Imaging apparatus for self-luminous samples

Abstract

An imaging device for self-emissive samples includes a photoelectric conversion element, a processing unit, an image sensor calibration database electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion element and stored in a storage unit, accessible by the processing unit. The image sensor calibration database contains pixel sensitivity correction coefficients (Cf) for the photoelectric conversion element. When the photoelectric conversion element captures an image signal of a sample, the processing unit retrieves the corresponding compensation parameters from the image sensor calibration database based on reference parameters at the time of sample capture, and performs a correction calculation in conjunction with the pixel sensitivity correction coefficients. A temperature sensor is located near the photoelectric conversion element to monitor the temperature information of the photoelectric conversion element in real time during the image capture of the self-emissive sample. This temperature information serves as the reference parameter to facilitate the processing unit's search of the image sensor calibration database.

Claims

1. An imaging device for use on self-luminous samples, comprising: A photoelectric conversion element; A processing unit is electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion element; an image sensor calibration database is stored in a storage unit electrically connected to the processing unit and accessible by the processing unit, wherein the image sensor calibration database contains pixel sensitivity correction coefficients (Cf) of the photoelectric conversion element; wherein when the photoelectric conversion element captures an image signal of a self-emissive sample, the processing unit retrieves the corresponding compensation parameters from the image sensor calibration database based on reference parameters at the time of sample capture, and performs a correction calculation in conjunction with the pixel sensitivity correction coefficients; and a temperature sensor is disposed adjacent to the photoelectric conversion element and electrically connected to the processing unit to monitor the temperature information of the photoelectric conversion element in real time during the capture of the self-emissive sample image, wherein the temperature information serves as the reference parameter to facilitate the processing unit in searching the image sensor calibration database.

2. The imaging device for self-emissive samples as described in claim 1, wherein the image sensor calibration database is pre-established by performing pixel sensitivity measurements on the photoelectric conversion element in a shell-less state before the imaging device is assembled.

3. The imaging device for self-luminous samples as described in claim 2, wherein the processing unit retrieves temperature-based correction characteristic curves from the image sensor correction database based on the temperature information to obtain corresponding pixel-level thermal offset compensation parameters, so that the imaging device can complete the correction in real time based on the temperature information at the moment of a single shot, without needing to capture dark field images when performing the correction calculation.

4. The imaging device for self-luminous samples as described in claim 3, wherein the correction characteristic curve includes pre-recording the dark current variation trend of the photoelectric conversion element at different temperatures and storing it in the image sensor correction database in the form of a lookup table, wherein the compensation parameter for the intermediate temperature is obtained by interpolation.

5. The imaging device for self-luminous samples as described in claim 1, wherein a portion of the pixels of the photoelectric conversion element are set as physical masked pixels, the processing unit reads the pixel values ​​of the physical masked area as the reference parameter, calculates the dark current offset compensation amount of the pixel based on the correlation curve, and adjusts the correction parameters of all pixels.

6. The imaging device for self-luminous samples as described in claim 1, further comprising a light source module disposed on the inner side of a light-shielding cover, the light source module comprising a color backlight panel and a light-diffusing sheet, the color backlight panel being configured to sequentially output light sources of different wavelengths, and the light-diffusing sheet being disposed on the light output path of the color backlight panel.

7. The imaging device for self-emissive samples as described in claim 6, wherein the processing unit controls the color backlight panel to emit light sources of different wavelengths in sequence, and calculates reference image data (CR, CG, CB) corresponding to different colors in the absence of a sample by combining the pixel sensitivity correction coefficient (Cf), wherein the reference image data represents the standardized response value of each pixel of the photoelectric conversion element of the imaging device under a specific light source.

8. The imaging device for a self-luminous sample as described in claim 7, wherein the processing unit synthesizes a color marker image based on the reference image data and the original image signal generated by the self-luminous sample under the illumination of the light source module.

9. The imaging device for a self-luminous sample as described in claim 8, wherein the color-marked image is superimposed on a calibrated image of the self-luminous sample to mark the sample position and molecular weight marking information in the same coordinate system.

10. The imaging device for a self-emissive sample as described in claim 1, wherein the pixel sensitivity correction coefficient (Cf) is calculated based on the normalized ratio of the obtained bright field image (IL) to dark field image (Id) before the imaging device is assembled, by illuminating the photoelectric conversion element with an external standard uniform light source; wherein Cf = mean(IL - Id) / (IL - Id), mean(IL - Id) is the average difference of all pixels, and Cf is a dimensionless magnification based on the overall average sensitivity of the sensor.

11. The imaging device for self-luminous samples as described in claim 5, wherein the physical shielding area is provided by means of physical shielding such as a metal mask or a photoresist coating so that the pixels do not receive external light and only output dark current noise signals.

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