Microscopy imaging

Inventors

Fine, Alan Marc • Gregson, Peter Hodges

Assignees

Alentic Microscience Inc

Abstract

Among other things, an imaging device has a photosensitive array of pixels, and a surface associated with the array is configured to receive a specimen with at least a part of the specimen at a distance from the surface equivalent to less than about half of an average width of the pixels.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a microscopy/contact-imaging device that uses a high-resolution photosensitive array of pixels as an imaging integrated circuit surface, such as a CCD or back-side illuminated CMOS, that directly receives a specimen at a close distance. A specimen is placed within a distance from the photosensitive array that satisfies a near-field criterion, including distance less than about half a pixel width and, in general, less than five times an average wavelength produced by a light source. Pixel-limited resolution in the near field is described without using lenses or computational correction, relying on the close specimen-to-pixel geometry and the photosensitive pixel array for imaging.

The apparatus further includes a film on the surface of the photosensitive array where the film comprises a pixel-by-pixel pattern. The film can include functional layers such as chemically resistant coatings and can be structured to perform optical and material functions, including wavelength filtering, polarizing, and light-responsive layers using fluorophores, phosphors, up-converters, or scintillants. The film can also include wavelength- and/or material-specific elements such as a surface plasmon generating material, and associated passivation or insulating materials, with optional adhesive layers configured for binding assays.

The near-field pixel-array imaging is described as being compatible with different illumination and imaging modalities using a light source, including LEDs and ambient or portable multi-color light sources, and also multi-color, polarized, lasers, and oblique illumination. Documented examples include imaging a Mylar sheet, aerosol organic solvent micro-droplets, water droplets with beads, unstained living frog blood cells, and live Daphnia, with observed image effects related to near-field pixel-limited imaging.

Claims Coverage

The only independent claim identified is clm-00001. It requires a light source, a high-resolution photosensitive array of pixels, a surface of the photosensitive array to receive a specimen at a constrained distance, and a film on the photosensitive surface that includes a pixel-by-pixel pattern. Dependent claim members refine the film’s functional material types and distance constraint, and add adhesive elements and binding-assay related elements with nanoparticles.

Across the independent claim and identified dependent refinements, the core claim coverage centers on near-field positioning of the specimen relative to a high-resolution photosensitive pixel array, combined with a pixel-by-pixel patterned film on the photosensitive surface. Dependent features specify functional film material types, add adhesive elements, and include binding-assay related nanoparticle elements, along with a tighter specimen-to-array distance threshold.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications