Microscope Patents (Class 359/368)
  • Patent number: 11187882
    Abstract: A method of preparing a stage for use in a slide imaging apparatus including positioning a stage in relation to a flat surface so that the flat surface is positioned in front of the top surfaces of slide support pin bases on the top surface of the stage. The method also includes injecting a fluid pin surfacing material configured to solidify into the hole of each slide support pin base so that at least some of the fluid pin surfacing material exits the hole at the top surface of the slide support pin bases and pushes up against the flat surface. The method also includes removing the flat surface so that a tip of solid pin surfacing material is formed on the top surface of each slide support pin base, thereby providing the stage with a plurality of slide support pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: VENTANA MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Martin Philip Gouch, Jagdish Pankhania
  • Patent number: 11175488
    Abstract: A microscope assembly can be used during microbiological processes. The microscope assembly includes a lens assembly for magnified imaging of an object range in an imaging plane along an optical path; a sample receiving unit for a sample arranged in the object range; and a camera receiving unit for receiving a camera in a range of the imaging plane the camera adapted to generate a digital image of the sample; where the lens assembly is a ball lens, a halved ball lens, or a lens in the form of a rotational spheroid; and the camera receiving unit is adapted to receive a customary mobile end device equipped with a camera or a camera cooperating with a mobile end device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: OCULYZE GMBH
    Inventor: Katja Schulze
  • Patent number: 11163147
    Abstract: An arrangement for microscopy, having an illumination optical unit with an illumination objective for illuminating a specimen on a specimen carrier. An optical axis of the illumination objective lies in a plane which includes an illumination angle that differs from zero with the normal of a specimen plane and the illumination is implemented in the plane. A detection optical unit with a detection objective is located in a detection beam path. The optical axis of the detection objective includes a detection angle that differs from zero with the normal of the specimen plane. The illumination objective and/or the detection objective has an illumination correction element. A meniscus lens is located between the specimen carrier and the illumination and detection objectives being arranged both in the illumination beam path and in the detection beam path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Siebenmorgen, Helmut Lippert, Thomas Kalkbrenner, Ingo Kleppe, Ralf Wolleschensky, Artur Degen, Matthias Wald, Lars-Christian Wittig, Michael Gölles, Wolfgang Singer
  • Patent number: 11150454
    Abstract: With the aim of shortening the entire length and configuring an entire upright microscope compactly even if coded aperture technology and light field technology are applied thereto, a microscope pupil relay optical system is disposed on an image side of a microscope image-forming optical system including an objective lens, and includes, in the following order from an object side, a first lens group that has a positive refractive power and to which a convergent light flux is introduced from the object side; and a second lens group that has a positive refractive power. A lens located closest to the object-side end of the first lens group is disposed on the object side than a primary image-forming plane on which the microscope image-forming optical system forms an object image, and an exit pupil of the objective lens is re-formed at a position optically conjugate with the exit pupil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kanto Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 11150456
    Abstract: An observation apparatus includes: a stage on which a container accommodating a specimen is mounted; a light source generating illumination light emitted in an upward direction from below the specimen on a specimen placement surface; a light-collecting lens disposed parallel to the surface and collecting the light; a diffusion plate disposed between the lens and the surface, parallel to the surface, and diffusing the light collected by the lens; an objective optical system disposed below the stage and collecting light passing through the stage from thereabove; and an image-capturing optical system capturing, below the specimen, transmitted light, which is the light emitted from the source, reflected above the specimen, transmitted through the specimen, and collected by the objective optical system, wherein the source is positioned so that an optical axis thereof is shifted from an optical axis of the lens in a direction away from the image-capturing optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tadashi Hirata
  • Patent number: 11112952
