Apparatus and method for providing parameter estimation - Patents.com

Abstract

The method is used to generate a report presenting parameter values ​​corresponding to an optical system of a structured illumination microscope (SIM). The parameter values ​​are based at least in part on performed modulation calculations corresponding to a set of images captured with the SIM optical system. A minimum FWHM slice is identified based at least in part on an average FWHM value across images in a first image set. Parameter estimation is performed on the identified minimum FWHM slice. Best focus parameters are identified based at least in part on the performed estimation. Phase estimation is performed for each image in the set. Modulation calculations are performed based at least in part on the identified best focus parameters. The report is based at least in part on the performed modulation calculations.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (Related Applications) This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 944,692, entitled “Apparatus and Method of Providing Parameter Estimation,” filed December 6, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [Background technology]

[0002] The subject matter described in this section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in this section. Similarly, it should not be assumed that the problems mentioned in this section, or related to the subject matter provided as background, have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in this section merely represents different approaches, which as such may also correspond to embodiments of the claimed technology.

[0003] Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is a class of computational imaging algorithms that reconstruct super-resolution images from multiple lower-resolution source images. To ensure successful reconstruction, the original raw images must be of high quality. High-quality raw images require careful tuning, calibration, and diagnosis of the optical performance of the imaging instrument. In addition to the features of conventional imaging instruments, SIM imaging optics have additional components that require further characterization and validation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] It would be desirable to provide systems and methods for facilitating quality control and calibration using imaging optics and associated optical components in SIM systems, particularly SIM systems used to image biological samples such as nucleotide sequences. Described herein are devices, systems, and methods for processing images captured using SIM to overcome existing challenges and obtain the benefits as described herein.

[0005] An embodiment relates to a method that includes receiving a plurality of image sets, each image set of the plurality of image sets including images captured using a structured illumination microscope (SIM) in an optical system at a distance away from a subject, the distance being different from a distance from the subject at which images of other image sets of the plurality of image sets were captured, and each image of the plurality of image sets has an associated channel and an associated grating angle. The method further includes separating a first image set from the plurality of image sets based at least in part on the distance corresponding to the first image set. The method further includes measuring a full width at half maximum (FWHM) value corresponding to each image of the first image set. The method further includes identifying a minimum FWHM slice based at least in part on an average FWHM value across the images of the first image set. The method further includes performing parameter estimation for the identified minimum FWHM slice corresponding to the first image set. The method further includes identifying a best focus parameter based at least in part on the performed parameter estimation corresponding to the first image set. The method further includes storing the identified best focus parameters based at least in part on the performed parameter estimation corresponding to the first set of images. The method further includes performing a phase estimation for each image in the first set of images. The method further includes performing a modulation calculation based at least in part on the identified best focus parameters corresponding to the first set of images. The method further includes generating a report presenting parameter values ​​corresponding to the optical system based at least in part on the performed modulation calculation corresponding to the first set of images.

[0006] In some embodiments of the method, such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this summary, the method further comprises separating a second image set from the plurality of image sets based at least in part on a distance corresponding to the second image set. The method further comprises measuring a full width at half maximum (FWHM) value corresponding to each image of the second image set. The method further comprises identifying a minimum FWHM slice based at least in part on an average FWHM value across the images of the second image set. The method further comprises performing parameter estimation at the identified minimum FWHM slice corresponding to the second image set. The method further comprises identifying a best focus parameter based at least in part on the performed parameter estimation corresponding to the second image set. The method further comprises storing the identified best focus parameter based at least in part on the performed parameter estimation corresponding to the second image set. The method further comprises performing a phase estimation for each image in the second image set. The method further comprises performing a modulation calculation based at least in part on the identified best focus parameter corresponding to the second image set. The generated report is based at least in part on a combination of the performed modulation calculations corresponding to the first set of images and the performed modulation calculations corresponding to the second set of images.

[0007] In some embodiments of the method, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, measuring the FWHM value corresponding to each image in the first image set is performed on a central estimation window of each image in the first image set.

[0008] In some embodiments of the method, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, performing parameter estimation in the identified minimum FWHM slice corresponding to the first set of images is performed on a central estimation window of the identified minimum FWHM slice.

[0009] In some implementations of the method, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the stored best focus parameters include one or both of the grating spacing or grating angle.

[0010] In some embodiments of the method, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this summary, performing phase estimation for each image in the first image set includes performing Wicker phase estimation.

[0011] In some embodiments of the methods, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the generated report is in the form of a table.

[0012] In some embodiments of the method, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this summary, the method further includes comparing the parameters in the report against a predefined set of parameter specifications.

[0013] In some embodiments of the method, such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this summary, the method further includes determining that the parameters in the report deviate from a predetermined set of parameter specifications and adjusting one or more characteristics of the optical system based at least in part on the determination that the parameters in the report deviate from the predetermined set of parameter specifications.

[0014] In some embodiments of the method, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, each image set of the plurality of image sets includes 12 images.

[0015] In some embodiments of a method such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this summary, each image of the plurality of images has an associated channel selected from the group consisting of a first color channel and a second color channel, and the plurality of images includes an image corresponding to the first color channel and an image corresponding to the second color channel.

[0016] In some embodiments of methods such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this summary, each image set of the multiple image sets includes an image corresponding to a first color channel and an image corresponding to a second color channel.

[0017] In some embodiments of the method, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, each image of the plurality of images has an associated grid angle selected from the group consisting of a first grid angle and a second grid angle, and the plurality of images includes an image corresponding to the first grid angle and an image corresponding to the second grid angle.

[0018] In some embodiments of the methods, such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, each image set of the multiple image sets includes an image corresponding to a first grid angle and an image corresponding to a second grid angle.

[0019] In an embodiment of the method such as that described in either of the preceding two paragraphs of this Summary, the method further includes capturing a plurality of images. The method further includes, while capturing the plurality of images, either moving the light source from a first position to a second position relative to the one or more phase masks or moving the one or more phase masks from a first position to a second position relative to the light source, the first position providing a first grating angle and the second position providing a second grating angle.

[0020] In some embodiments of the method, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, measuring the FWHM value corresponding to each image in the first image set is performed using a raw, unreconstructed, zero-value phase for each grating angle corresponding to each image in the first image set.

[0021] In some embodiments of the method, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this summary, the generated report includes parameter values ​​selected from the group consisting of a distance between an objective lens in the optical system and an object, a channel corresponding to each image of the plurality of images, an angular index, a modulation, a FWHM value, a grating spacing, and a grating angle.

[0022] In some embodiments of the method, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the method further includes capturing a plurality of image sets. Capturing the plurality of image sets includes capturing a first image set while an objective lens of the optical system is positioned a first distance from the object. Capturing the plurality of image sets further includes capturing a second image set while an objective lens of the optical system is positioned a second distance from the object. Capturing the plurality of image sets further includes capturing a third image set while an objective lens of the optical system is positioned a third distance from the object.

[0023] In some embodiments of the method, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the modulation calculation includes factors including the orientation and periodicity of the fringe pattern corresponding to the images in the first image set.

[0024] In some embodiments of the methods, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the subject comprises a nucleotide.

[0025] In some embodiments of the method, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the method further includes calculating a phase shift between pairs of images of the first image set, each image pair of the image pairs sharing a channel and a grating angle.

[0026] In some embodiments of the methods, such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this summary, the generated report includes the calculated phase shift.

[0027] In some embodiments of the method, such as any of those described in any of the two preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the method further includes comparing the calculated phase shift against a predetermined range of phase shifts.

[0028] In some implementations of the method, such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the method further includes determining that at least one of the calculated phase shifts is outside a predetermined range of phase shifts, and in response to determining that at least one of the calculated phase shifts is outside the predetermined range of phase shifts, the method further includes calculating a gain value that compensates for the phase shift that is outside the predetermined range of phase shifts.

[0029] In some implementations of the method, such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the method further includes establishing a new phase shift voltage based at least in part on the calculated gain value.

[0030] In some embodiments of the method, such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the method further includes applying a new phase-shifted voltage to a piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element providing a phase shift in the optical system, and capturing a new set of images with the new phase-shifted voltage applied to the piezoelectric element.

[0031] In some embodiments of the method such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this summary, the method further comprises calculating a phase shift between pairs of images of the new image set, each image pair of the image pairs sharing a channel and a grating angle, and the method further comprises comparing the calculated phase shift of the new images to a predetermined range of phase shifts.

[0032] In some implementations of the method, such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the method further includes determining that at least one of the calculated phase shifts of the new images is outside a predetermined range of phase shifts. The method further includes, in response to determining that at least one of the calculated phase shifts of the new images is outside the predetermined range of phase shifts, calculating updated gain values ​​to correct for the phase shifts of the new images that are outside the predetermined range of phase shifts.

[0033] In some implementations of the method, such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the method further includes establishing an additional new phase shift voltage based at least in part on the calculated updated gain value.

[0034] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a first optical assembly that emits structured illumination toward a target. The first optical assembly includes a light emitting assembly, a first phase mask that imparts a first pattern to light emitted by the light emitting assembly, a second phase mask that imparts a second pattern to light emitted by the light emitting assembly, and a phase adjustment assembly that adjusts a phase of the light structured by the first phase mask and the second phase mask. The apparatus further includes a second optical assembly. The second optical assembly includes an image sensor that captures an image of the target when illuminated by the first optical assembly. The apparatus further includes a processor. The processor is to receive a plurality of image sets, each image set of the plurality of image sets including images captured using the second optical assembly at a distance away from the subject, the distance being different from a distance from the subject at which the images of the other image sets of the plurality of image sets were captured, and each image of the plurality of images has an associated channel and an associated grating angle. The processor is further to separate the first image set from the plurality of image sets based at least in part on a distance corresponding to the first image set. The processor will further measure a full width at half maximum (FWHM) value corresponding to each image of the first image set. The processor will further identify a minimum FWHM slice based at least in part on an average FWHM value across the images of the first image set. The processor will further perform parameter estimation for the identified minimum FWHM slice corresponding to the first image set. The processor will further identify a best focus parameter based at least in part on the performed parameter estimation corresponding to the first image set. The processor will further store the identified best focus parameter based at least in part on the performed parameter estimation corresponding to the first image set. The processor will further perform phase estimation for each image in the first image set. The processor will further perform a modulation calculation based at least in part on the identified best focus parameter corresponding to the first image set.The processor is further to generate a report providing parameter values ​​corresponding to the optical system based at least in part on the performed modulation calculations corresponding to the first set of images.

[0035] In some embodiments of devices such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the target comprises a sample vessel.

[0036] In some embodiments of devices such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the target comprises a biological sample in a sample container.

[0037] In some embodiments of the device, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the light emitting assembly will emit light in at least two channels.

[0038] In some embodiments of devices such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the at least two channels include at least two colors, each color of the at least two colors corresponding to a corresponding channel of the at least two channels.

[0039] In some embodiments of the device, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the first optical assembly further includes a grating switch, which selectively directs or allows light emitted from the light emitting assembly towards the first phase mask or the second phase mask.

[0040] In some embodiments of devices such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the grating switch comprises at least one movable reflective element.

[0041] In some embodiments of the device, such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the grating switching section further includes a rotatable plate supporting the movable reflective element, the rotatable plate being rotatable to selectively position the reflective element relative to the first phase mask or the second phase mask, thereby selectively directing or allowing light emitted from the light emitting assembly towards the first phase mask or the second phase mask.

[0042] In some embodiments of the apparatus, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the phase adjustment assembly includes a movable reflective element.

[0043] In some embodiments of the apparatus, such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the phase adjustment assembly further comprises an actuator for moving the moveable reflective element.

[0044] In some embodiments of devices such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the actuator will move the moveable reflective element along a linear path.

[0045] In some embodiments of a device such as any of those described in any of the two preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the actuator comprises a piezoelectric element.

[0046] In some embodiments of the apparatus, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the processor is further to calculate a phase shift between pairs of images in the first image set, each image pair of which shares a channel and a grating angle.

