Microscopy imaging

Inventors

Fine, Alan Marc

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 provides an imaging device that uses an imaging integrated circuit with a photosensitive pixel array positioned extremely close to a specimen. The specimen is received by a first surface and held statically in a specimen chamber during imaging, and the first surface and the sensor surface are arranged so that at least part of the specimen is at a distance from the sensor surface that is less than five times a first wavelength.

The device enables fluorescence and phosphorescence imaging by illuminating the specimen at a first wavelength in a fluorescence or phosphorescence excitation band and then capturing light at a second wavelength in a fluorescence or phosphorescence emission band at a time after illumination. Windowless operation is described, with optional specimen chamber lid and electrodes, and with pixel and acceptance-angle considerations that support resolution beyond classical diffraction limits without lenses or computational correction.

To support fluorescence lifetime imaging, the imaging integrated circuit disables sensor readout during illumination and enables acquisition during fluorescence or phosphorescence decay windows after illumination ends. The disclosed embodiments also include electrical stimulation and cell assays, and imaging examples including a correlated atomic force microscope, Mylar, aerosol droplets, blood cells, and live organisms.

Claims Coverage

The partial content includes two independent claims, one apparatus claim and one method claim. The inventive features focus on placing a statically held specimen extremely close to an array of photosensitive pixels under a distance constraint relative to an excitation wavelength, and performing fluorescence or phosphorescence excitation and time-separated emission capture, optionally refined by sensor timing that disables readout during illumination and enables sensing during a fluorescence or phosphorescence decay period.

Across the independent apparatus and method claims, the core claim coverage centers on combining a near-distance specimen geometry with fluorescence or phosphorescence excitation at a first wavelength and emission capture at a second wavelength after illumination, with further refinement where the imaging integrated circuit controls sensing timing by disabling sensing during illumination and enabling sensing during a fluorescence or phosphorescence decay period.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found