    Abstract: A user interface for display of multiview image sets captured by slide scanning digital microscopes, including a graphical user interface (GUI) for the display of one or more of multi-level, multi-angle, and multi-region images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Microscopes International, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan C. Ward, Richard K. Rainbolt
  • Patent number: 11106044
    Abstract: An alignment system for a HUD is provided and includes a mirror, a mirror actuator, first and second light sources, an optic assembly, and a control module. The mirror actuator adjusts mirror orientation. The first light source generates a first light beam. The mirror directs the first light beam from the HUD to a combiner to generate a virtual image. The second light source generates a second light beam. The optic assembly directs the second light beam to the combiner to generate a fiducial. The control module: performs an alignment process including, based on received inputs, controlling the mirror actuator to adjust mirror orientation to adjust a position of the virtual image and align a portion of the virtual image, the fiducial and an eye of a viewer; determines a height of the eye based on a mirror angle; and displays another virtual image based on the height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Thomas A. Seder, Kai-Han Chang, Leslie G. Ferris, Omer Tsimhoni
  • Patent number: 11106178
    Abstract: In a microscopic observation unit (10), hologram data is acquired at each measurement position on a cell culture plate (13) while a light-source section (11) and other related sections are gradually moved by a moving section (15). Every time a set of data for one measurement position is acquired, a measurement monitoring image creator (24) creates a thumbnail image by reducing the size of a hologram image which is based on original data (two-dimensional distribution of light intensity). A display processor (25) pastes the create thumbnail image to progressively complete the hologram image of the entire plate to be displayed on a display unit (27). A measurement operator watches the hologram image during the execution of the measurement. When it has been concluded that the ongoing measurement is inappropriate, the operator presses a measurement stop button to immediately discontinue the measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Momoyo Yamakawa, Shuhei Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11079582
    Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a broadband hyperspectral imaging spectrophotometer configured to analyze an object and includes an illumination assembly having a source for emitting a light beam and configured so that the light beam scans line by line the object to be analyzed, a focusing mirror, a first mirror folding, and a planar scanning mirror movable in rotation. The illumination assembly, the focusing mirror, the first folding mirror and the planar mirror are arranged to bring the light beam to the object along a line which will be displaced on the object via the scanning mirror. The imaging spectrophotometer further includes two measuring sensors by a distance between the object and the scanning mirror. The focusing mirror is movable in translation to adapt the imager to the measured distance by the measuring sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignees: Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, SORBONNE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Frédéric Bourcier, Philippe Walter
  • Patent number: 11067781
    Abstract: A microscope includes illumination optics for fluorescence excitation of point light sources of a sample, detection optics and a camera having a sensor. A density of the point light sources is kept low so as to minimize a crossover of point light sources that are behind or close to one another in each image captured by the camera. A means for subdividing a detection aperture into individual sub-apertures is provided in a beam path of the detection optics such that images generated by the individual sub-apertures on the sensor of the camera depict an object volume from different spatial directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS CMS GMBH
    Inventors: Florian Fahrbach, Frank Sieckmann, Christian Schumann, Oliver Schlicker
  • Patent number: 11045089
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for automatically controlling a lens to cornea standoff. Automatic lens to cornea standoff control can include an ophthalmic microscope with a lens arrangement configured for viewing images of an eye, a front lens assembly with a high diopter lens for resolving an image of a posterior portion of the eye, and a sensor to monitor a distance between the high diopter lens and a surface of the eye. Automatic lens to cornea standoff control can also include a control system for receiving distance information and an actuator for the front lens assembly back to the threshold standoff distance, past the threshold standoff distance, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Patent number: 11042015
