Super resolution optofluidic microscopes for 2D and 3D imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9743020-B2
Application number	US-201113069651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2011
Priority date	Mar 23, 2010
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A super resolution optofluidic microscope device comprises a body defining a fluid channel having a longitudinal axis and includes a surface layer proximal the fluid channel. The surface layer has a two-dimensional light detector array configured to receive light passing through the fluid channel and sample a sequence of subpixel shifted projection frames as an object moves through the fluid channel. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device further comprises a processor in electronic communication with the two-dimensional light detector array. The processor is configured to generate a high resolution image of the object using a super resolution algorithm, and based on the sequence of subpixel shifted projection frames and a motion vector of the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A super resolution optofluidic microscope device, comprising:
a multi-layer body comprising a micromolded microfluidic chip fabricated using micro/nanofabrication procedures, the micromolded microfluidic chip defining a fluid channel having a longitudinal axis;
an image sensor, wherein the micromolded microfluidic chip is affixed directly to the image sensor during fabrication such that the image sensor is oriented with its local axis at an angle from the longitudinal axis of the fluid channel, wherein during operation the image sensor receives light passing through an object being imaged while the object is moving through the fluid channel and samples a sequence of subpixel shifted two-dimensional projection images of the object as it moves through the fluid channel; and
a processor in electronic communication with the image sensor to receive data during operation that comprises the sampled sequence of subpixel shifted two-dimensional projection images of the object, wherein during operation the processor generates a high resolution two-dimensional image of the object from the sampled sequence of subpixel shifted two-dimensional projection images and a motion vector of the object using a super resolution algorithm.

2. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 1 , wherein during operation the processor also executes code with a motion vector estimation algorithm to estimate the motion vector of the object moving through the fluid channel from the sequence of subpixel shifted two-dimensional projection images using a motion vector estimation algorithm.

3. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid channel and the image sensor are configured to maintain semi-controlled movement of the object in subpixel shifts between sample times of the neighboring two-dimensional images in the sequence of subpixel shifted two-dimensional projection images.

4. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 1 , wherein the angle is between 10 and 30 degrees.

5. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 1 , wherein the subpixel shifted two-dimensional projection images are sampled at a subpixel sampling rate.

6. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 1 , wherein the micromolded microfluidic chip further comprises:
an inlet that receives a fluid specimen with the object into the fluid channel; and
an outlet from which the fluid specimen exits the fluid channel.

7. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 1 ,
wherein the image sensor is a color sensor array, and
wherein the high resolution image is a color image.

8. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is a CMOS sensor chip.

9. A super resolution optofluidic microscope device, comprising:
a multi-layer body comprising a micromolded microfluidic chip fabricated using micro/nanofabrication procedures, the micromolded microfluidic chip defining a fluid channel having a longitudinal axis; and
an image sensor, wherein the micromolded microfluidic chip is affixed directly to the image sensor during fabrication such that the image sensor is oriented with its local axis at an angle from the longitudinal axis of the fluid channel, and wherein during operation the image sensor receives light of different wavelengths passing through an object being imaged while the object is moving through the fluid channel and samples a plurality of sequences of subpixel shifted two-dimensional projection images of the object as it moves through the fluid channel, wherein each sequence is associated with a different wavelength band corresponding to a color.

10. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 9 , further comprising a processor in electronic communication with the image sensor, the processor configured to generate a plurality of high resolution two-dimensional images associated with the different wavelengths based on data received from the image sensor during operation comprising the plurality of sequences of subpixel shifted projection two-dimensional images, wherein the plurality of high resolution two-dimensional images is generated using a super resolution algorithm from the plurality of sequences of subpixel shifted projection two-dimensional images and a motion vector.

11. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 10 , wherein during operation the processor also combines the plurality of high resolution two-dimensional images based on the different wavelengths of multiple colors to form a multi-color, high resolution image of the object.

12. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 11 , wherein during operation the processor also executes code with an image recognition algorithm to identify conditions or disease from the multi-color high resolution image of the object.

13. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 10 , wherein during operation the processor also executes code with a motion vector estimation algorithm to estimate the motion vector of the object moving through the fluid channel from at least one sequence of subpixel shifted projection two-dimensional images using a motion vector estimation algorithm.

14. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 9 , wherein the angle is between 10 and 30 degrees.

15. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 9 , wherein the different wavelengths comprise three wavelengths bands corresponding to a blue color, a red color, and a green color.

16. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 9 , wherein the light of different wavelengths is provided sequentially to the object being imaged, wherein light of each wavelength is provided by one of a plurality of illumination sources.

17. A super resolution optofluidic microscope device, comprising:
a multi-layer body comprising a micromolded microfluidic chip fabricated using micro/nanofabrication procedures, the micromolded microfluidic chip defining a fluid channel having a longitudinal axis; and
an image sensor, wherein the micromolded microfluidic chip is affixed directly to the image sensor during fabrication such that the image sensor is oriented with its local axis at an angle from the longitudinal axis of the fluid channel, and wherein during operation the image sensor receives light of different incidence angles passing through an object being imaged while the object is moving through the fluid channel, and samples a plurality of sequences of subpixel shifted two-dimensional projection images of the object as it moves through the fluid channel, wherein each sequence is associated with a different incidence angle.

18. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 17 , further comprising a processor in electronic communication with the image sensor, the processor configured to generate a plurality of high resolution two-dimensional images associated with the different incidence angles based on data received from the image sensor during operation comprising the plurality of sequences of subpixel shifted projection two-dimensional images, wherein the plurality of high resolution two-dimensional images is generated using a super resolution algorithm from the plurality of sequences of subpixel shifted projection two-dimensional images and a motion vector.

19. The super resolution optofluidic microscope device of claim 17 , wherein during operation the processor also combines the plurality of hig

Assignees

• Zheng Guoan
• Yang Changhuei
• Yang Samuel
• Lee Seung Ah
• California Inst Of Techn

Inventors

• Zheng Guoan
• Yang Changhuei
• Yang Samuel
• Lee Seung Ah

Classifications

• H04N25/48 Primary

  Increasing resolution by shifting the sensor relative to the scene · CPC title

• G02B21/36 Primary

  arranged for photographic purposes or projection purposes (G02B21/18 takes precedence){or digital imaging or video purposes including associated control and data processing arrangements (image data processing per se G06T)} · CPC title

• G06T3/4053

  based on super-resolution, i.e. the output image resolution being higher than the sensor resolution · CPC title

• G01N15/1484

  microstructural devices · CPC title

• G01N15/147

  the analysis being performed on a sample stream · CPC title