Patents Assigned to ThinkCyte K.K.
  • Patent number: 12259311
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for ghost cytometry (GC), which may be used to produce an image of an object without using a spatially resolving detector. This may be used to perform image-free ultrafast fluorescence “imaging” cytometry, based on, for example, a single pixel detector. Spatial information obtained from the motion of cells relative to a patterned optical structure may be compressively converted into signals that arrive sequentially at a single pixel detector. Combinatorial use of the temporal waveform with the intensity distribution of the random or pseudo-random pattern may permit computational reconstruction of cell morphology. Machine learning methods may be applied directly to the compressed waveforms without image reconstruction to enable efficient image-free morphology-based cytometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignees: ThinkCyte K.K., University of Tokyo, Osaka University
    Inventors: Sadao Ota, Ryoichi Horisaki, Yoko Kawamura, Masashi Ugawa, Issei Sato
  • Patent number: 12235202
    Abstract: A method of evaluating performance of a flow cytometer configured to use a combination of two or more types of calibration particles having different morphologies from each other, includes a first classification step of classifying the calibration particles from each other based on a first optical characteristic by the flow cytometer which is an evaluation target, a second classification step of classifying the calibration particles from each other based on a second optical characteristic which is classifiable at a spatial resolution lower than a spatial resolution at which the first optical characteristic is classified, and the evaluation step of evaluating one or both of particle classification performance and a resolution of the flow cytometer based on a first classification result assessed in the first classification step and a second classification result assessed in the second classification step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: ThinkCyte K.K.
    Inventor: Keiji Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20250060301
    Abstract: A flow cytometer includes: a flow channel allowing a measurement object not labeled with a fluorescent dye to flow along with a fluid; a light source emitting illumination light; an illumination optical system irradiating the measurement object flowing in the flow channel with the illumination light emitted from the light source as a spotlight which is illumination light condensed in at least one of a width direction and a depth direction of the flow channel at an irradiation position in the flow channel; a light detector detecting fluorescence emitted from a specific molecule of the measurement object in response to irradiation with the spotlight via the illumination optical system; a detection optical system allowing the fluorescence to propagate to the light detector; and a discrimination unit configured to discriminate whether the measurement object is a target measurement object based on information of the fluorescence detected by the light detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2024
    Publication date: February 20, 2025
    Applicant: ThinkCyte K.K.
    Inventors: Toru Imai, Keisuke Toda
  • Publication number: 20250044212
    Abstract: A flow cytometer includes a microfluidic device, a light source, a photodetector, an information generation device, a calculation device, and a flow path position control device. In the microfluidic device, a first position detection line is arranged on a flow path, a second position detection line is arranged with a portion overlapping the first position detection line in a width direction, and a position detection distance, which is a distance between the first position detection line and the second position detection line in a length direction of the flow path, changes with a position in the width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2024
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Applicant: ThinkCyte K.K.
    Inventors: Toru Imai, Keiji Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20250044211
    Abstract: A flow cytometer includes a microfluidic device, a light source, a photodetector that detects, in time series, the intensity of signal light emitted from an observation object when the observation object flowing through a flow path is irradiated with illumination light, an information generation device that generates optical information indicating a structure of the observation object based on the intensity of the signal light, an arithmetic device, and a flow path position control device, wherein the arithmetic device includes a signal intensity acquiring unit that acquires electronic data of temporal changes in the intensity of the signal light detected based on a detection position predetermined in the flow path to detect the depth position in the flow path where the observation object passes through the flow path, a scan unit that performs a scan process to move the flow path in the depth direction and acquire the electronic data at different depth positions, a position calculation unit that calculates th
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2024
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Applicant: ThinkCyte K.K.
    Inventors: Toru Imai, Hiroaki Adachi
  • Publication number: 20240410810
    Abstract: A flow cytometer includes a microfluidic device, a light source, a photodetector, an information generation device, a calculation device, and a flow path position control device. In the microfluidic device, a first position detection line is arranged on a flow path, a second position detection line is arranged with a portion overlapping the first position detection line in a width direction, and a position detection distance, which is a distance between the first position detection line and the second position detection line in a length direction of the flow path, changes with a position in the width direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Publication date: December 12, 2024
    Applicant: ThinkCyte K.K.
    Inventors: Toru Imai, Keiji Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20240362454
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to implement classification of objects, based on sensor data regarding the objects, in a manner that addresses variations in the sensor data, including measurement variables among the objects. A system can include one or more processors to retrieve sensor data regarding an object that is at least one of cellular material from one or more cells, nucleic acid material, biological material, or chemical material. The one or more processors can apply the sensor data as input to a classifier to cause the classifier to determine a classification of the object, the classifier configured based on feature data from a first example of object data and a second example of object data associated with at least one of a different time of detection or a different subject than the first example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Applicant: ThinkCyte K.K.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Nakayama, Ryo Tamoto
  • Publication number: 20240362462
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to implement classification of objects, based on sensor data regarding the objects, without labels assigned to the sensor data. A system can include one or more processors. The one or more processors can retrieve sensor data regarding an object. The one or more processors can apply the sensor data as input to a classification model to cause the classification model to determine a classification of the object. The classification model can be configured based on training data that includes a plurality of clusters generated by dimensionality reduction of example data regarding example objects. At least one cluster of the plurality of clusters can be associated with the classification. The one or more processors can output the classification of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Applicant: ThinkCyte K.K.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Nakayama, Ryo Tamoto, Yuichi Yanagihashi
  • Publication number: 20240310268
    Abstract: An observation chip 1 includes: a plurality of substrates 10 stacked in a thickness direction Z of the substrates; a first channel 25 extending along a first axis O1 along the substrates; a surrounding channel 30 surrounding the first channel all around in a cross section orthogonal to the first axis in the first channel from an end of the first channel to an overall merging point P2 of the first channel, integrated with the first channel, and forming a second channel 55 that extends along a second axis O2 along the substrates; and an observation section 60 provided on a side farther away from the first channel than the overall merging point in the second channel, and transmitting electromagnetic waves from outside to the second channel. A length of the second channel in the thickness direction is constant from the overall merging point to the observation section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2024
    Publication date: September 19, 2024
    Applicants: THINKCYTE K.K., SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichi OKAMOTO, Tatsunori MIYAZAWA, Keigo YAMASAKI
  • Publication number: 20230266229
    Abstract: A flow cytometer includes: a light source; a microfluidic device; a photodetector; an information generation device which generates optical information indicating a morphology of an observation target on the basis of optical signal intensity; and a spatial light modulation unit which is installed on an optical path between the light source and the photodetector and structures any one of illumination light irradiated from the light source toward the flow path and signal light from the observation target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Applicant: ThinkCyte K.K.
    Inventors: Toru Imai, Hiroaki Adachi, Keisuke Toda
  • Publication number: 20230039952
    Abstract: A flow cell of the flow cytometer of the present invention includes: a sample flow path through which a sample fluid containing a sample flows; and a sample fluid supply portion which communicates with an upstream end of the sample flow path in the sample fluid flow direction and supplies the sample fluid to the sample flow path, wherein the sample fluid supply portion includes a plurality of sample opening portions which supply a sample fluid to the sample flow path, a cleaning liquid supply opening portion to which a second tube is connectable and which supplies a cleaning liquid for cleaning the sample fluid supply portion, and a cleaning liquid discharge opening portion to which a first tube is connectable and which discharges the cleaning liquid from the sample fluid supply portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Applicant: ThinkCyte K.K.
    Inventors: Yoko KAWAMURA, Keiji NAKAGAWA, Keisuke TODA