    Abstract: The invention relates to a microscope in which a layer of the sample is illuminated by a plurality of thin strips of light (11) passed through a grid (34) and the sample is viewed (5) perpendicular to the plane of the strips of light. To record the image, the object (4) is displaced through the strips of light (11). At least three different images of the objects (4) are made at different phase angles. The images can be combined to form a single combined image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: European Molecular Biology Laboratory
    Inventor: Ernst H. K. Stelzer
  • Patent number: 11041807
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a multi-photon microscopy system that uses sequential excitation of a sample through three or more objective lenses oriented at different axes intersecting the sample are disclosed. Each objective lens is capable of focused sequential excitation of the sample that elicits fluorescence emissions from the excited sample, which is then simultaneously detected by each respective objective lens along a respective longitudinal axis every time the sample is illuminated through only a single objective lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Hari Shroff, Yicong Wu
  • Patent number: 11042016
    Abstract: A Multi-Z confocal microscopy system can simultaneously record from multiple Z-sections, and thus performs high speed volumetric imaging. An illumination line can be formed by under-filling the illumination beam in the aperture of the microscope objective. The illumination line extends in the Z dimension into the target sample to be imaged and an X-Y scanning mechanism can be used to scan the illumination line over the sample. The detection signal emanating from the scanned sample can be collected through the full numerical aperture of the microscope objective and directed to a detector subsystem. The detector subsystem includes an array of reflecting pinhole detectors and each reflecting pinhole detector is configured to image a volume at a different depth in the sample. This configuration enables reflecting pinhole detector array to image more than one depth volume at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jerome Mertz, Amaury Badon, Timothy Weber, Sheng Xiao, Jean-Marc Tsang Min Ching
  • Patent number: 11036037
    Abstract: A pulsed beam of NIR excitation light is projected into a sample (345) at an oblique angle and scanned by a scanning element through a volume in the sample. 2-photon excitation excites fluorescence within the sample. The fluorescence is imaged onto an intermediate image plane that remains stationary regardless of the orientation of the scanning element. The image is captured by a linear array of light detecting elements (392) or a linear portion of a rectangular array. At any given position of the scanning element, the linear array (or portion) images all depths simultaneously. A plurality of images are captured for each of a plurality of different orientations of the scanning element. The orientation of the scanning element is controlled to move in a two dimensional pattern, which causes the beam of excitation light to sweep out a three dimensional volume within the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventor: Elizabeth M. C. Hillman
  • Patent number: 10989661
    Abstract: Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) affords highly parallelized 3D imaging with optical sectioning capability and minimal light exposure. However, using Gaussian beams for light-sheet generation results in a trade-off between beam waist thickness and the area over which the beam can approximate a light-sheet. Novel techniques for LSFM are disclosed that uses extended focusing and/or laser line focuses to produce divergence free light-sheets with near diffraction-limited resolution and uniform intensity distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
    Inventors: Reto P. Fiolka, Kevin M. Dean
  • Patent number: 10989903
    Abstract: A modular confocal microscope includes a beam steering means arranged to direct the source of electromagnetic radiation non-collinearly with the optical axis of a focusing lens. The focused non-collinearly directed source of electromagnetic radiation is used for an imaging basis of targeted one or more sites of a specimen. An arrayed detector is configured along a beam path in a conjugate confocal plane to the targeted one or more sites of the specimen. The arrayed detector is also configured to provide autocorrection information to maintain focus and image quality of the targeted one or more sites using the imaging basis. The arrayed detector provides high-throughput configured synthetic apertures in a pixel range array of N=2×2 up to an array of N=21×21.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Washington State University
    Inventor: Matthew Douglas McCluskey
  • Patent number: 10966612
    Abstract: A refractive component includes at least one reflection surface and at least one diffractive optical element. The refractive component is configured to receive a light beam and the light beam expands within the refractive component and is reflected by the at least one reflection surface. The diffractive optical element is configured to receive the light beam reflected from the at least one reflection surface, collimate the light beam, and redirect the light beam out of the refractive component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Open Water Internet Inc.
