Method and apparatus for selecting slide media image read location

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020005488-A1
Application number	US-201916455453-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 27, 2019
Priority date	Jul 2, 2018
Publication date	Jan 2, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a method and apparatus for locating a target location on a reaction cell and using the target location to perform an assay. In an example embodiment, a method of performing at least one assay includes obtaining at least one image of a fluid sample located on a reaction cell and creating a set of derivative data including a plurality of derivative data points based on the at least one image. The method also includes determining an image gradient data point for each of the plurality of derivative data points and determining a target location of the fluid sample in the reaction cell based on the image gradient data points. The method further includes performing at least one assay using the target location of the fluid sample in the reaction cell.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1 . A method of performing at least one assay comprising:
obtaining, in a control unit, at least one image of a fluid sample that is located on a reaction cell; creating, via the control unit, a set of derivative data including a plurality of derivative data points based on the at least one image; determining, via the control unit, an image gradient data point for each of the plurality of derivative data points; determining, via the control unit, a target location of the fluid sample in the reaction cell based on the image gradient data points; and performing, via the control unit and a related assay system, at least one assay using the target location of the fluid sample in the reaction cell.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction cell includes a solid media, a dry slide, or a reaction cuvette.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target location includes an approximate center of a homogeneous region of the fluid sample in the reaction cell.

4 . The method of claim 1 , which includes performing multiple assays using target locations from a plurality of images.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the derivative data points are first order derivatives that are based on colors in the at least one image.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the target location of the fluid sample includes at least one of:
(i) using first image gradient data points having a lower image gradient than second image gradient data points; or (ii) excluding the second image gradient data points having a higher image gradient than the first image gradient data points.

7 . The method of claim 1 , which includes removing, via the control unit, image defects from the at least one image.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one image is a two-dimensional image.

9 . The method of claim 1 , which includes forming, via the control unit, a read area around the target location, and wherein performing at least one assay includes using the read area.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the target location of the fluid sample includes detecting or measuring an indicator reaction of indicator molecules within in the reaction cell formed from at least one reagent combining with the fluid sample.

11 . A method of performing at least one assay comprising:
obtaining, via a control unit, at least one image of a fluid sample located on a reaction cell; creating, via the control unit, a set of derivative data including a plurality of derivative data points based on the at least one image; determining, via the control unit, a target location of the fluid sample based on the plurality of derivative data points; forming, via the control unit, a read area around the target location; and performing, via the control unit and a related assay system, at least one assay using the read area.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the reaction cell includes a solid media, a dry slide, or a reaction cuvette.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the read area appears approximately circular in the at least one image.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the read area appears approximately elliptical in the at least one image.

15 . The method of claim 11 , which includes determining, via the control unit, an image gradient data point for each of the plurality of derivative data points, and determining the target location of the fluid sample based on the image gradient data points.

16 . The method of claim 11 , which includes performing, via the control unit and the related assay system, multiple assays using target locations from a plurality of images.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one image is a two-dimensional image.

18 . An apparatus for performing at least one assay comprising:
a slide reception location configured to receive at least one reaction cell having a fluid sample located thereon; an imaging device positioned and arranged relative to the slide reception location to obtain at least one image of the fluid sample located in the reaction cell; and a control unit configured to: (i) determine a target location within the fluid sample located in the reaction cell by analyzing derivative data points derived from the at least one image; and (ii) perform at least one assay based on the target location.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the reaction cell includes a solid media, a dry slide, or a reaction cuvette.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the solid media includes a second reaction cell.

21 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the target location includes an approximately central location of a homogeneous region of the fluid sample.

22 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine the target location by analyzing an image gradient data point for each of the plurality of derivative data points.

23 . The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine the target location by at least one of: (i) using first image gradient data points having a lower image gradient than second image gradient data points; or (ii) excluding the second image gradient data points having a higher image gradient than the first image gradient data points.

24 . The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine the target location at an approximate geometrical center of first image gradient data points that have a lower image gradient than second image gradient data points.

25 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the control unit is configured to perform multiple different assays using target locations from a plurality of images.

26 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the target location of the fluid sample in the reaction cell corresponds to a location where an indicator reaction occurs such that an indicator is developed for display as target molecules in the fluid sample react with reagents in the reaction cell.

Assignees

• Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Inc

Inventors

• Ding Zhong
• Miller Johanna Julia-Trecaso
• Dimagno Theodore J

Classifications

• G06T2207/30004

  Biomedical image processing · CPC title

• G06T2207/10056

  Microscopic image · CPC title

• G06T7/73 Primary

  using feature-based methods · CPC title

• G06T5/001

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T7/74 Primary

  involving reference images or patches · CPC title