[0047] In some embodiments of the apparatus, such as that described in the preceding paragraphs of this summary, the processor will further compare the calculated phase shift against a predetermined range of phase shifts.

[0048] In some embodiments of the apparatus, such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the processor is further to determine that at least one of the calculated phase shifts is outside a predetermined range of phase shifts, and in response to determining that at least one of the calculated phase shifts is outside the predetermined range of phase shifts, the processor is further to calculate a gain value to correct for the phase shift that is outside the predetermined range of phase shifts.

[0049] In some embodiments of the apparatus, such as that described in the preceding paragraphs of this summary, the processor will further establish a new phase shift voltage based at least in part on the calculated gain value.

[0050] In some embodiments of devices such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this summary, the phase adjustment assembly includes a piezoelectric element that adjusts the phase of the light structured by the first phase mask and the second phase mask, and the new phase shift voltage actuates the piezoelectric element to provide a phase shift approaching a predetermined range of values.

[0051] In some embodiments of the apparatus, such as any of those described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the apparatus further comprises a target device including a preformed optical pattern. The target device would enable the first optical assembly to emit structured illumination toward the preformed optical pattern. The target device would further enable the image sensor to capture an image of the preformed optical pattern when illuminated by the first optical assembly.

[0052] In some embodiments of devices such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the preformed optical pattern comprises an array of dots.

[0053] In some embodiments of devices such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the dots in the array are positioned in an irregular arrangement.

[0054] In some embodiments of devices such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the dots of the array are spaced apart from one another by at least a predetermined minimum spacing distance.

[0055] In some embodiments of the apparatus, such as any of those described in any of the four preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the preformed optical pattern includes at least one line pair.

[0056] In some embodiments of the apparatus, such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the first pattern of the first phase mask comprises a first set of lines, the second pattern of the second phase mask comprises a second set of lines, and the lines of at least one line pair are positioned such that they are off-angle with respect to the lines of the first set of lines and with respect to the lines of the second set of lines.

[0057] In some embodiments of the apparatus, such as any of those described in any of the six preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the target device further includes a fluid-filled channel containing a fluid that will fluoresce in response to light from the first optical assembly.

[0058] In some embodiments of devices such as those described in the preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the fluid-filled channels have a depth of about 2 μm to about 10 μm.

[0059] In some embodiments of the device, such as any of those described in any of the six preceding paragraphs of this Summary, the fluid-filled channels have a depth of approximately 3 μm.

[0060] In some embodiments, a processor-readable medium includes content configured to cause a computing system to process data by performing any one or more of the methods described in any of the preceding paragraphs of this summary.

[0061] It is to be understood that all combinations of the foregoing and additional concepts discussed in more detail herein (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are considered to be part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein and achieve the benefits and advantages described herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are considered to be part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0062] The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims.

[0063] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 shows an example of Moire fringe formation by using a grating with one-dimensional (1D) modulation.

[0064] [Figure 1B] 1 is a graphical representation of the illumination intensity produced by a two-dimensional (2D) structured illumination pattern.

[0065] [Figure 1C] FIG. 1 shows examples of geometric patterns of nanowell arrays.

[0066] [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a SIM biological sample imaging system capable of imaging a sample using spatially structured excitation light.

[0067] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of one example of an alternative optical assembly for use in the SIM biological sample imaging system of FIG. 2.

[0068] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a phase mask assembly of the optical assembly of FIG. 3.

[0069] [Figure 5A] 4 is a schematic diagram of the optical assembly of FIG. 3 with a grating switch in a first state and a tunable reflective element in a first state.

[0070] [Figure 5B] 4 is a schematic diagram of the optical assembly of FIG. 3 with a grating switch in a first state and a tunable reflective element in a second state.

[0071] [Figure 5C] 4 is a schematic diagram of the optical assembly of FIG. 3 with a grating switch in a second state and a tunable reflective element in a first state.

[0072] [Figure 5D] 4 is a schematic diagram of the optical assembly of FIG. 3 with a grating switch in a second state and a tunable reflective element in a second state.

[0073] [Figure 6A] 1 is a simplified diagram of parallel lines bending due to distortion of a magnifying lens;

[0074] [Figure 6B] 1 is a chart showing a first set of measurements made versus wavelength of spacing between nominally parallel lines.

[0075] [Figure 6C] 11 is a chart showing a second set of measurements made versus wavelength of spacing between nominally parallel lines.

[0076] [Figure 6D] FIG. 2 shows examples of subtiles or subfields of a full field of view (FOV) image.

[0077] [Figure 7] 1 is a flow chart of an example of a process for quality control checks in a SIM imaging system.

[0078] [Figure 8] 1 is a flow chart of an example of a process for phase calibration in a SIM imaging system.

[0079] [Figure 9A] FIG. 1 illustrates the optical pattern of a dedicated target device for use in a non-SIM imaging system.

[0080] [Figure 9B] FIG. 1 illustrates the optical pattern of a dedicated target device for use in a SIM imaging system.

[0081] [Figure 10] 1 is a graph showing examples of different light intensities that can be obtained by constructive and destructive interference in a SIM imaging system.

[0082] [Figure 11A] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an intensity profile of an on-angle structured illumination pattern.

[0083] [Figure 11B] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an intensity profile of an off-angle structured illumination pattern.

[0084] [Figure 12] 1 is a plot showing reimaged modulated signals from SIM imaging of fluidic channels of various thicknesses.

[0085] It will be appreciated that some or all of the figures are schematic for illustrative purposes, and are provided for the purpose of illustrating one or more embodiments, with the express understanding that they will not be used to limit the scope or meaning of the claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0086] In some aspects, disclosed herein are methods and systems for facilitating quality control and calibration using imaging optics and associated optical components in SIM systems, particularly SIM systems used to image biological samples such as nucleotide sequences.

[0087] In the context of imaging biological samples such as nucleotide sequences, SIM provides the ability to resolve densely packed samples from a flow cell with fluorescent signals from millions of sample points, thereby reducing reagents required for processing and increasing image processing throughput. In some cases, SIM may enable resolution of fluorescent samples that are packed more densely than the Abbe diffraction limit for resolving adjacent light sources. The biological samples may be in regularly spaced nanowells on the flow cell, or in randomly distributed clusters. Adjacent nanowells may be positioned closer together than the Abbe diffraction limit of the associated optical system. While this example relates to biological samples on nanowells of a flow cell, the teachings herein may be applied to biological samples in various other configurations and in other types of systems that use SIM. Thus, the teachings herein are not necessarily limited to imaging biological samples.

[0088] I. Introduction

[0089] Structured illumination can produce images with illumination sources resolved several times more than with normal illumination. Multiple images with varying angles and phase shifts of structured illumination are used to convert dense, or in other words unresolvable, high spatial frequency features into low frequency signals that can be sensed by an optical system without violating the Abbe diffraction limit. This limit is physically imposed on imaging by the nature of light and optics and is expressed as a function of the emission wavelength and numerical aperture (NA) of the final objective lens. By applying SIM reconstruction, information from multiple images is transformed from the spatial domain to the Fourier domain, combined, processed, and then reconstructed into an improved image. A set of lower resolution original images processed by SIM systems and methods can be defined as a "SIM stack". The images in each SIM stack can be acquired with an objective lens located at a corresponding z-position or distance with respect to the photographed material. Several SIM stacks can be acquired from the same material, with each SIM stack having a z-position that is different from the z-positions of other SIM stacks of the same material.

[0090] In SIM, a grating is used or an interference pattern is created between an illumination source and a sample to generate an illumination pattern, such as a pattern whose intensity varies according to a sine or cosine function. In the context of SIM, "grating" may be used to refer to the projected structured illumination pattern in addition to the surface that generates the structured illumination pattern. Alternatively, the structured illumination pattern may be generated as an interference pattern between portions of separate coherent beams.

[0091] For example, the projection of structured illumination onto the sample plane as shown in Figure 1 mixes the illumination pattern with fluorescent (or reflected) sources in the sample, inducing new signals sometimes called Moiré fringes or aliasing, which shift high spatial frequency information to lower spatial frequencies that can be imaged without violating the Abbe diffraction limit.

[0092] After capturing images of a sample illuminated with a 1D intensity modulation pattern as shown in FIG. 1A, or a 2D intensity modulation pattern as shown in FIG. 1B, a system of linear equations is solved and used to extract from the multiple images of the Moiré fringes or aliasing a portion of a new signal that contains information shifted from higher spatial frequencies to lower spatial frequencies.

[0093] To solve the simultaneous linear equations, several images are taken with a structured illumination pattern that is shifted or displaced in stages. Images of different phases per angle can be taken for analysis and then separated by bands for shifting and recombination in the Fourier domain. Increasing the number of images can improve the quality of the reconstructed image by increasing the signal-to-noise ratio. However, the computation time may also increase. The Fourier representations of the band-separated images are shifted and summed to generate a reconstruction sum. Finally, an inverse Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) reconstructs a new high-resolution image from the reconstruction sum.

[0094] Standard algorithms for 1D modulated illumination may involve modifications when used with 2D modulated illumination patterns. This may include estimation of illumination peak spacing and illumination peak angle, which may involve 2D band separation. Modifications may also include Wicker phase estimation, working from two points (rather than one point) to estimate the phase in two dimensions. 1D interference patterns may be generated by a one-dimensional diffraction grating as shown in FIG. 1A, or as a result of the interference pattern of two beams. In some cases, during imaging of a sample, three images of the fringe pattern of the sample are acquired at various pattern phases (e.g., 0°, 120°, and 240°), so that each location on the sample is exposed to a range of illumination intensities. This procedure is repeated by rotating the pattern orientation around the optical axis to two (e.g., 45°, 135°) or three (e.g., 0°, 60°, and 120°) separate angles.

[0095] FIG. 1B shows an intensity distribution that can be generated by a 2D diffraction grating or by the interference of two pairs of coherent light beams. In particular, the 2D structured illumination may be formed by two orthogonal 1D diffraction gratings superimposed on each other. As in the case of the 1D structured illumination pattern, the 2D illumination pattern can be generated either by the use of a 2D diffraction grating or by the interference between two pairs of coherent light beams that generate a regularly repeating fringe pattern. Two light beams generate an intensity pattern along the y axis (horizontal bright and dark lines) and are therefore referred to as y pairs of incident beams. Two more light beams generate an intensity pattern along the x axis (vertical bright and dark lines) and are therefore referred to as x pairs of incident beams. The interference of the y pairs with the x pairs of light beams generates a 2D illumination pattern. FIG. 1B shows the intensity distribution of such a 2D illumination pattern.

[0096] FIG. 1C shows an arrangement of nanowells 10 on the surface of a flow cell positioned at the corners of a rectangle. FIG. 1C also shows lines 20 of a stripe pattern of structured illumination projected onto the nanowells 10. In the illustrated example, the lines 20 are slightly angularly offset with respect to the alignment of the nanowells 10, such that the lines 20 are not perfectly aligned (or parallel) with either the rows of nanowells 10 or the columns of nanowells 10. Alternatively, the lines 20 may have any other suitable spatial relationship with the alignment of the columns or rows of nanowells 10, or with other spatial arrangements of the nanowells 10. When using 1D structured illumination, the peak angle of illumination is selected such that images are taken along a straight line connecting diagonally opposite corners of the rectangle. For example, two sets of three images (six images total) can be taken at angles of +45 degrees and -45 degrees. As the distance along the diagonal becomes longer than the distance between any two sides of the rectangle, a higher resolution image is obtained. The nanowells 10 may be arranged in other geometric configurations, such as a hexagon. Three or more images can then be taken along each of the three diagonals of the hexagon, resulting in, for example, 9 or 15 images.

[0097] II. Terminology

[0098] As used herein when referring to structured illumination parameters, the term "frequency" shall refer to the reciprocal of the spacing between fringes or between lines of a structured illumination pattern (e.g., a fringe pattern or a grating pattern), since frequency and period are inversely correlated. For example, a pattern with a greater spacing between fringes will have a lower frequency than a pattern with a smaller spacing between fringes.