    Inventor: Craig Newswanger
  • Patent number: 10959712
    Abstract: Apparatus and method can be provided for obtaining at least one anatomical sample. For example, it is possible to provide and insert a housing into a body or provided on a hydrated anatomical structure. Further, with a source, it is possible to emit an electromagnetic radiation which causes at least the anatomical sample(s) to attach to at least one portion of the housing. A compound can be provided on a surface of the housing, and the source provides the radiation to the compound and changes properties thereof to be adhesive. The source can provide the radiation to the housing, and can change properties of a surface thereof to be adhesive. A component can be provided on a surface of the anatomical structure, and the source provides the radiation to the compound and changes properties thereof to be adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Guillermo J. Tearney, Joseph Gardecki, Chia-Pin Liang
  • Patent number: 10957071
    Abstract: A method and system for measuring the alignment between a substrate and a platform upon which it is disposed by using image processing algorithms are described herein. These algorithms automate the detection of edges of a microscope slide and the platform in a digital image. A reference line pattern in an image of the platform can be used to detect platform edges based on a computed location of the reference line pattern in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Anindya Sarkar, Chibuya Siame
  • Patent number: 10955649
    Abstract: A method for optical microscopy, including using a first laser beam to excite dye particles in a sample region with light having a first wavelength. A second laser beam with a second wavelength based on the emission spectrum of the excited particles is used to de-excite the excited particles. The first and second beams have first and second respective intensity distributions which are spatially different when co-aligned; the second profile has a minimum where the first has a maximum. The region is once concurrently illuminated with the first and second beams, and an emission signal is detected. For each scanning point, the region is illuminated also with a pulse of the second laser beam or continuously prior to or after illuminating the region of the sample concurrently with both lasers. The illumination with only the second laser beam defines a background signal that is subtracted from the emission signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Universitaetsklinikum Jena
    Inventor: Michael Boersch
  • Patent number: 10957040
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for methods and systems for preparing chromosomal spread for a selected cell so that chromosomal spreads and/or translocations can be correlated with the selected cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Tanmay P. Lele, Wallace Gregory Sawyer
  • Patent number: 10944896
    Abstract: An imaging method is provided that includes: (i) providing a microscope having a lens and an autofocusing camera positioned adjacent to the microscope; (ii) positioning an illumination source adjacent to the microscope; (iii) moving a sample to a predefined offset position and illuminating the sample; (iv) acquiring an image of the illuminated sample via the autofocusing camera; and (v) utilizing a convolution neural network to identify an in-focus position of the sample. The convolution neural network may further include an input layer, output layer, and at least one hidden layer situated between the input and output layers. The hidden layer(s) may be selected from a group consisting of a convolution layer, pooling layer, normalization layer, fully connected layer, and a combination thereof. The convolution neural network may be trained to accurately define the weight to be applied to the layer(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: University of Connecticut
    Inventor: Guoan Zheng
  • Patent number: 10934513
    Abstract: The invention provides a full-automatic cell culture system, at least comprising: a control module, a control platform, a dark field microscope for on-line observation of cell culture, a cell incubator shaker and a cell culture bag. The control platform is connected to the dark field microscope for on-line observation of cell culture and the cell incubator shaker respectively, and the control module is connected to the control platform. The invention also provides a culture bag support frame for a continuous cell incubator shaker, the continuous cell incubator shaker, a non-contact sensor connector, the cell culture bag and the dark field microscope for on-line observation of cell culture which are related to the full-automatic cell culture system, thereby realizing continuous culture and observation of cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: SHANGHAI GENBASE BIOTECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xuejun Yu
  • Patent number: 10908405
    Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods for multi-color imaging using a microscope system. The microscope system can have a relatively small size compared to an average microscope system. The microscope system can comprise various components configured to reduce or eliminate image artifacts such as chromatic aberrations and/or noise from stray light that can occur during multi-color imaging. The components can be configured to reduce or eliminate the image artifacts, and/or noise without substantially changing the size of the microscope system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: INSCOPIX, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Trulson, Koen Visscher, Kevin E. Newman
