Single-pass primary analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026094410-A1
Application number	US-202519209343-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 15, 2025
Priority date	Aug 31, 2020
Publication date	Apr 2, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems for image analysis are provided, and in particular for identifying a set of base-calling locations in a flow cell for DNA sequencing. These include capturing flow cell images after each sequencing step performed on the flow cell, and identifying candidate cluster centers in at least one of the flow cell images. Intensities are determined for each candidate cluster center in a set of flow cell images. Purities are determined for each candidate cluster center based on the intensities. Each candidate cluster center with a purity greater than the purity of the surrounding candidate cluster centers within a distance threshold is added to a template set of base-calling locations.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A method for identifying one or more base-calling locations in a sample on a flow cell comprising:
receiving a first plurality of flow cell images capturing different fluorescent wavelengths emitted by fluorescent labels corresponding to respective nucleotide bases; identifying one or more DNA clusters in the first plurality of flow cell images based on pixel intensity and color purity in the first plurality of flow cell images; and generating a template by including a plurality of base-calling locations corresponding to the identified one or more DNA clusters, wherein the template is configured for registering a second plurality of flow cell images of the sample on the flow cell.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the one or more DNA clusters in the first plurality of flow cell images comprises applying a spot-finding algorithm, and is at a sub-pixel resolution.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each wavelength of the different wavelengths emitted by fluorescent labels correlates to a nucleotide base added to the one or more DNA clusters in a flow cycle of a sequencing run.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the template is further configured for registering each of the second plurality of flow cell images.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pixel intensity comprises a corresponding pixel intensity at each of the one or more DNA clusters.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the corresponding pixel intensity is determined based on a comparison of a set of channel intensities at a corresponding DNA cluster center of the one or more DNA clusters, each channel intensity in the set of channel intensities corresponding to a respective different fluorescent wavelength.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying one or more nucleotide bases of at least some of the plurality of base-calling locations of the second plurality of flow cell images in one or more flow cycles of the sequencing run based on the template.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein including the plurality of base-calling locations corresponding to the identified one or more DNA clusters comprises:
generating coordinates of the plurality of base-calling locations in a common coordinate system.

10 . A system for identifying one or more base-calling locations in a sample on a flow cell, the system comprising:
data storage; and one or more processors coupled to the data storage and configured to:
receive a first plurality of flow cell images capturing different fluorescent wavelengths emitted by fluorescent labels corresponding to respective nucleotide bases;
identify one or more DNA clusters in the first plurality of flow cell images based on pixel intensity and color purity in the first plurality of flow cell images; and
generate a template by including a plurality of base-calling locations corresponding to the identified one or more DNA clusters, wherein the template is configured for registering a second plurality of flow cell images of the sample on the flow cell.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein identifying the one or more DNA clusters in the first plurality of flow cell images comprises applying a spot-finding algorithm, and is at a sub-pixel resolution.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein each wavelength of the different wavelengths emitted by fluorescent labels correlates to a nucleotide base added to the one or more DNA clusters in a flow cycle of a sequencing run.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the template is further configured for registering each of the second plurality of flow cell images.

14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the pixel intensity comprises a corresponding pixel intensity at each of the one or more DNA clusters.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the corresponding pixel intensity is determined based on a comparison of a set of channel intensities at a corresponding DNA cluster center of the one or more DNA clusters, each channel intensity in the set of channel intensities corresponding to a respective different fluorescent wavelength.

16 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying one or more nucleotide bases added at each of the plurality base-calling locations in one or more subsequent flow cycles based on the template.

17 . The system of claim 10 , wherein including a plurality of base-calling locations corresponding to the identified one or more DNA clusters comprises generating coordinates of the plurality of base-calling locations in a common coordinate system.

18 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable code thereon, the non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions configured to, when executed, cause a computer system to perform operations comprising:
receiving a first plurality of flow cell images capturing different fluorescent wavelengths emitted by fluorescent labels corresponding to respective nucleotide bases; identifying one or more DNA clusters in the first plurality of flow cell images based on pixel intensity and color purity in the first plurality of flow cell images; and generating a template by including a plurality of base-calling locations corresponding to the identified one or more DNA clusters, wherein the template is configured for registering a second plurality of flow cell images of the sample on the flow cell.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein each wavelength of the different wavelengths emitted by fluorescent labels correlates to a nucleotide base added to the one or more DNA clusters in a flow cycle of a sequencing run.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein including a plurality of base-calling locations corresponding to the identified one or more DNA clusters comprises generating coordinates of the plurality of base-calling locations in a common coordinate system.

Assignees

• Element Biosciences Inc

Inventors

• Zhou Chunhong
• Kruglyak Semyon
• Garcia Francisco
• Guo Minghao
• Wang Haosen
• Kelly Ryan

Classifications

• G06V20/69

  Microscopic objects, e.g. biological cells or cellular parts · CPC title

• G06T7/66 Primary

  of image moments or centre of gravity · CPC title

• G06V2201/04

  Recognition of patterns in DNA microarrays · CPC title

• G06V20/695

  Preprocessing, e.g. image segmentation · CPC title

• G06V20/693

  Acquisition · CPC title