Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring cells and cell confluence includes an imager for imaging a z-stack of bright field images and a processor for selecting a best focus bright field image at a z position of f microns in the z-stack of images. In the manner described herein, the processor selects a bright image n microns lower in the z-stack than the best focus bright field image and a dark image m microns higher in the stack than the best focus bright field image. The processor applies edge detection to the dark image to obtain an edge image and subtracts the edge image from the dark image and the processor applies an adaptive threshold to the bright image to create a mask and uses the adaptive thresholded image as seeds to evaluate the edge image to find cell candidates.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to a networked cell culture incubator and to methods for operating such an incubator. In one aspect, the cell culture incubator includes a network interface for communicating with a source of parameter data utilized successfully by other incubators. The incubator receives appropriate parameter data and conducts the incubation process as prescribed by the parameter data so as to provide an improved environment for cell culture growth. The incubator may share its own parameter data with the data source for use by other incubators. The incubator and data source may share other forms of data as well.

Abstract: A data collection hub and method wherein a controller is configured to receive data from a plurality of sensors sensing conditions related to the performance of operations on cells by at least one instrument. A database stores the data from the plurality of sensors and the controller is configured to compare data from the plurality of sensors for a past operation with the data for a more recent operation.

Abstract: Aspects relate to an automated cell culture incubator and to methods for using such an incubator. In one aspect, the cell culture incubator includes an incubator cabinet having a transfer chamber and an internal chamber that are arranged to form an airlock configuration. In some embodiments, objects placed into the incubator cabinet are sterilized using ozone produced by an ozone generator. The incubator may include one or more transfer devices that move objects between the transfer chamber and the internal chamber.

Abstract: A cell incubator system comprising a housing having an internal chamber having a controlled temperature and gas mixture therein appropriate for the growth of particular cells for incubation of the particular cells in one or more cell culture vessels in the internal chamber and a plurality of cell operation stations in the internal chamber. The stations receive plates having wells for holding cells and wherein the cell operations stations perform operations on cells in the wells. The system has a robotic transport for moving plates from one station to another.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for searching cell images comprising storing cell images in an image database, generating index data for the stored images in the image database, wherein the index data includes image metadata and data extracted from the stored image data by analysis including morphological descriptors, applications of algorithms, machine learning and/or data mining.

Abstract: Aspects relate to automated cell culture incubators comprising imaging systems, e.g., holographic or phase-contrast imagers, configured for imaging said cells within the incubators.

Abstract: A data collection hub and method wherein a controller is configured to receive data from a plurality of sensors sensing conditions related to the performance of operations on cells by at least one instrument. A database stores the data from the plurality of sensors and the controller is configured to compare data from the plurality of sensors for a past operation with the data for a more recent operation.

Abstract: A system for dissociating cells from a cell culture vessel. The system comprises an imaging system configured to image a plurality of cells in a cell culture vessel being dissociated from at least one surface of the cell culture vessel by at least one cell dissociation agent; and at least one controller coupled to the imaging system and configured to: control the imaging system to capture a sequence of images of at least some cells in the plurality of cells during dissociation; and identify when to neutralize the at least one cell dissociation agent using the sequence of images.

Abstract: A cell incubator system comprising a housing having an internal chamber having a controlled temperature and gas mixture therein appropriate for the growth of particular cells for incubation of the particular cells in one or more cell culture vessels in the internal chamber and a plurality of cell operation stations in the internal chamber. The stations receive plates having wells for holding cells and wherein the cell operations stations perform operations on cells in the wells. The system has a robotic transport for moving plates from one station to another.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate to automated cell culture incubators. In some embodiments, automated cell culture incubators comprise an integrated manipulation device having one or more cell scrapers.

Abstract: Aspects relate to an automated cell culture incubator and to methods for using such an incubator. In one aspect, the cell culture incubator includes an incubator cabinet having a transfer chamber and an internal chamber that are arranged to form an airlock configuration. In some embodiments, objects placed into the incubator cabinet are sterilized using ozone produced by an ozone generator. The incubator may include one or more transfer devices that move objects between the transfer chamber and the internal chamber.

Abstract: A method and system for performing operations on cells on an instrument comprises providing a peer to peer network of instruments for performing operations on cells, maintaining a distributed database in at least a plurality of the instruments in the peer to peer network, storing at least one protocol in the database for use by at least one instrument in the peer to peer network for performing operations on cells and storing results from the performance of the operations on cells by the at least one instrument in the distributed database. The results stored in the distributed database is then usable to later authenticate the results from the at least one instrument.

Abstract: In some aspects, the invention relates to automated cell culture incubators and their methods of use. In one aspect, the disclosure provides cell culture incubators having an airlock chamber, a storage chamber and/or an internal chamber. In some aspects, the disclosure provides methods for producing autologous mammalian cell cultures.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for performing a plaque detection by using above focus and below focus images. Plaque is also detected by a method and apparatus using test and training data captured on an imaging system, building a new model for a specific virus/cell/protocol type to detect plaques, using the models in runtime systems to detect plaques and augmenting the models based on automatically calculated false positive and false negative counts and percentages taken from test runs and/or runtime data.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for performing a plaque counting assay of cultured cell by using a time sequence of images to identify plaques.

Abstract: A plaque detection method and apparatus wherein at least one processor is programmed to receive above focus images to detect the presence of live cells without detecting the lysed cell materials, receive below focus images wherein virtual dark regions exist which are similar to cell shadows as seeds in a segmentation process and use contours around each resulting shape to obtain a subset that are more likely to be part of the cell population to define a cell map. A distance map is created in which each pixel value is the distance of that pixel from the nearest pixel of the cell map and the distance map is thresholded to create a first image of the places which are relatively far from the cells a second image with a smaller distance threshold to get an image that mimics the edges of the cells.

Abstract: According to at least one aspect, a system configured to count cells in a vessel is provided. The system comprises an imaging system configured to image cells in the vessel and a controller coupled to the imaging system. The controller is configured to control the imaging system to capture a focused image of the cells and estimate a number of cells in the focused image. The controller is configured to control the imaging system to capture a focused image of the cells at least in part by controlling the imaging system to capture a plurality of images of the cells in a plurality of focal planes, determining an area of at least one cell in each of the plurality of images, and selecting one image from the plurality of images as the focused image using the area of the at least one cell in the plurality of images.

Abstract: A cell culture incubator with an incubator cabinet has an internal chamber with a door opening from an external environment. An imager and a manipulator with a scraper are in the internal chamber. A controller is configured for controlling the manipulator to modulate the contact pressure between a scraping edge of the cell scraper and a surface of a cell culture vessel and a sensor is connected to the cell scraper that provides signal to the controller informative of a sensed pressure between a scraping edge of the cell scraper and the surface of a cell culture vessel. The controller controls the manipulator to increase or decrease the pressure between a scraping edge of the cell scraper and the surface of a cell culture vessel.

Abstract: Aspects relate to an automated cell culture incubator and to methods for using such an incubator. In one aspect, the cell culture incubator includes an incubator cabinet having a transfer chamber and an internal chamber that are arranged to form an airlock configuration. In some embodiments, objects placed into the incubator cabinet are sterilized using ozone produced by an ozone generator. The incubator may include one or more transfer devices that move objects between the transfer chamber and the internal chamber.