  • Patent number: 10859802
    Abstract: A reflection phase microscope is disclosed. The reflection phase microscope includes: a light source unit irradiating light; a polarization beam splitter splitting the light irradiated from the light source unit into a sample beam and a reference beam; a sample unit reflecting the sample beam toward the polarization beam splitter; a reference mirror reflecting the reference beam toward the polarization beam splitter; a scanning mirror adjusting the angle of incidence of the light from the light source unit on the polarization beam splitter such that the angle of incidence of the sample beam on the sample unit and the angle of incidence of the reference beam on the reference mirror are adjusted; a diffraction grating diffracting the sample beam reflected by the sample unit and the reference beam reflected by the reference mirror; and an image acquisition unit receiving the beams diffracted by the diffraction grating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Korea University Research and Business Foundation
    Inventors: Youngwoon Choi, Beop-Min Kim, Min Gyu Hyeon
  • Patent number: 10859977
    Abstract: An apparatus and method to produce a hologram of an object includes an electromagnetic radiation assembly configured to receive a received electromagnetic radiation, such as light, from the object. The electromagnetic radiation assembly is further configured to diffract the received electromagnetic radiation and transmit a diffracted electromagnetic radiation. An image capture assembly is configured to capture an image of the diffracted electromagnetic radiation and produce the hologram of the object from the captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: CellOptic Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Rosen, Gary Brooker
  • Patent number: 10852247
    Abstract: An optical inspection apparatus, including: an optical metrology tool configured to measure structures, the optical metrology tool including: an electromagnetic (EM) radiation source configured to direct a beam of EM radiation along an EM radiation path; and an adaptive optical system disposed in a portion of the EM radiation path and configured to adjust a shape of a wave front of the beam of EM radiation, the adaptive optical system including: a first aspherical optical element; a second aspherical optical element adjacent the first aspherical optical element; and an actuator configured to cause relative movement between the first optical element and the second optical element in a direction different from a beam axis of the portion of the EM radiation path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignees: ASML Holding N.V., ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Stanislav Smirnov, Johannes Matheus Marie De Wit, Teunis Willem Tukker, Armand Eugene Albert Koolen
  • Patent number: 10823947
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an illumination filter system (2) for medical imaging, in particular multispectral fluorescence imaging, as performed e.g. in a microscope (1) or endoscope, such as a surgical microscope, in particular a surgical multispectral fluorescence microscope, comprising a first optical filter (35). The present invention also relates to an observation system (3) for medical imaging, in particular multispectral fluorescence imaging, as performed e.g. in a microscope (1) or endoscope, in particular a multispectral fluorescence microscope, comprising a beam splitter (21) adapted to split a light image (13) into a first light portion (16, 17) along a first light path (18) and a second light portion (20) along a second light path (19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Manfred Kuster, George Themelis
  • Patent number: 10783697
    Abstract: One aspect of the invention provides a method for drift correction to correct a 3D point collection dataset to compensate for drift over time. The method includes: (a) separating the 3D dataset into n segments, wherein n>1; (b) for each of the n segments, reconstructing a volume image as a 3D histogram in which a count for each voxel in the histogram equals a number of localization estimates falling within the voxel; (c) performing 3D cross-correlation between pairs of the n segments; (d) identifying a correlation peak in a result of the 3D cross-correlation to determine a shift distance between pairs of the n segments; (e) solving an overdetermined system of shift distances to determine independent shifts; and (f) offsetting positions from a plurality of segments in the 3D point collection dataset with the independent shifts calculated in step (e) to correct for drift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Yale University
    Inventors: Fang Huang, Joerg Bewersdorf
  • Patent number: 10775598