[0099] As used herein when referring to structured illumination parameters, the term "phase" shall refer to the phase of the structured illumination pattern illuminating the sample. For example, the phase can be changed by translating the structured illumination pattern with respect to the illuminated sample.

[0100] As used herein when referring to structured illumination parameters, the term "orientation" shall refer to the relative orientation between a structured illumination pattern (e.g., a fringe pattern or a grating pattern) and the sample illuminated by the pattern. For example, the orientation can be changed by rotating the structured illumination pattern with respect to the illuminated sample.

[0101] As used herein when referring to structured illumination parameters, the term "predict" or "predicting" shall mean either (i) calculating the value(s) of a parameter without directly measuring the parameter, or (ii) estimating the parameter from an imaging image corresponding to the parameter. For example, the phase of a structured illumination pattern can be predicted at time t1 (t2 < t1 < t3) by interpolation between phase values directly measured or estimated at times t2 and t3 (e.g., from an imaged phase image). As another example, the frequency of a structured illumination pattern can be predicted at time t1 (t2 < t1 < t3) by extrapolating from frequency values directly measured or estimated at times t2 and t3 (e.g., from an imaged phase image).

[0102] As used herein to refer to light diffracted by a diffraction grating, the term "order" or "order" shall mean the integer number of wavelengths that represents the path length difference of light from adjacent slits or structures of the diffraction grating for constructive interference. The interaction of an incident light beam on a repeating series of grating structures or other beam splitting structures can redirect or diffract a portion of the light beam into a predictable angular direction from the original beam. The term "0th order" or "0th order maximum" shall refer to the undiffracted central bright fringe emitted by the diffraction grating. The term "1st order" shall refer to two bright fringes diffracted on either side of the 0th order fringe with a path length difference of ±1 wavelength. Higher orders are diffracted into larger angles from the original beam. The properties of the grating may be manipulated to control the amount of beam intensity that is directed into the various orders. For example, a phase grating may be fabricated to maximize the transmission of non-0th orders and minimize the transmission of the 0th order beam.

[0103] As used herein, the term "optical transfer function", or abbreviated "OTF", is intended to mean a complex-valued transfer function that describes the response of an imaging system as a function of spatial frequency. The OTF can be derived from the Fourier transform of the point spread function. In the examples described herein, only the amplitude part of the OTF is of interest. The amplitude part of the OTF may also be referred to as the "modulation transfer function" or abbreviated as "MTF".

[0104] The term "feature" as used herein to refer to a sample is intended to mean a point or area of ​​a pattern that can be distinguished from other points or areas according to their relative location. An individual feature can contain one or more molecules of a particular type. For example, a feature can contain a single target nucleic acid molecule having a particular sequence, or a feature can contain several nucleic acid molecules having the same sequence (and / or its complementary sequence).

[0105] As used herein, the term "xy-plane" is intended to mean the two-dimensional area defined by linear axes x and y in a Cartesian coordinate system. When used in relation to a detector and an object observed by the detector, the area may be further specified as being orthogonal to the beam axis, or observation direction between the detector and the object being detected.

[0106] As used herein, the term "z-coordinate" refers to information that identifies the location of a point, line, or area along an axis perpendicular to the xy plane in a Cartesian coordinate system. In certain other embodiments, the z-axis is perpendicular to the region of the object observed by the detector. For example, the direction of the focus of an optical system may be specified along the z-axis.

[0107] As used herein, the term "optically coupled" refers to one element that is adapted to impart light directly or indirectly to another element.

[0108] As used herein, elements or steps described in the singular and followed by the word "a" or "an" should be understood as not excluding a plurality of those elements or steps, unless such exclusion is expressly stated. Moreover, references to "one embodiment" are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Furthermore, unless expressly stated to the contrary, embodiments that "include" or "have" an element or elements having a particular characteristic may include the additional elements, whether or not they have that characteristic.

[0109] As used throughout this specification, the terms "substantially," "about," and "approximately" are used to describe and take into account small variations due to processing variations, etc. For example, the terms can refer to ±5% or less, such as ±2% or less, such as ±1% or less, such as ±0.5% or less, such as ±0.2% or less, such as ±0.1% or less, ±0.05% or less, etc.

[0110] The term "based on" should be understood to mean that something is determined at least in part by that which is being indicated as being "based on." To indicate that something must necessarily be completely determined by something else, something may be described as being exclusively based on whatever it is completely determined by.

[0111] As used herein, the terms "nucleotide sequence" or "polynucleotide sequence," depending on the context, should be read to include polynucleotide molecules as well as the underlying sequence of the molecule. The sequence of a polynucleotide can contain (or code for) information that exhibits certain physical properties.

[0112] III. Example Imaging System Components and Layout

[0113] In some implementations of the SIM system, the linearly polarized beam is directed by an optical beam splitter that splits the beam into two or more separate orders that can be combined and projected onto the imaged sample as an interference fringe pattern with sinusoidal intensity variation. The split beams are equal in power to obtain maximum modulation at the sample plane. A diffraction grating is an example of a beam splitter that can generate beams with a high degree of coherence and stable propagation angles. When two such beams are combined, the interference between such beams can create a uniform, regularly repeating fringe pattern whose spacing is determined by factors including the angle between the interfering beams. The relationship between the fringe periodicity (FP), the angle of incidence (Θ) and the wavelength of light (λ) can be expressed by the following equation (I): FP = λ ÷ 2 sin(θ), (I) The fringe period (FP) and the wavelength of light (λ) are in the same units (eg, nm), and Θ is the angle of incidence relative to the surface normal expressed in radians.

[0114] 2-4B show examples of various forms that SIM imaging systems can take. Although these systems are described primarily in the context of SIM imaging systems that generate 1D illumination patterns, it should be noted that the techniques disclosed herein may also be implemented in SIM imaging systems that generate higher dimensional illumination patterns (e.g., two-dimensional grating patterns).

[0115] 2 illustrates a SIM imaging system 100 in which prediction of structured illumination parameters according to some embodiments described herein can be implemented. For example, system 100 can be a structured illumination fluorescence microscope system that utilizes spatially structured excitation light to image biological samples.

[0116] 2, light emitter 150 is configured to output a light beam that is collimated by collimation lens 151. The collimated light is structured (patterned) by light structuring optical assembly 155 and directed by dichroic mirror 160 through objective lens 142 to a sample in sample container 110 positioned on motion stage 170. In the case of a fluorescent sample, the sample fluoresces in response to the structured excitation light, and the resulting light is collected by objective lens 142 and directed to an image sensor of camera system 140 for detecting the fluorescence.

[0117] The light structured optical assembly 155 includes one or more optical gratings or other beam splitting elements (e.g., beam splitter cubes or plates) to generate a pattern of light (e.g., stripes, typically sinusoidal) that is projected onto the sample in the sample container 110. The grating may be a one-dimensional transmission grating or a one-dimensional reflection grating or a two-dimensional transmission grating or a two-dimensional reflection grating. The grating may be a sinusoidal amplitude grating or a sinusoidal phase grating. In some variations, the light structured optical assembly 155 includes a pair of phase masks, each of which includes a piece of glass with graduations etched into the glass.

[0118] In some embodiments, the diffraction grating(s) may not utilize a rotation stage to change the orientation of the structured illumination pattern. In other embodiments, the diffraction grating(s) may be mounted on a rotation stage. In some embodiments, the diffraction grating may be fixed (i.e., does not require rotational or linear motion) during operation of the imaging system. For example, in certain embodiments described further below, the diffraction grating may include two fixed one-dimensional transmission gratings (e.g., a horizontal grating and a vertical grating) oriented perpendicular to each other.

[0119] 2, the light structuring optical assembly 155 outputs a diffracted light beam of 1 order while blocking or minimizing all other orders, including the 0th order. However, in alternative embodiments, additional orders of light can be projected onto the sample.

[0120] During each capture cycle, imaging system 100 utilizes light structured optical assembly 155 to acquire multiple images at various phases, with the fringe pattern displaced laterally (e.g., in the xy plane and perpendicular to the fringes) to the modulation direction. This procedure is repeated one or more times by rotating the pattern orientation about the optical axis (i.e., relative to the xy plane of the sample). The captured images may then be computationally reconstructed to generate a higher resolution image (e.g., an image having approximately twice the lateral spatial resolution of the individual images).

[0121] In system 100, light emitter 150 may be a non-coherent light emitter (e.g., emitting a light beam output by one or more pump diodes) or a coherent light emitter, such as an emitter of light output by one or more lasers or laser diodes. As shown in the example of system 100, light emitter 150 includes an optical fiber 152 for guiding the output optical beam. However, other configurations of light emitter 150 may be used. In an embodiment utilizing structured illumination in a multi-channel imaging system (e.g., a multi-channel fluorescence microscope utilizing multiple wavelengths of light), optical fiber 152 may be optically coupled to multiple different light sources (not shown), each emitting light of a different wavelength. Although system 100 is illustrated as having a single light emitter 150 in some embodiments, multiple light emitters 150 may be included. For example, multiple light emitters may be included in the case of a structured illumination imaging system utilizing multiple arms, which is described further below.

[0122] In some embodiments, system 100 may include a projection lens 156, which may include lens elements that articulate along the z-axis to adjust the shape and path of the structured beam. For example, components of projection lens 156 may articulate to account for a range of sample thicknesses (e.g., various cover glass thicknesses) of samples in container 110.

[0123] In the example of the system 100, the fluid delivery module or device 190 can direct (and pass) the flow of reagents (e.g., fluorescently labeled nucleotides, buffers, enzymes, cleavage reagents, etc.) to the sample container 110 and waste valve 120. The sample container 110 can include one or more substrates on which the sample is provided. For example, in the case of a system for analyzing a large number of different nucleic acid sequences, the sample container 110 can include one or more substrates on which the nucleic acids to be sequenced are bound, attached, or associated. Substrates can include any inert substrate or substrate to which nucleic acids can be attached, such as, for example, glass surfaces, plastic surfaces, latex, dextran, polystyrene surfaces, polypropylene surfaces, polyacrylamide gels, gold surfaces, and silicon wafers. In some applications, the substrates are within channels or other areas at multiple locations formed in a matrix or array across the sample container 110. The system 100 can also include a temperature station actuator 130 and a heater / cooler 135 that can optionally adjust the temperature of the fluid state within the sample container 110.

[0124] In certain embodiments, the sample container 110 may be implemented as a patterned flow cell that includes a transparent cover plate, a substrate, and a liquid contained between the transparent cover plate and the substrate, and the biological sample may be located on the inner surface of the transparent cover plate or the inner surface of the substrate. The flow cell may include a large number (e.g., thousands, millions, or billions) of wells (also referred to as nanowells) or regions within the substrate that are patterned into a defined array (e.g., a hexagonal array, a rectangular array, etc.). Each region may form a cluster (e.g., a monoclonal cluster) of biological samples, such as DNA, RNA, or other genomic material, that may be sequenced using sequencing by synthesis. The flow cell may be further divided into a large number of spaced lanes (e.g., eight lanes), each lane including a hexagonal array of clusters.

[0125] The sample container 110 may be mounted on a sample stage 170 to provide movement and alignment of the sample container 110 relative to the objective lens 142. The sample stage may have one or more actuators that allow it to move in any of the three dimensions. For example, actuators may be provided that allow the stage to move in the x-, y-, and z-directions relative to the objective lens in terms of a Cartesian coordinate system. This may allow one or more sample locations on the sample container 110 to be positioned in optical alignment with the objective lens 142. Movement of the sample stage 170 relative to the objective lens 142 may be accomplished by moving the sample stage itself, the objective lens, some other component of the imaging system, or any combination of the foregoing. Further embodiments may also include moving the entire imaging system over a stationary sample. Alternatively, the sample container 110 may be fixed during imaging.

