of the well image content from the at least one further image. Advantageously, the output image may allow for better assaying or analysis of the samples in the well than any of the individual images.

First claim

1 . An imaging system for imaging individual wells of a microplate, the imaging system comprising:
a camera comprising magnification optics to establish a field of view encompassing a well when the well is positioned within the field of view of the camera; a camera interface configured to provide control data to the camera to control the imaging by the camera, and to receive image data acquired by the camera; a light source for illuminating the well; a memory comprising instruction data representing a set of instructions; and a processor configured to communicate with the camera interface and the memory and to execute the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
control the camera to acquire a series of images of the well with different exposures, the series of images comprising a base image with a base exposure and at least one further image with a larger exposure than the base exposure, and
merge the series of images into an output image which comprises in a center region of the well image content from the base image and at a peripheral region of the well image content from the at least one further image.

2 . The imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to select the base exposure to minimize clipping in the center region of the well in the base image.

3 . The imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to merge the series of images into the output image by selecting a different set of frequency components from each of the series of images for inclusion in the output image.

4 . The imaging system according to claim 3 , wherein the selecting the different set of frequency components comprises:
selecting at least lower frequency components from the base image; and selecting higher frequency components, while omitting selecting the lower frequency components, from the further image.

5 . The imaging system according to claim 4 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to select the different set of frequency components from each of the series of images by:
generating a Laplacian of Gaussian pyramid representation of the base image; and generating a Laplacian of Gaussian pyramid representation of the further image which comprises fewer levels than the Laplacian of Gaussian pyramid representation of the base image and thereby omits the lower frequency components.

6 . The imaging system according to claim 5 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the output image by:
calculating an intermediate base output image from the Laplacian of Gaussian pyramid representation of the base image; calculating an intermediate further output image from the Laplacian of Gaussian pyramid representation of the further image; and merging the intermediate base output image and the intermediate further output image.

7 . The imaging system according to claim 6 , wherein the merging the intermediate base output image and the intermediate further output image comprises summing or averaging the intermediate base output image and the intermediate further output image.

8 . The imaging system according to claim 5 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the output image by:
combining the Laplacian of Gaussian pyramid representation of the base image and the Laplacian of Gaussian pyramid representation of the further image to obtain a combined Laplacian of Gaussian pyramid representation; and deriving the output image from the combined Laplacian of Gaussian pyramid representation.

9 . The imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
control the camera to acquire a first series of images of the well having a first focus position with respect to the well; control the camera to acquire a second series of images of the well having a second focus position with respect to the well; merge the first series of images into a first output image; merge the second series of images into a second output image; generate a bright field output image as a sum or average of the first output image and the second output image.

10 . The imaging system according to claim 9 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a phase difference output image as a difference of the first output image and the second output image.

11 . The imaging system according to claim 1 , further comprising a light source control interface for controlling the light source.

12 . The imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging system is a microplate reader.

13 . The imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the microplate is a 96-well microplate.

14 . A method of imaging individual wells of a microplate with an imaging system, the imaging system comprising:
a camera comprising magnification optics to establish a field of view encompassing a well when the well is positioned within the field of view of the camera; a camera interface configured to provide control data to the camera to control the imaging by the camera, and to receive image data acquired by the camera; a light source for illuminating the well;
the method comprising:
controlling the camera to acquire a series of images of the well with different exposures, the series of images comprising a base image with a base exposure and at least one further image with a larger exposure than the base exposure; and
merging the series of images into an output image which comprises in a center region of the well image content from the base image and at a peripheral region of the well image content from the at least one further image.

15 . A transitory or non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a processor system to perform the method according to claim 14 .

Assignees

• Tecan Trading Ag

Inventors

• Schürf Markus
• Münchow Frank
• Oberdanner Christian
• Kaser Alexander

Classifications

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/951

  by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio · CPC title

• H04N23/743 Primary

  Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions · CPC title

• H04N23/73

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title