    Abstract: A scanning microscope includes a laser configured to emit laser light, an objective configured to focus the laser light on an object, a scanner configured to scan the object in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the objective, a varifocal lens configured to scan the object in an optical-axis direction of the objective by changing a lens shape of the varifocal lens, a first relay lens configured to project the scanner onto the varifocal lens, a second relay lens configured to project a pupil of the objective onto the varifocal lens, a photodetector configured to detect fluorescence generated from the object upon the laser light being focused on the object by the objective, and a dichroic mirror configured to separate the fluorescence and the laser light emitted from the laser from each other. The varifocal lens is located between the objective and the scanner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shingo Tamano
  • Patent number: 10761311
    Abstract: The present invention relates firstly to a method for acquiring a stack of microscopic images of a specimen. The microscopic images of the stack are acquired from different focus positions. According to the invention, a plurality of the microscopic images of the specimen are respectively acquired from at least some of the focus positions using different settings of an illumination unit for illuminating the specimen. According to the invention, the illumination settings with which the microscopic images of the specimen are acquired is decided upon individually in each case at least for several of the focus positions. The invention further relates to a digital microscope for microimaging a specimen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: CARL ZEISS MICROSCOPY GMBH
    Inventor: Alexander Gaiduk
  • Patent number: 10712548
    Abstract: Systems and methods for preparing a field image of a portion of a target area or region of interest (ROI) of a microscope slide specimen, and of assembly a plurality of field images into an image of the target area, using a SSM having a movable slide stage, an objective lens, a digital video camera and a digital image sensing element (DIS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Microscope International, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan C. Ward, Richard K. Rainbolt
  • Patent number: 10712553
    Abstract: An arrangement, for light sheet microscopy, including: a sample vessel, for receiving a medium containing a sample, oriented with respect to a plane reference surface; illumination optics with an illumination objective for illuminating the sample with a light sheet; and detection optics with a detection objective. The optical axis of the illumination objective and the light sheet lies in a plane which forms a nonzero illumination angle with the normal of the reference surface. The detection objective has an optical axis that forms a nonzero detection angle with the normal of the reference surface. The arrangement also includes a separating-layer system for separating the sample-containing medium from the illumination and detection objectives. The separating-layer system contacts the medium with an interface parallel to the reference surface. The illumination angle and detection angle are predetermined based on numerical apertures of the detection objective and of the illumination objective, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Siebenmorgen, Thomas Kalkbrenner, Helmut Lippert
  • Patent number: 10698149
    Abstract: The invention refers to an apparatus for generating two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional objects. The apparatus comprises at least one spatial light modulator device for modulating incident light and an optical system. The optical system is designed and arranged such that a segmentation of wave fields is provided in a plane, where the plane in which the segmentation of the wave fields is provided differs with a plane that comprises object points. Adjacent segmented wave fields do have a mutual overlap. The apparatus also comprises a scanning device which couples light waves into a beam expanding waveguide with outcoupling gratings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: SERREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventor: Gerald Futterer
  • Patent number: 10690900
    Abstract: A microscope assembly for use in an automated microscope apparatus has a support frame; a cartridge magazine actuator assembly connected to the support frame; a subframe; a plurality of vibration isolators connecting the support frame to the subframe; an XYZ drive connected to the subframe; and an optical stage connected to the subframe. In some embodiments the assembly further includes a cartridge gripper connected to said XYZ drive. In some embodiments, the cartridge magazine actuator assembly includes an input element, an output element, and a transfer assembly interconnecting the input element and the output element, with the transfer assembly configured to linearly advance the output element upon linear depression of the input element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: ADVANCED ANIMAL DIAGNOSTICS, INC.
    Inventors: Rick Sink, Jasper N. Pollard, Demetris Young, Jorge Carlos Correa, David Newcomb, Stefano Bresolin, Tobias M. Heineck, David A. Calderwood
  • Patent number: 10684207
    Abstract: Systems and methods for classifying blood cells in a blood sample are disclosed. A series of frames of the blood sample as it flows through a field of view of an image capture device are captured and analysed. Advantageously, the disclosed systems and methods combine the availability of morphological cell data with the convenience of a flow-through arrangement. The classification results can be used for estimating cell counts in a blood sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Biosurfit, S.A.