[0126] In some implementations, a focus (z-axis) component 175 may be included to control the positioning of the optical components relative to the sample container 110 in a focus direction (typically referred to as the z-axis or z-direction). The focus component 175 may include one or more actuators physically coupled to the optical stage or sample stage or both to move the sample container 110 on the sample stage 170 relative to the optical components (e.g., the objective lens 142) to provide proper focusing for the imaging operation. For example, the actuators may be physically coupled to the respective stages, e.g., by a direct or indirect mechanical, magnetic, fluidic, or other connection or contact with the stage. The one or more actuators may be configured to move the stage in the z-direction while keeping the sample stage in the same plane (e.g., while maintaining a level or horizontal orientation perpendicular to the optical axis). The one or more actuators may also be configured to tilt the stage. This is done, for example, so that the sample container 110 can be dynamically flattened to account for any tilt in the surface.

[0127] Structured light originating from the test sample at the location of the sample being imaged may be directed by a dichroic mirror 160 to one or more detectors of the camera system 140. In some implementations, a filter switching assembly 165 having one or more emission filters may be included, which may be used to pass certain emission wavelengths and block (or reflect) other emission wavelengths. For example, one or more emission filters may be used to switch between different channels of the imaging system. In certain implementations, the emission filters may be implemented as dichroic mirrors that direct emission of different wavelengths to different image sensors of the camera system 140.

[0128] The camera system 140 may include one or more image sensors for monitoring and tracking the imaging (e.g., sequencing) of the sample container 110. The camera system 140 may be implemented, for example, as a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor camera, although other image sensor technologies (e.g., active pixel sensors) may be used. Although the camera system 140 and associated optical components are shown as being positioned above the sample container 110 in FIG. 2, one or more image sensors or other camera components may be incorporated into the system 100 in numerous other ways that will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein. For example, one or more image sensors may be positioned below the sample container 110 or may be integrated within the sample container 110.

[0129] Output data (e.g., images) from the camera system 140 may be communicated to a real-time SIM imaging component 191, which may be implemented as a software application that can reconstruct the images captured at each capture cycle to generate images with higher spatial resolution, as described further below. The reconstructed images can take into account predicted changes in structured illumination parameters over time. Additionally, the SIM imaging component 191 can be used to track predicted SIM parameters and / or predict SIM parameters given previous estimated and / or predicted SIM parameters.

[0130] A controller 195 may be provided to control the operation of the structured illumination imaging system 100, including synchronizing the various optical components of the system 100. The controller may be implemented to control aspects of the system operation, such as, for example, the configuration of the light structured optical assembly 155 (e.g., selection of a diffraction grating and / or linear translation), the movement of the projection lens 156, the actuation of the focus component 175, the movement of the stage, and the imaging operations. The controller may also be implemented to control hardware elements of the system 100 to correct for changes in the structured illumination parameters over time. For example, the controller may be configured to send control signals to motors or other devices that control the configuration of the light structured optical assembly 155, the motion stage 170, or some other element of the system 100 to correct or compensate for changes in the phase, frequency, and / or orientation of the structured illumination over time. In an embodiment, these signals may be sent according to the structured illumination parameters predicted using the SIM imaging component 191. In some embodiments, the controller 195 may include a memory for storing predicted and / or estimated structured illumination parameters corresponding to various times and / or sample positions.

[0131] In various embodiments, the controller 195 may be implemented using hardware, algorithms (e.g., machine-executable instructions), or a combination of the above. For example, in some embodiments, the controller may include one or more CPUs, GPUs, or processors with associated memory. As another example, the controller may comprise hardware or other circuitry for controlling the operation of, for example, a computer processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing machine-readable instructions. For example, this circuitry may include one or more of the following: a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a programmable logic array (PLA), a programmable array logic (PAL), and other similar processing devices or circuitry. As yet another example, the controller may include a combination of this circuitry and one or more processors.

[0132] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of an alternative optical assembly 200 that can be incorporated into the system (e.g., in place of the optical assembly 155). The optical assembly 200 of this example includes a light emitting assembly 210, a fixed reflective element 220, a phase mask assembly 230, a grating switch 250, an adjustable reflective element 270, and a projection lens assembly 280. The light emitting assembly 210 can include a variety of components, including but not limited to a coherent light source (e.g., at least one laser, etc.) and a pair of anamorphic prisms, a non-coherent light source and a collimator, or any other suitable components that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. In some variations, the light emitting assembly 210 is operable to emit light through two or more separate channels (e.g., a blue channel and a green channel). In variations in which light is emitted in two or more separate channels, the system 100 can include two or more corresponding image sensors, such that each image sensor is dedicated to a corresponding image sensor. Also, in some variations, the light emitting assembly 210 is operable to emit light in pulses at a predetermined frequency (eg, using a high speed shutter, etc.).

[0133] The reflective element 220 in this embodiment comprises a mirror that is fixed in position relative to other components of the optical assembly 200. The reflective element 220 is positioned and configured to reflect light emitted from the light emitting assembly 210 towards the phase mask assembly 230 and the grating switch 250 during operation of the optical assembly 200, as described in more detail below.

[0134] As best seen in FIG. 4, the phase mask assembly 230 of this embodiment includes a pair of triangular glass elements 232, 242 fixedly attached to a base 240. Each glass element 232, 242 includes a reflector 234, 244 along one side of the glass element 232, 242. Each glass element 232, 242 also includes a phase mask 236, 246 along another side of the glass element 232, 242. In this embodiment, each phase mask 236, 246 includes graduations (e.g., parallel slits or grooves, etc.) that form a grating or fringe pattern etched into the glass of the glass element 232, 242. The graduation spacing may be selected to diffract light at a suitable angle and adjusted to the minimum resolvable feature size of the sample imaged for operation of the system 100. As described in more detail below, these phase masks 236, 246 are configured to generate Moiré fringes or aliasing during operation of the optical assembly 200. In this embodiment, the phase masks 236, 246 are formed by etched graduations in the glass of the glass elements 232, 242, although other suitable methods by which the phase masks 236, 246 may be formed will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. During operation of the optical assembly 200, the entire phase mask assembly 230 remains stationary relative to the other components of the optical assembly 200.

[0135] To improve the efficiency of the system, the zeroth order beam and all other higher order diffracted beams output by each phase mask 236, 246 may be blocked (i.e., filtered out from the illumination pattern projected onto the sample 110). For example, a beam blocking element (not shown), such as an order filter, may be inserted in the optical path after the phase mask assembly 230. In some implementations, the grating phase masks 236, 246 may be configured to diffract the beam into only the first order, and the zeroth order (non-diffracted beam) may be blocked by some beam blocking element.

[0136] As shown in FIG. 3, the grating switch 250 of this embodiment includes a plate 252 attached to a shaft 254. The shaft 254 is further coupled to a motor 256 operable to rotate the shaft 254 and the plate 252 about an axis A, and one end 260 of the plate 252 includes a pair of mirrors 262, 264, each attached to an opposite side of the plate 252. The other end 266 of the plate 252 defines an opening 268 that allows light to pass therethrough, as described below. In some variations, the motor 256 is a stepper motor. Alternatively, the motor 256 can take any other suitable form, and the motor 256 may be replaced with any other suitable source of rotary motion. As shown in Figures 5A-5D, the grating switch section 250 can be transitioned between a first state (Figures 5A-5B) and a second state (Figures 5C-5D) by actuating the motor 256 to rotate the shaft 254 and the plate 252 about the axis A, as described in more detail below. When the grating switch section 250 is in the first state, the grating switch section 250 and the phase mask assembly 230 can provide a first grating angle. When the grating switch section 250 is in the second state, the grating switch section 250 and the phase mask assembly 230 can provide a second grating angle.

[0137] As also shown in FIG. 3, the adjustable reflective element 270 of this embodiment includes a mirror coupled to an actuator 272 such that the actuator 272 is operable to drive the reflective element 270 along a linear path LP1. In this embodiment, the linear path LP1 is parallel to the axis A. In some variations, the actuator 272 includes a piezoelectric element. As another example, the actuator 272 may include a solenoid. In some other variations, the actuator 272 includes a stepper motor or other rotary drive source coupled to a mechanical assembly (e.g., a rack and pinion or a worm gear and a nut, etc.) operable to convert rotary motion into linear motion. As described in more detail below, when the actuator 272 changes the position of the reflective element 270 along the linear path LP1, the actuator 272 and the reflective element 270 are operable together to provide a phase modulation to the light transmitted through the optical assembly 200. In other words, the actuator 272 and the reflective element 270 together can provide a phase adjustment assembly.

[0138] By way of example, the actuator 272 may be operable to drive the reflective element 270 over a range of motion of approximately 5 μm during actuation of the actuator 272, which may result in a movement of the fringes of approximately 240 degrees, as described in more detail below. Alternatively, the actuator 272 may be operable to drive the reflective element 270 over a range of motion ranging from approximately 2 μm to approximately 10 μm during actuation of the actuator 272. As described in more detail below, the actuator 272 may be actuated to stop movement of the reflective element at two, three, or more different positions over the range of motion along a linear path.

[0139] The projection lens assembly 280 may include one or more lens elements (e.g., a tube lens) and various other components, as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. Light passing through the projection lens assembly 280 may ultimately reach the sample container 110 (e.g., a flow cell, etc.). In some cases, this may cause biological material in the sample container 110 to fluoresce, and such fluorescence is captured by an image sensor (e.g., an image sensor of the camera system 140) to enable analysis of the biological material. The projection lens assembly 280 of this example is coupled to an actuator 282 operable to drive at least a portion of the projection lens assembly 280 along a linear path LP2. In some variations, the actuator 282 includes a piezoelectric element. As another example, the actuator 282 may include a solenoid. In some other variations, the actuator 282 includes a stepper motor or other rotary drive source coupled to a mechanical assembly (e.g., a rack and pinion or a worm gear and a nut, etc.) operable to convert rotary motion to linear motion. As described in more detail below, the actuator 282 changes the position of at least a portion of the projection lens assembly 280 along linear path LP2, such that the actuator 282 and the projection lens assembly 280 are operable together to adjust the SIM grating focal plane.

[0140] As mentioned above, the system 100 of this embodiment includes a controller 195. The controller 195 can be used to control the operation of the optical assembly 200 and other mechanisms of the system 100, such as synchronizing the various components of the optical assembly 200 and the system 100. The controller 195 can be implemented to control aspects of the system operation, such as, for example, the operation of the motor 256, the operation of the actuator 272, the movement of one or more elements of the projection lens assembly 280 via the actuator 282, the operation of the focus component 175, the operation of the camera system 140, and other imaging operations. The controller can also be implemented to control hardware elements of the system 100 to correct for changes in structured illumination parameters over time. For example, the controller may be configured to send control signals to devices (e.g., the motor 256, the actuator 272, etc.) to correct or compensate for changes in the phase, frequency, and / or orientation of the structured illumination over time. In an embodiment, these signals can be sent according to the structured illumination parameters predicted using the SIM imaging components. In some embodiments, the controller may include a memory for storing predicted and estimated structured illumination parameters corresponding to various times and / or sample positions.

[0141] 5A-5D show the optical assembly 200 in various stages of operation. In the stage shown in FIG. 5A, the light emitting assembly 210 emits light towards the reflective element 220, which reflects the light towards the phase mask assembly 230 and the grating switch 250. At this stage, the grating switch 250 is in a first state such that the light reflected from the reflective element 220 is further reflected by the mirror 262. The light reflected by the mirror 262 passes through the glass element 242 and reaches the reflector 244, which reflects the light towards the phase mask 246. As the light passes through the phase mask 246, the phase mask 246 provides a patterned form to the light. This patterned or structured light then passes through the opening 268 in the plate 252 and reaches the reflective element 270, which then reflects the structured light towards the projection lens assembly 280. After passing through the projection lens assembly 280, the structured light reaches an object targeted for imaging (e.g., sample container 110), and the camera system 140 captures a first image of the targeted object.