    Inventors: Francisco Correia De Matos Nolasco Lamas, João Manuel De Oliveira Garcia Da Fonseca, André Do Rosário Magalhães, José Pedro Santos Manso Côrte-Real, Ricardo Manuel Marquest Caleiro Cabeca
  • Patent number: 10684206
    Abstract: Systems and methods for classifying blood cells in a blood sample are disclosed. A series of frames of the blood sample as it flows through a field of view of an image capture device are captured and analysed. Advantageously, the disclosed systems and methods combine the availability of morphological cell data with the convenience of a flow-through arrangement. The classification results can be used for estimating cell counts in a blood sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Biosurfit, S.A.
    Inventors: Francisco Correia De Matos Nolasco Lamas, João Manuel De Oliveira Garcia Da Fonseca, André Do Rosário Magalhães, José Pedro Santos Manso Co̊rte-Real, Ricardo Manuel Marques Caleiro Cabeça
  • Patent number: 10663485
    Abstract: A new resonant-cavity-enhanced Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) active optical probe integrates a semiconductor laser source and an aperture AFM/near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) probe in either external-resonant-cavity or internal-resonant-cavity configuration to enable both conventional AFM measurements and optical imaging and spectroscopy at the nanoscale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: ACTOPROBE LLC
    Inventors: Alexander A. Ukhanov, Gennady A. Smolyakov
  • Patent number: 10656368
    Abstract: An objective lens is used for DNA sequencing. An example system includes a flow cell, the objective lens, and a camera. Light from the flow cell is imaged by the camera through the objective lens. The objective lens can provide a long working distance; a flat field curvature; a high numerical aperture; and/or a wide field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: OMNIOME, INC.
    Inventors: Donald V. Rosenberry, Dale Buermann
  • Patent number: 10649196
    Abstract: A structured illumination microscope includes: a first illumination optical system configured to irradiate, from a first direction, a sample with activating light for activating a fluorescent substance included in the sample; a second illumination optical system configured to irradiate, from a second direction that is different from the first direction, the sample with interference fringes of exciting light for exciting the fluorescent substance; a control unit configured to control a direction and a phase of the interference fringes; an imaging optical system configured to form an image of the sample irradiated with the interference fringes; an imaging element configured to take the image formed by the imaging optical system to generate a first image; and a demodulation unit configured to generate a second image by using a plurality of the first images generated by the imaging element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hisao Osawa
  • Patent number: 10649186
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mobile microscopic imaging device comprising a sample stage for holding a sample to be imaged, at least one light source for illumination of the sample, an imaging panel capable of capturing an image of the sample upon transmission illumination of the sample by the light source, and an optical magnification unit between the sample and the imaging panel for guiding light from the illuminated sample to the imaging panel so that a magnified image of at least portion of the sample is formed at the imaging panel. According to the invention, the optical magnification unit comprises a filter integrated polymeric lens assembly in a transmitted light fluorescence configuration which allows for both miniaturization of the device to a truly mobile level and reducing manufacturing costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO
    Inventors: Johan Lundin, Antti Suutala, Hannu Moilanen
  • Patent number: 10642015
    Abstract: A light sheet microscope which includes an illumination apparatus generating coherent illumination light for several illumination wavelengths, a beam-shaping module generating a light sheet from illumination light, an illumination objective illuminating a specimen with the light sheet and a detection objective for imaging light which is emitted by the specimen onto a laminar detector, wherein the optical axes of the detection objective and of the illumination objective are not parallel to each other. In such a light sheet microscope, the beam-shaping module includes a phase-selective element with several selection areas separated from each other spatially, wherein in each case one selection area is assigned to one specific illumination wavelength, and wherein a phase distribution predefined for the respective illumination wavelength is impressed on each selection area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Lippert, Tobias Kaufhold, Thomas Kalkbrenner, Joerg Siebenmorgen
  • Patent number: 10634888
    Abstract: The invention relates to a light microscope for examining microscopic objects with high throughput. The microscope comprises a light source for illuminating a measuring zone, a sample vessel, in which the microscopic objects can be successively moved into the measuring zone, and a detection device for measuring detection light, which originates from a microscopic object located in the measuring zone. According to the invention, the microscope is characterized in that the imaging means comprise a detection lens having a stationary front optics and movable focusing optics, wherein the focusing optics is arranged behind the front optics and in front of an intermediate image plane, and can be adjusted for the height adjustment of a detection plane. The invention further relates to a corresponding microscopy method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignees: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e. V., Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Lippert, Jörg Siebenmorgen, Jan Huisken, Florian Fahrbach
  • Patent number: 10634896
    Abstract: A medical observation apparatus includes a columnar microscope unit configured to image a minute part of an object to be observed with magnification and thereby output an imaging signal. A support unit includes a first joint unit holding the microscope unit in a rotationally movable manner around a first axis parallel to a height direction of the microscope unit, a first arm unit holding the first joint unit and extending in a direction different from the height direction of the microscope unit, a second joint unit holding the first arm unit in a rotationally movable manner around a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, and a second arm unit holding the second joint unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: SONY OLYMPUS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kamata, Kenji Hirose, Shigeru Tamura
  • Patent number: 10634614
    Abstract: Devices and methods are disclosed for the substantially uniform epi-illumination of samples such as western blots using high power lasers. The uniformity of illumination is provided by particular configurations of optical diffusers, spatial or temporal laser modalities, or numbers of lasers. The increased excitation light produced by the high power lasers can enhance fluorescence emission signal strength and reduce required imaging exposure times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Evan Thrush, Steven Swihart
  • Patent number: 10634890
    Abstract: A microscope is provided. The microscope includes an illumination source configured to provide illumination beams to image a portion of a biological sample. The microscope also includes an optical unit configured to enable both phase contrast imaging and multicolor fluorescence imaging of the portion of the biological sample utilizing parallel point scanning. The microscope further includes a detector configured to simultaneously acquire multiple point images at different locations of the portion of the biological sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ansas Matthias Kasten, William Albert Challener, Jason Harris Karp, Sudeep Mandal
  • Patent number: 10610091
    Abstract: An endoscope light source device is constituted by a first light source unit that emits light in a first wavelength band, a second light source unit that emits light in a second wavelength band, a light path combining means for combining the light paths of the light emitted from the first and second light source units, and a light source control means for controlling light emission of the light source units separately. When the light source units are driven to emit light in a first mode, the respective wavelength bands of light are emitted at a first intensity ratio and combined with each other to obtain normal light, which is supplied to an endoscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiko Onobori, Masaaki Fukuda
  • Patent number: 10607389
    Abstract: Microscopic imaging system and method with three-dimensional refractive index tomography are provided. The microscopic imaging system includes: an illumination providing module, configured to provide a beam of parallel lights with a modulated intensity; a microscopic sample, arranged at downstream of the illumination providing module, and configured to modulate a phase of the beam of parallel lights, such that emergent lights passing through the microscopic sample carry information of a three-dimensional refractive index field of the microscopic sample; a microscopic imaging module, arranged at downstream of the microscopic sample, and configured to form an image by using the emergent lights; and a controlling module, configured to process the image to reconstruct three-dimensional refractive index information of the microscopic sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Qionghai Dai, Mingjie Zhang, Jiamin Wu
  • Patent number: 10568499
    Abstract: A medical apparatus is described for providing visualization of a surgical site. The medical apparatus includes an electronic display disposed within a display housing, the electronic display configured to produce a two-dimensional image. The medical apparatus includes a display optical system disposed within the display housing, the display optical system comprising a plurality of lens elements disposed along an optical path. The display optical system is configured to receive the two-dimensional image from the electronic display, produce a beam with a cross-section that remains substantially constant along the optical path, and produce a collimated beam exiting the opening in the display housing. The medical apparatus can also include an auxiliary video camera configured to provide an oblique view of a patient on the electronic display without requiring a surgeon to adjust their viewing angle through oculars viewing the electronic display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: CAMPLEX, INC.
    Inventor: John Tesar