[0142] After a first image is acquired in the configuration of the optical system 200 shown in FIG. 5A, the actuator 272 is actuated to drive the reflective element 270 from a first position on the linear path LP1 to a second position on the linear path LP1, so that the optical system 200 is then in the configuration shown in FIG. 5B. At the stage shown in FIG. 5B, the light emitting assembly 210 emits light toward the reflective element 220, which reflects the light toward the phase mask assembly 230 and the grating switch 250. At this stage, the grating switch 250 is in a first state such that the light reflected from the reflective element 220 is further reflected by the mirror 262. The light reflected by the mirror 262 passes through the glass element 242 and reaches the reflector 244, which reflects the light toward the phase mask 246. As the light passes through the phase mask 246, the phase mask 246 provides a patterned form to the light. This patterned or structured light then passes through opening 268 in plate 252 and hits reflective element 270, which then reflects the structured light towards projection lens assembly 280. After passing through projection lens assembly 280, the structured light hits an object targeted for imaging (e.g., sample container 110), and camera system 140 captures another image of the targeted object.

[0143] The only difference between the stage shown in Figure 5A and the stage shown in Figure 5B is that the reflective element 270 is in a second state (i.e., a second position along the linear path LP1). Thus, because the reflective element 270 is in a different position during this stage of operation, an image captured with the optical assembly 200 in the configuration shown in Figure 5B will have a different phase than an image captured with the optical assembly 200 in the configuration shown in Figure 5A.

[0144] In some variations of the process described herein, the actuator 272 is actuated to drive the reflective element 270 to a third position along the linear path LP1 while the grating switch 250 is in the first state, followed by the steps shown in FIG. 5C and described below. In such a variation of the process, the camera system 140 can capture three images while the grating switch 250 is in the first state, each of which represents a different phase based on the respective position of the reflective element 270 along the linear path LP1. Of course, the actuator 272 may also be actuated to drive the reflective element 270 to a fourth position, a fifth position, etc., such that any desired number of phases may be used during capture of an image while the grating switch 250 is in the first state.

[0145] After a desired number of images have been acquired with the grating switcher 250 in the first state shown in FIGS. 5A-5B, the motor 256 is actuated to rotate the shaft 254 about axis A, thereby rotating the plate 252 about axis A, to transition the grating switcher 250 to the second state shown in FIGS. 5C-5D. At the stage shown in FIG. 5C, the actuator 272 has also been actuated to return the reflective element 270 from the second state (i.e., the second position on the linear path LP1) back to the first state (i.e., the first position on the linear path LP1). In some other variations, the reflective element 270 remains in the second state immediately following the transition of the grating switcher 250 from the first state to the second state, and the reflective element 270 transitions to the first state after an image is captured while the reflective element 270 is in the second state and the grating switcher 250 is in the second state.

[0146] 5C, the light emitting assembly 210 emits light towards the reflective element 220, which reflects the light towards the phase mask assembly 230 and the grating switch 250. With the grating switch 250 now in a second state, the light reflected from the reflective element 220 passes through the aperture 268 and then through the glass element 232. After passing through the glass element 232, the light reaches the reflector 234, which reflects the light towards the phase mask 236. As the light passes through the phase mask 236, the phase mask 236 provides the light with a patterned form. This patterned or structured light is then reflected off the mirror 264. The mirror 264 reflects the structured light towards the reflective element 270, which then reflects the structured light towards the projection lens assembly 280. After passing through the projection lens assembly 280, the structured light reaches an object targeted for imaging (e.g., sample container 110), and the camera system 140 captures another image of the targeted object.

[0147] After acquiring an image in the configuration of the optical system 200 shown in FIG. 5C, the actuator 272 is actuated to drive the reflective element 270 from a first state (i.e., a first position on the linear path LP1) to a second state (i.e., a second position on the linear path LP1), after which the optical system 200 is in the configuration shown in FIG. 5D. At the stage shown in FIG. 5D, the light emitting assembly 210 emits light toward the reflective element 220, which reflects the light toward the phase mask assembly 230 and the grating switch 250. With the grating switch 250 now in the second state, the light reflected from the reflective element 220 passes through the aperture 268 and further passes through the glass element 232. The light passing through the glass element 232 reaches the reflector 234, which reflects the light toward the phase mask 236. As the light passes through the phase mask 236, the phase mask 236 provides a patterned form to the light. This patterned or structured light is then reflected from the mirror 264. Mirror 264 reflects the structured light towards reflective element 270, which then reflects the structured light towards projection lens assembly 280. After passing through projection lens assembly 280, the structured light reaches an object targeted for imaging (e.g., sample container 110), and camera system 140 captures another image of the targeted object.

[0148] The only difference between the stage shown in Figure 5C and the stage shown in Figure 5D is that the reflective element 270 is in a second state (i.e., a second position along the linear path LP1). Thus, because the reflective element 270 is in a different position during this stage of operation, an image captured with the optical assembly 200 in the configuration shown in Figure 5D will have a different phase than an image captured with the optical assembly 200 in the configuration shown in Figure 5C.

[0149] In some variations of the process described herein, the actuator 272 is actuated to drive the reflective element 270 to a third position along the linear path LP1 while the grating switch 250 is in the second state, after which the process of capturing an image is completed. In such variations of the process, the camera system 140 may capture three images while the grating switch 250 is in the second state, each of which represents a different phase based on the respective position of the reflective element 270 along the linear path LP1. Of course, the actuator 272 may also be actuated to drive the reflective element 270 to a fourth position, a fifth position, etc., such that any desired number of phases may be used during capturing an image while the grating switch 250 is in the second state.

[0150] As discussed above, the image capture process may be performed via two or more separate channels (e.g., a blue channel and a green channel). In other words, the process described above with reference to FIGS. 5A-5D may be performed by two or more separate channels. The light emitting assembly 210 may be operable to provide both channels, or each channel may have its own light emitting assembly 210. In some variations, the two separate channels are simultaneously activated via the optical assembly 200. In some other variations, the first channel is activated during the stage shown in FIG. 5A, then the second channel is activated during the stage shown in FIG. 5A, then the first channel is activated during the stage shown in FIG. 5B, then the second channel is activated during the stage shown in FIG. 5B, and so on, until the second channel is activated during the stage shown in FIG. 5D. As yet another example, each channel may have its own dedicated optical assembly 200. In some such variations, additional optical components may be utilized to enable the projection lens assembly 280 of each optical assembly 200 to project light from each channel onto the same target (e.g., sample container 110). Other suitable ways in which one or more optical assemblies 200 may enable the use of two or more channels will be apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. It should also be understood that other components in the system 100 (e.g., filter switching assembly 165) may further enable the use of two or more channels. In variations in which one channel is blue and another channel is green, the blue channel may operate with light having a wavelength in the range of approximately 450 nm to approximately 500 nm, and the green channel may operate with light having a wavelength in the range of approximately 500 nm to approximately 570 nm.

[0151] Also as described above, material imaged using the optical assembly 200 in the system 100 may include one or more biological samples (e.g., nucleotides, etc.) in nanowells on a flow cell, and some forms of sample containers 110 may include a flow cell. Such nanowells may be arranged in a regular repeating pattern. For a rectangular pattern, two structured illumination angles may be used substantially along two diagonals connecting opposite corners of the rectangles in the pattern, such that the intensity peaks of the structured illumination are oriented substantially perpendicular to the two diagonals. Alternatively, the structured illumination angles may be oriented along the same direction as the rectangular nanowell pattern direction (i.e., not along opposite corners of the rectangle).

[0152] For a repeating hexagonal pattern of nanowells having three diagonals connecting opposing corners of the hexagons in the pattern, three angles of structured illumination can be used with intensity peaks oriented substantially perpendicular to the three diagonals. Alternatively, a two angle illumination pattern can be used with a flow cell having a hexagonal pattern of nanowells, thereby making it unnecessary to use three angles of structured illumination with a hexagonal pattern of nanowells in all cases. Furthermore, the angles of structured illumination can be oriented along the same direction as the pattern direction of the hexagonal nanowells (i.e., not along opposing corners of the hexagons).

[0153] Regardless of the type of nanowell pattern, adjacent nanowells may be positioned closer together than the Abbe diffraction limit of the associated optical system, or the samples may be randomly distributed over the imaging surface without nanowells, or the samples may be regularly arranged over the imaging surface on some structure other than the nanowells.

[0154] IV. Examples of Image Processing Algorithms

[0155] A. Overview of SIM image processing method

[0156] An image captured by an optical sensor or an image sensor (e.g., as incorporated in camera system 140) may be referred to as a tile. Image processing algorithms, such as those described below, may subdivide the captured image tile into subtiles. Each subtile may be evaluated independently. Near-center subtiles may be processed differently than the other subtiles. A flow cell imaging cycle may image many image tiles with some overlap. The subtiles may be reconstructed in parallel or independently of each other. Reconstructions from improved subtiles may be stitched together to generate a reconstruction tile with improved spatial resolution. In some cases, the image tile is subdivided into subtiles such that peak lines are approximately evenly spaced within the subtile, resulting in better image quality from the reconstructed subtiles across the field of view of the lens.

[0157] In some cases, at least three parameters are mapped for each subtile. Such parameters may include illumination peak angle, illumination peak spacing, and phase displacement. The illumination peak angle may also be referred to as the grating angle. The illumination peak spacing may also be referred to as the grating spacing. In other words, the illumination peak spacing defines the periodicity of the grating (e.g., the spacing between the parallel lines defined by the phase masks 236, 246). The phase displacement or phase is the shift of the structured illumination pattern or grating as projected onto the sample plane (e.g., based on the position of the reflective element 270 along the linear path LP1 as driven by the actuator 272). In other words, the phase may be defined as the distance from a common reference point to the beginning of the repeating illumination pattern in a direction orthogonal to the grating. The phase may be expressed in radians or degrees and may be considered as a fraction of the period of the repeating pattern. The phase displacement may also be referred to as the grating phase. The angle and spacing may be mapped using a quadric surface distortion model.

[0158] The following describes examples of techniques that may be used to estimate parameters of SIM image reconstruction. Some of the disclosed techniques correct for distorted or curved fringe peak lines due to lens imperfections. Pattern lines that are assumed to be parallel tend to start near the center of the image but converge or become non-parallel near the edge of the lens. This affects the illumination peak angle or orientation, illumination peak spacing, and phase offset. FIG. 8A shows the division of an image tile into overlapping regions called subtiles or subwindows or subfields. The subtiles are small enough that parameters can be set that result in sufficient reconstruction of the entire subtile. In some variations, each subtile contains 512×512 pixels of optical sensors. Larger or smaller numbers may be used, including but not limited to 256, 400, 1024, 2048, and 4096 or a range of 256-4096 pixels. Subtiles may overlap by at least 2 pixels of optical sensors. Larger or smaller numbers may be used. For example, for a window that is 512 pixels wide, a maximum overlap of 256 pixels may be used, and for a window that is 1024 pixels wide, a maximum overlap of 512 may be used.

[0159] Parameter estimation may be performed in two steps: first, parameter estimation may be performed for a substantially central subtile of the image, then parameter estimation may be performed for other subtiles and compared to the substantially central subtile to determine distortion and correction for distortion for the parameters of the substantially central subtile.

[0160] 6A-6C show the physical aspects of the full field of view (FOV). In one embodiment, a rectangular sensor is used that is 5472 pixels by 3694 pixels. Of course, square sensors or sensors of different sizes may be used, e.g., 5472 x 5472 pixels or 4800 x 4800 pixels. When a rectangular sensor is used, distortion is greatest closest to the edge of the lens. Because lenses are often circular, a rectangular sensor is not as close to the edge of the lens on its long side as it is on its short side.

[0161] FIG. 6A shows two diagrams illustrating distortion of fringe spacing across the entire field of view (FOV). The diagram on the left 300 is a simplified diagram 300 of parallel lines bending due to distortion of a magnifying lens. The illustrated lines are intended to be parallel in the image plane. When viewed through the lens, the lines appear to converge at the left and right ends relative to the center spacing. The diagram on the right 302 is another exaggerated example. In this diagram, the fringe lines are oriented diagonally between the upper left and lower right corners. The fringe spacing has been exaggerated so that it can be seen more easily. The fringe lines converge at the upper left and lower right corners relative to the center. In a particular manufacturer's lens, the fringe pattern may be non-uniform.

[0162] Figures 6B and 6C show measurements of the spacing in the image between the peaks of nominally parallel fringes in the image plane for green and blue laser illumination. The color scale shows a variation in spacing from 2.8 to 2.22. In both figures, the color scale shows that the center-to-center spacing between parallel lines is approximately 2.14. Irregularities under green wavelength illumination are seen in the upper right corner of Figure 6B. Larger irregularities under blue wavelength illumination are seen along the right and left edges in Figure 6C. In these figures, the fringe pattern was a series of parallel lines at a 45° angle from the bottom left to the top right of the figure. Thus, the spacing is measured in the direction of the arrows in Figure 8C. These figures motivate the correction of distortions caused by lenses. Because the lenses are manufactured and mounted individually, calibration and correction of the individual systems after assembly is desired.

[0163] FIG. 6D illustrates subtiles or subfields of the full field of view (FOV) within an image tile. In this figure, the subtiles illustrated are 512 pixels by 512 pixels. These subtiles may subdivide the illustrated field of view or may overlap. The subtiles may be larger or smaller. For example, subtiles of 400×400 pixels and 1024×1024 pixels are shown to be useful. The figure illustrates 5×7 subtiles. The larger sensor may have 8×11 subtiles. Other configurations of subtiles such as 3×3, 5×5, 5×7, 9×9, 9×16, etc. may be used. Larger sensors may be divided into more subtiles. The subtiles may overlap by at least 2 pixels of the optical sensor. More and less pixels may be used for the overlap between subtiles. For example, for 512 pixel wide subtiles, a maximum overlap of 256 pixels may be used, and for 1024 pixel wide subtiles, a maximum overlap of 256 pixels may be used. Consistent with Figures 6B and 6C, there are several candidate near-center subtiles 304, all of which are in the center of the lens, including the center subtile in the odd-by-odd subtile array. As used herein, a near-center subtile either includes the center pixel of the sensor or is adjacent to the subtile that includes the center pixel. In some optical systems that are flat and have small errors, subtiles from tiles that are adjacent to the center subtile can also be used as a reference without affecting the overall distortion compensation.

[0164] The disclosed technique involves the distortion of the mapping measured across substantially the entire field of view captured by the image sensor. Three parameters on which improved resolution SIM reconstruction from regular structured illumination depends include fringe spacing, fringe angle, and phase displacement of the fringe pattern. These variables are also referred to as the spacing, angle, and phase offset of the structured illumination or grid pattern. The spacing and angular displacement from the central tile value may be fitted across the entire field of view using polynomial surfaces. Both quadratic and cubic surfaces have been investigated. Higher order polynomials may also be used.

[0165] Both the fringe spacing and the fringe angle across the image tile may be fitted by a quadratic surface. Sensitivity analysis shows that the quadratic surface fits approximately as well as a cubic surface. The quadratic surface is fitted to the following equation (II): f(x,y)=c0+(cl * x)+(c2 * y)+(c3 * x * y)+(c4 * x 2 )+(c5 * y 2 ) (II)

[0166] One implementation of phase estimation uses a technique proposed by Wicker et al. in their paper entitled "Phase Optimisation for Structured Illumination Microscopy" (2013), section 3. The formulas of Lal et al., entitled "Structured Illumination Microscopy Image Reconstruction Algorithm" (2015) and Wicker et al., 2013 help explain Wicker's phase estimation.

[0167] The following equation (III), taken from Lal et al. in 2015, describes three bands of frequency components:

number

number

number

number

number

[0168] This formula, which has three components, is obtained from the Fourier transform for sine or cosine illumination. Different illumination functions can change the formula.

[0169] Therefore, precise knowledge of the illumination sinusoidal intensity pattern phase may be important. Since it is not always possible to precisely control these phases in an experimental setup, it may be desirable to determine the phase of the illumination pattern from the acquired image data. Wicker et al. (2013) present a phase estimation technique for SIM data acquired using coherent sinusoidal illumination at a selected frequency. Coherent illumination produces good pattern contrast from fine gratings with very small illumination peak spacing "s", thereby improving the reconstructed resolution. The peak frequency of the illumination pattern is used to obtain the phase of the illumination pattern for the nth image. The peak frequency of the illumination pattern is also referred to as the Fourier peak.

[0170] Equation (IV) by Wicker et al. (2013) expresses the frequency in the frequency domain as

number

number

number

number

number

[0171] Note that "c" in equation (IV) is called the contrast of the illumination pattern. In the absence of noise, "c" is the same as the modulation coefficient "m" of the mixing matrix M in equation (2). φ n To determine the frequency in formula (IV),

number

number

number

[0172] Equation (V) is the pattern phase φ n But the frequency

number

number

number

[0173] For any real-valued sample, the center frequency

number

number

number

[0174] Third, the pattern frequency

number

number

number

number

[0175] The OTF of an optical system can be determined experimentally. For example, Lal et al. (2015) calculate the OTF by acquiring several images of a sample with sparsely distributed 100 nm fluorescent microspheres. The intensity distributions corresponding to over 100 microspheres were then superimposed and averaged to obtain an approximation of the PSF of the system. The Fourier transform of this PSF estimates the OTF of the system. With this background, phase estimation techniques can be applied to the subtiles.

[0176] It may be useful to estimate the phase displacement of the tile relative to the full field of view (FOV), so that measurements of phase within one subtile can be extrapolated to other subtiles across the tile. The illumination peak angle and illumination peak spacing of the full FOV can be estimated from the illumination peak angle and illumination peak spacing of the subtile using the quadratic curve model presented above. The phase displacement may be more irregular because it depends on the pixel shape of the subtile, which may produce an irregular step function instead of a smooth function. The phase estimate can be expressed using a common reference frame across the subtiles of the full FOV image. The coordinate space of the subtile can be mapped to the full FOV coordinate space.

[0177] B. Example of quality control method for SIM system

[0178] Various structural and operational parameters in the SIM optical system may adversely affect the quality of the SIM reconstructed super-resolution image. For example, in any optical system including lenses (e.g., in the lens assembly 280 described above, as well as some other lenses incorporated in the camera system 140), at least one lens may include one or more structural aberrations that may generate distortions in the image captured by the camera system 140. As another example, positioning components in the optical assembly 200 or elsewhere in the optical path of the system 100 may deviate from the default designation, and such deviations may generate distortions in the image captured by the camera system 140. The calculations used in the SIM reconstruction may indicate the sensitivity to distortions of source images captured using a lens with aberrations, or using the optical assembly 200 with other aberrations. Using a large portion of the lens instead of the central core to increase the field of view can improve the sensitivity of the SIM image reconstruction to distortions caused by aberrations in the lens. Thus, the examples described below provide a solution to the image distortion problems identified above by providing systems and methods for detecting the above-mentioned aberrations (and other aberrations) and making adjustments as necessary to account for such aberrations (if possible). In other words, the following describes examples of how to perform quality control checks or verification of structural and operational parameters within a SIM optical system to determine whether they are within predefined specifications. Thus, the quality control and verification teachings provided below can provide advantages in overcoming known challenges presented by aberrations in lenses or other components of an optical assembly.

[0179] The quality control check process may include a comparison between two focal planes, one being the optical focal plane and the other being the SIM grating focal plane. The optical focal plane may be established by observing the position of the objective lens 142 at which the biological sample in the sample container 110 is most focused. In this example, the optical focal plane may be adjusted by moving the objective lens 142 of the system 100 along the z-axis toward and away from the sample container 110. The SIM grating focal plane may be adjusted by moving the projection lens assembly 280 along the linear path LP2 by actuating the actuator 282. The SIM grating focal plane may be established by observing the position of the projection lens assembly 280 at which the best quality fringes or maximum interference can be observed from the structured light pattern provided by the phase masks 236, 246. An ideal SIM assembly configuration may provide a SIM grating focal plane as close to the optical focal plane as possible (e.g., a SIM grating focal plane within approximately 10 nm of the optical focal plane). This difference between the SIM grating focal plane and the optical focal plane can be considered "confocal."

[0180] The following description refers to the processing of the SIM stack in the processing method. In this embodiment, each SIM stack includes 12 images, i.e., 6 images from two channels. For each channel, the set of 6 images includes three images taken with the reflecting element 270 positioned at three different positions along the linear path LP1 while the grating switcher 250 is in a first state (e.g., as shown in Figs. 5A and 5B), and another three images taken with the reflecting element 270 positioned at the same three different positions along the linear path LP1 while the grating switcher 250 is in a second state (e.g., as shown in Figs. 5C and 5D). Thus, the set of 6 images for each channel in the SIM stack represents three different phases for each of the two different grating angles or illumination peak angles. Alternatively, any other suitable number of images may be used to form each SIM stack, and such images may differ from each other based on parameters other than those identified above. Each SIM stack may be collected at a different z position, meaning that each SIM stack may be collected with the objective lens 142 positioned at a different distance from the sample container 110. By way of example only, the SIM stacks may be collected at about 20 different z positions to about 40 different z positions. The different z positions may be spaced apart at any suitable interval, such as an interval of about 0.1 μm to about 1.0 μm, or about 0.2 μm to about 0.8 μm, or about 0.5 μm.

[0181] The process may begin by collecting a SIM stack for each Z position, as shown in block 400 of FIG. 7. As described above, each SIM stack may include 12 images. Next, each SIM stack may be read to measure the full width at half maximum (FWHM) for each image in the stack, as shown in block 402 of FIG. 7. The FWHM may be measured on a central estimation window for each channel and each grating angle (the grating angle is based on the state of the grating switcher 250 at the time the image in the SIM stack was captured). To provide the central estimation window, the image may be cropped to a central region to exclude outer edge and corner regions where relatively high distortion may occur. The measurement of the FWHM value on the central estimation window for each channel and each grating angle may be performed using the raw and unreconstructed phase 0 of each angle. Measuring only one phase for each channel-angle pair may save computational costs and provide sufficient results.

[0182] After the FWHM for each SIM stack is measured, the process will determine whether additional SIM stacks need to be processed, as shown in block 404 of FIG. 7, where it is understood that each SIM stack corresponds to a unique corresponding z position. If more SIM stacks need to be processed, the process will continue to measure the FWHM of the more SIM stacks until the FWHM has been measured for all SIM stacks. Once the FWHM has been measured for all SIM stacks (i.e., all z positions in the first pass), the process will identify the SIM stack with the most in-focus z position, as shown in block 406 of FIG. 7. The process will then measure the grid spacing, angle, and phase of the image in the SIM stack with the most in-focus z position, as shown in block 408 of FIG. 7.

[0183] After measuring the grating spacing, angle, and phase of the image in the SIM stack with the most in-focus z-position, the process then proceeds to measure the modulation and phase for each channel-angle pair in all SIM stacks (i.e., at all z-positions during the second pass), as shown in blocks 410 and 412 of FIG. 7. The fringe modulation is a quantitative measure of the fringe interference pattern intensity (value between 0 and 1, with 1 being the theoretical maximum assuming perfect interference and zero transmission loss). Calculating the exact modulation value is expected upon accurate estimation of the orientation and periodicity of the fringe pattern. As z-positions that are further away from the best focal plane of the grating are processed, the modulation value is expected to drop closer to 0.

[0184] Once the modulation and phase for each channel-angle pair have been measured for all SIM stacks (i.e., all z positions), the process will tabulate all the FWHM, grating spacing, angle, phase, and modulation for each SIM stack (i.e., for each z position), as shown in block 414 of Figure 7. After this tabulation is completed, for each channel-angle pair, the process will fit a polynomial model or curve to the z position vs. FWHM and z position vs. modulation, as shown in block 416 of Figure 7.

[0185] After fitting the polynomial model or curve for each channel-angle pair, the process can calculate a confocal metric for each channel-angle pair, as shown in block 418 of Figure 7. The confocal value can be calculated as follows: Confocal = z position of minimum FWHM - z position of maximum modulation. As mentioned above, it may be desirable for the SIM grating focal plane to have a confocal value as close as possible to the optical focal plane (eg, the SIM grating focal plane within approximately 10 nm of the optical focal plane).

[0186] In some embodiments, the process may generate a table or other report. The table or other report may provide at hand various parameters corresponding to the imaging system based on the process described above. By way of example only, in variations in which the report includes a table, the columns of the table may include z-height (i.e., the distance between the objective lens 142 and the sample container 110), channel, angular index, modulation, FWHM, grating spacing, grating angle, and any other suitable parameters. The parameters in the table may be compared to predefined specifications to provide a quality control check.

[0187] If any of the parameters in the table or other report deviate from the specification beyond an acceptable amount, adjustments to the optical assembly 200 or other components of the system 100 can be made to attempt to bring those deviating parameters within specification. For example, some variations of the optical assembly 200 may allow adjustments to fix the phase shift or modulation. As an example, if the confocal values ​​deviate from the specification beyond an acceptable amount, the adjustments may include moving the projection lens assembly 280, moving the camera system 140, moving the electro-optic modulator, or moving some other component. As a further example, if the phase values ​​deviate from the specification beyond an acceptable amount, the adjustments may include calibrating the voltage used to drive the actuator 272 to achieve the correct amount of fringe translation at the sample for all optical configurations. As a further example, if quality control checks reveal tilt or chromatic aberrations, the component camera system 140 may be adjusted to be movable, but such movement may affect the confocal. Other suitable types of adjustments can be provided, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein.

[0188] The quality control check process described above may be performed again to verify whether the adjustments have indeed brought the deviating parameters within specification. If an adjustment cannot be made that brings the deviating parameters within specification, then the components of optical assembly 200 or other components of system 100 involved in the deviating parameters may be replaced. If such components are not replaced, it may be desirable to reject optical assembly 200 or system 100 altogether.

[0189] C. Phase Calibration Method Examples

[0190] As described above, the optical system 200 may provide a phase shift through actuation of the actuator 272, which may change the phase of the optical system 200 by changing the position of the reflective element 270 along the linear path LP1. Also as described above, the actuator 272 may comprise a piezoelectric moving element or any other suitable component. In variations in which the actuator 272 includes a piezoelectric moving element, the position of the reflective element 270 along the linear path LP1 may change based on a voltage applied to the piezoelectric moving element. Thus, different phases may be associated with different corresponding voltages provided to the actuator 272. The voltage-movement calibration curves of the actuator 272 and the reflective element 270 may directly affect the accuracy of the phase shift. This may affect the quality of the SIM reconstruction provided by the system 100 incorporating the actuator 272 and the reflective element 270. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide a method for calibrating the voltage of the actuator 272 to achieve an accurate phase shift. An example of such a method is described in detail below with reference to FIG. 8. In some cases, this process may be performed before the optical assembly 100 is used for the first time. Additionally, or alternatively, this process may be performed if data obtained using the process described above with reference to FIG. 7 reveals data that indicates that the phase shift of the optical assembly 100 is inaccurate.

[0191] In this embodiment, the method of calibrating the voltage of the actuator 272 is performed using a unit of work defined by a 12-image SIM stack, such as the 12-image SIM stack described above. As described above, the 12-image SIM stack may include six images from each channel. For each channel, the set of six images includes three images taken with the reflective element 270 positioned at three different positions along the linear path LP1 while the grating switch 250 is in a first state (e.g., as shown in Figures 5A and 5B), and three other images taken with the reflective element 270 positioned at the same three different positions along the linear path LP1 while the grating switch 250 is in a second state (e.g., as shown in Figures 5C and 5D). In other words, each set of six images for each channel will have three associated phases (e.g., phase 0, phase 1, and phase 2) for each state of the grating switch 270. In other words, each channel-angle pair may have three images at three corresponding phases. Of course, this process may alternatively be applied to any other combination of channel, angle, and phase pairings.

[0192] As shown in block 500 of FIG. 8, the phase calibration process may begin by selecting the most focused image in the SIM stack using an estimated window size N, phase stepping targets for the first and second phase steps (e.g., 120 degrees and 240 degrees, respectively), and a phase shift target of less than 10 degrees.

[0193] Next, the process may include cropping the central window of the image field of view to a predetermined size (e.g., 1024×1024 pixels), as shown in block 502 of Figure 8. Using this cropped image, the process may perform SIM parameter estimation to identify the grid spacing, grid angle, and modulation for each channel and each angle, as shown in block 504 of Figure 8. This SIM parameter estimation may be performed according to the teachings provided above for the process shown in Figure 7.

[0194] Once the SIM parameter estimation is complete, the process may perform a Wicker phase refinement procedure for each channel-angle pair to estimate the phase of each image, as shown in block 506 of Figure 8. The Wicker phase estimation process may be performed according to the teachings above.

[0195] The process may also collect three phase values ​​from each of the three phase images from each channel-angle pair, as shown in block 508 of Figure 8. The process may then unwrap the phase for each channel-angle pair, so that the phase values ​​increase monotonically in steps, as shown in block 510 of Figure 8. This phase unwrapping may include adding 360 degrees to each successive channel-angle pair.

[0196] Next, the process may calculate, for each channel-angle pair, the phase shift between the first image and the second image as phase_shift_12=unwrapped phase 2-unwrapped phase 1, as shown in block 512 of Figure 8. Similarly, the process may then calculate, for each channel-angle pair, the phase shift between the first image and the third image as phase_shift_13=unwrapped phase 3-unwrapped phase 1.

[0197] The process may then step through the SIM stack to determine all phase_shift_12 values ​​and all phase_shift_13 values, as shown in block 514 of Figure 8. If all phase_shift_12 values ​​and all phase_shift_13 values ​​are within a predetermined range (e.g., within 10 degrees of the target phase shift step), the process may be considered complete with the voltages properly calibrated, as shown in block 522 of Figure 8.

[0198] If evaluation of all phase_shift_12 and all phase_shift_13 values ​​across the SIM stack reveals that all phase_shift_12 and all phase_shift_13 values ​​are not within the predetermined range, the process may proceed to calculate the proportional gains required to achieve the desired set point goal for each channel-angle pair, as shown in block 516 of FIG. 8. Thus, the process may calculate the gain for the phase shift between the first and second images as gain12=120 / (phase_shift_12), where the phase_shift_12 value is in degrees. Thus, the process may calculate the gain for the phase shift between the first and third images as gain13=240 / (phase_shift_13), where the phase_shift_13 value is in degrees. These proportional gain calculations may be performed for all channel-angle pairs.

[0199] After the proportional gain calculations are completed, the process may establish a new voltage for the actuator 272 by applying the calculated gain to the current voltage value, as shown in block 518 of FIG. 8. For the first phase (e.g., “Phase 0”), the voltage may remain unchanged. For the second phase (e.g., “Phase 1”), the new voltage may be the original voltage for the second phase (Phase 1) multiplied by the gain12 value calculated above. For the third phase (e.g., “Phase 2”), the new voltage may be the original voltage for the third phase (Phase 2) multiplied by the gain13 value calculated above. These new voltage calculations may be performed for all channel-angle pairs.

[0200] Once new voltages have been established for all channel-angle pairs, the new voltages may be applied to the actuator 272 as a new SIM image stack is captured, as shown in block 520 of FIG. 8. The above process may then be repeated as shown in FIG. 8 to determine whether the new voltages have caused all phase_shift_12 values ​​and all phase_shift_13 values ​​to be within the predefined range. If the new voltages have, in fact, caused all phase_shift_12 values ​​and all phase_shift_13 values ​​to be within the predefined range, the process may be complete. If the new voltages have not caused all phase_shift_12 values ​​and all phase_shift_13 values ​​to be within the predefined range, the process may be re-iterated as many times as necessary until the voltages have caused all phase_shift_12 values ​​and all phase_shift_13 values ​​to be within the predefined range.

[0201] D. Examples of Alternative Target Devices

[0202] As mentioned above, the system 100 may provide the sample container 110 as an imaging target. In some other examples, it may be desirable to provide a target device in place of the sample container 100, the target device being dedicated for calibration and quality control check purposes. Such a dedicated target device may be sized and configured to fit within the system 100 in place of the sample container 110, such that the dedicated target device may have a similar thickness and imaging surface as that provided by the sample container. The dedicated target device may further include one or more optical patterns on the image target surface. In the case of SIM systems, special care may need to be taken as to how those optical patterns are defined. Optical patterns that may be suitable for a dedicated target device when used in a non-SIM system may not be suitable for use in a SIM system. For example, an optical pattern using an array of straight lines that are parallel to each other and consistently spaced from each other, an array of dots aligned in a perfect grid, or any other pattern with regular repeating elements may not provide the desired moiré aliasing effect in a SIM system. In other words, with such patterns, the frequency peaks of the structured illuminated interference fringes may not be distinguishable from the artifact frequency peaks of the target pattern.

[0203] In view of the above, in target devices dedicated for use with SIM systems, it may be desirable to provide randomization in the optical pattern. This may include a pattern of dots, lines, or other features arranged in a random irregular manner. In some examples, the optical pattern may be pseudo-randomized. Examples of such pseudo-randomization are shown in Figures 9A and 9B. In Figure 9A, a set of dots are shown in a regular arrangement such that the dots are equidistantly spaced from each other. This configuration in Figure 9A may be suitable for use in target devices for non-SIM systems, but is not suitable for use in target devices for SIM systems. To provide pseudo-randomization, the target design may start with a neat array of dots and then randomly move each dot to arrive at a pattern as shown in Figure 9B. A pseudo-randomized pattern of dots as shown in Figure 9B may make the configuration suitable for use in target devices for SIM systems.

[0204] In the embodiment described above with reference to Figures 9A and 9B, the pattern of Figure 9B is "pseudo-randomized" rather than "randomized" since the pattern is initially provided in a regular arrangement. This "pseudo-randomization" may be preferred over "pure randomization" because the randomization process (i.e., converting the pattern of Figure 9A to the pattern shown in Figure 9B) may provide a predetermined minimum amount of spacing between dots in the "pseudo-randomized" pattern. In other words, the pseudo-randomization process may ensure that the dots in the pattern are at least a certain distance apart from each other. This may be important in SIM imaging, since if the dots in the target optical pattern are too close to each other, the SIM imaging results may be unacceptable or otherwise less than ideal. Alternatively, apart from providing a minimum dot spacing rule, pseudo-randomization may make the relocation of dots from the regular array of Figure 9A purely random.

[0205] A dedicated target device for calibration and quality control checks in a SIM system may include other optical features in addition to or instead of including the dot patterns described above. For example, the target device may include a patterned line array. Such a line array may include line pairs. Each line pair may be tilted at the required / expected angle of the structured illumination. Thus, when the patterned light is shifted in phase with and out of phase with the line pairs, the difference in intensity obtained (as a result of the extent of constructive / in-phase and destructive / anti-phase interference) may allow a measurement of the parallelism between the two patterns. As shown in FIG. 10, when the structured illumination (b / d) is shifted in phase (b) and out of phase (d) with the line pair (a), this results in a measurement of a stronger intensity (c) or a weaker intensity (e) due to constructive and destructive interference, respectively. If the printed line pairs and the two patterns of structured illumination are perfectly parallel / on-angle, the resulting intensity profile can be expected to result in uniformly slanted lines as shown in Figure 11 A. However, if the structured illumination pattern is off-angle, the resulting intensity signature can reveal periodic dark areas as shown in Figure 11 B, depending on the degree of off-axis angle.

[0206] It may also be desirable for the dedicated target device to include a fluidic channel containing a fluid that fluoresces in response to light from the optical system 200. To the extent that the sample container 110 may also accommodate fluidic channels (e.g., as part of a flow cell), some of such fluidic channels may be relatively thick. Relatively thick fluidic channels may contribute less to SIM imaging because less modulation of the reimaged fringes may be measured.

[0207] FIG. 12 shows various example modulation plots based on the depth of the fluidic channel. Plot 600 shows an input signal in the form of modulation versus phase. Plot 602 shows an example signal from a relatively thick fluidic channel (e.g., about 75 μm thick) that represents the modulation of the reimaged fringes. As shown, the reimaged modulation by the relatively thick fluidic channel is significantly smaller than the input modulation. Plot 604 shows an example signal from a relatively thin fluidic channel (e.g., about 3 μm thick) that represents the modulation of the reimaged fringes. As shown, the reimaged modulation by the relatively thin fluidic channel is substantially closer to the input modulation compared to the reimaged modulation by the relatively thick fluidic channel. By way of example only, the reimaged modulation by the relatively thick fluidic channel may be about 30% of the input modulation, and the reimaged modulation by the relatively thin channel may be about 70% of the input modulation. Plot 606 shows an example signal from an even thinner fluidic channel (e.g., arbitrarily thinner than 3 μm) that represents the modulation of the reimaged fringes.

[0208] As can be seen by comparing these plots 600, 602, 604, 606, the thinner the fluidic channel, the closer the reimaged modulation is to the input modulation. As the fluidic channel thickness approaches 0 μm, the closer the reimaged modulation is to the input modulation. This encourages designing the fluidic channel as thin as possible while still being manufacturable. However, making the fluidic channel too thin can adversely affect the photostability of the dyes in the fluidic channel. Thus, it may be desirable to strike an appropriate balance between the photostability of the dyes in the fluidic channel and the accuracy of the reimaged modulation. By way of example only, an appropriate balance may be a fluidic channel thickness of about 3 μm. Alternatively, an acceptable balance may be a fluidic channel thickness of about 2 μm to about 10 μm.

[0209] V.Other

[0210] The foregoing description is provided to enable one skilled in the art to practice the various configurations described herein. While the subject technology has been specifically described with reference to various figures and configurations, it should be understood that these are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the subject technology.

[0211] There may be many other ways to implement the subject technology. The various functions and elements described herein may be divided differently than shown without departing from the scope of the subject technology. Various modifications to these embodiments may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Thus, many changes and modifications may be made to the subject technology by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the subject technology. For example, a different number of given modules or units may be used, different or multiple types of given modules or units may be used, given modules or units may be added, or given modules or units may be omitted.

[0212] Some variations of the embodiments described herein may be implemented using a computer system that may include at least one processor that communicates with a number of peripheral devices via a bus subsystem. These peripheral devices may include, for example, storage subsystems such as memory devices and file storage subsystems, user interface input devices, user interface output devices, and a network interface subsystem. The input and output devices may enable user interaction with the computer system. The network interface subsystem may provide an interface to an external network, such as an interface to a corresponding interface device in another computer system. The user interface input devices may include pointing devices such as a keyboard, mouse, trackball, touchpad, or graphics tablet, scanners, touch screens integrated into displays, audio input devices such as voice recognition systems and microphones, as well as other types of input devices. In general, the use of the term "input device" is intended to include all possible types of devices and methods for inputting information into a computer system.

[0213] The user interface output devices may include a display subsystem, a printer, a fax machine, or a non-visual display such as an audio output device. The display subsystem may include a flat panel device such as a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a projection device, or some other mechanism for producing a visible image. The display subsystem may also provide non-visual displays such as an audio output device. In general, use of the term "output device" is intended to include all possible types of devices and methods for outputting information from the computer system to a user or to another machine or computer system.

[0214] The storage subsystem may store programming and data constructs that provide the functionality of some or all of the modules and methods described herein. These software modules may generally be executed by the processor of the computer system alone or in combination with other processors. The memory used in the storage subsystem may include multiple memories, such as a main random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM) with fixed instructions stored therein, for storing instructions and data during program execution. The file storage subsystem may provide persistent storage for program and data files, and may include a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive and associated removable media, a CD-ROM drive, an optical drive, or a removable media cartridge. Modules that implement the functionality of a particular embodiment may be stored by the file storage subsystem in the storage subsystem or in other machines accessible by the processor.

[0215] The computer system itself may be of various types, including a personal computer, a portable computer, a workstation, a computer terminal, a network computer, a television, a mainframe, a server farm, a widely distributed set of loosely networked computers, or any other data processing system or user device. Due to the ever-changing nature of computers and networks, the examples of computer systems described herein are intended only as specific examples for purposes of illustrating the disclosed technology. Many other configurations of computer systems are possible, having more or fewer components than the computer systems described herein.

[0216] As an article of manufacture rather than a method, program instructions executable by a processor may be stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium (CRM). When executed, the program instructions perform one or more of the computer-implemented methods described above. Alternatively, the program instructions may be stored on a non-transitory CRM and, when combined with appropriate hardware, may become one or more components of a computer-implemented system that performs the disclosed methods.

[0217] Underlined and / or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, are not limiting of the subject technology, and are not referred to in connection with interpreting the description of the subject technology. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or that later become known to those skilled in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the subject technology. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be publicly exclusive, regardless of whether such disclosure is expressly set forth in the description above.

[0218] It is understood that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in more detail below (provided that such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are considered to be part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are considered to be part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein.

Claims

1. receiving a plurality of image sets, each image set of the plurality of image sets including images captured using a structured illumination microscope (SIM) in an optical system at a distance from a subject, the distance being different from a distance from the subject at which an image in another image set of the plurality of image sets was captured, each image of the plurality of image sets having an associated color channel and an associated grating angle; Separating a first set of images from the plurality of image sets based at least in part on the distance corresponding to the first set of images; measuring a full width at half maximum (FWHM) value corresponding to a luminance distribution of each image of the first image set; identifying an image in the first image set having a minimum FWHM based at least in part on an average FWHM value across the images of the first image set; performing parameter estimation for a grid spacing or grid angle for an image having the identified minimum FWHM corresponding to the first set of images; identifying a best focusing parameter for a grid spacing or a grid angle based at least in part on the performed grid spacing or grid angle parameter estimation corresponding to the first set of images; storing the identified best focusing parameters for the grid spacing or grid angle based at least in part on the performed parameter estimation for the grid spacing or grid angle corresponding to the first set of images; performing a phase estimation for each image in the first set of images; performing a modulation calculation based at least in part on focusing parameters for the identified best grid spacing or grid angle corresponding to the first set of images; generating a report presenting parameter values ​​corresponding to the optical system selected from the group consisting of a distance between an objective lens and an object, a color channel corresponding to each image of a plurality of images, an angular index, a modulation, an FWHM value, a grating spacing, and a grating angle based at least in part on the performed modulation calculations corresponding to the first set of images.

2. Separating a second set of images from the plurality of image sets based at least in part on the distance corresponding to the second set of images; measuring a full width at half maximum (FWHM) value corresponding to the luminance distribution of each image of the second set of images; identifying an image in the second set of images having a minimum FWHM based at least in part on an average FWHM value across the images of the second set of images; performing parameter estimation for the grid spacing or grid angle in an image having the identified minimum FWHM corresponding to the second set of images; identifying a best focusing parameter for a grid spacing or a grid angle based at least in part on the performed grid spacing or grid angle parameter estimation corresponding to the second set of images; storing best focus parameters for the identified grid spacing or grid angle based at least in part on the performed parameter estimation for the grid spacing or grid angle corresponding to the second set of images; performing a phase estimation for each image in the second set of images; performing a modulation calculation based at least in part on a best focus parameter for the identified grid spacing or grid angle corresponding to the second set of images; 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated report is based at least in part on a combination of the performed modulation calculations corresponding to the first set of images and the performed modulation calculations corresponding to the second set of images.

3. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein measuring the FWHM value corresponding to the luminance distribution of each image of the first image set is performed on a central estimation window of each image of the first image set.

4. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein performing parameter estimation for a grid spacing or grid angle in the image with the identified minimum FWHM corresponding to the first set of images is performed with a central estimation window of the image with the identified minimum FWHM.

5. comparing parameters in the report against a predefined set of parameter specifications; determining that a parameter in the report deviates from a predefined set of parameter specifications; The method of any one or more of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: adjusting one or more characteristics of the optical system based at least in part on the determination that parameters in the report deviate from a predefined set of parameter specifications.

6. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated report comprises parameter values ​​selected from the group consisting of: a distance between an objective lens in the optical system and the object, the color channel corresponding to each image of the plurality of images, an angular index, a modulation, a FWHM value, a grating period, and a grating angle.

7. 7. The method of any one or more of claims 1 to 6, further comprising calculating a phase shift between image pairs of the first image set, each image pair of the image pairs having a common color channel and a common grating angle, and wherein the generated report includes the calculated phase shift.

8. comparing the calculated phase shift against a predetermined range of phase shifts; determining that at least one of the calculated phase shifts is outside the predetermined range of phase shifts; 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: in response to determining that at least one of the calculated phase shifts is outside the predetermined range of phase shifts, calculating a gain value that corrects for the phase shifts that are outside the predetermined range of phase shifts.

9. establishing a new phase shift voltage based at least in part on the calculated gain value; applying the new phase shift voltage to a piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element providing a phase shift within the optical system; and 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: capturing a new set of images with the new phase-shifted voltage applied to the piezoelectric element.

10. A processor-readable medium comprising content configured to cause a computing system to process data by performing a method according to any one or more of claims 1-9.

11. An apparatus comprising: A first optical assembly for emitting structured illumination towards a target, the first optical assembly comprising: a light emitting assembly; a first phase mask that imparts a first pattern to light emitted by the light emitting assembly; a second phase mask that imparts a second pattern to the light emitted by the light emitting assembly; and a phase adjusting assembly for adjusting a phase of light structured by the first phase mask and the second phase mask; and a second optical assembly comprising an image sensor that captures an image of the target when illuminated by the first optical assembly; and A processor, the processor comprising: receiving a plurality of image sets, each image set of the plurality of images including images captured using the second optical assembly at a distance from a subject, the distance being different from distances from the subject at which images of other image sets of the plurality of images were captured, each image of the plurality of images having an associated color channel and an associated grating angle; Separating a first set of images from the plurality of image sets based at least in part on the distance corresponding to the first set of images; measuring a full width at half maximum (FWHM) value corresponding to a luminance distribution of each image of the first image set; identifying an image in the first image set having a minimum FWHM based at least in part on an average FWHM value across the images of the first image set; performing parameter estimation for a grid spacing or grid angle for an image having the identified minimum FWHM corresponding to the first set of images; identifying a best focusing parameter for a grid spacing or a grid angle based at least in part on the performed grid spacing or grid angle parameter estimation corresponding to the first set of images; storing best focus parameters for the identified grid spacing or grid angle based at least in part on the performed parameter estimation for the grid spacing or grid angle corresponding to the first set of images; performing a phase estimation for each image in the first set of images; performing a modulation calculation based at least in part on a best focus parameter for the identified grid spacing or grid angle corresponding to the first set of images; and generating a report presenting parameter values ​​selected from the group consisting of a distance between an objective lens and an object, a color channel corresponding to each image of a plurality of images, an angular index, a modulation, an FWHM value, a grating spacing, and a grating angle, corresponding to an optical system, based at least in part on the performed modulation calculations corresponding to the first set of images.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the target comprises a sample vessel.

13. 13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first optical assembly further comprises a grating switch, the grating switch selectively directing or allowing light emitted from the light emitting assembly towards the first phase mask or the second phase mask.

14. Apparatus according to any one or more of claims 11 to 13, wherein the phase adjustment assembly comprises a moveable reflective element.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the phase adjustment assembly further comprises an actuator that moves the moveable reflective element.

16. 16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a phase shift between image pairs of the first image set, each image pair having a common color channel and a common grating angle.

17. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the calculated phase shift against a predetermined range of phase shifts.

18. The processor further comprises: determining that at least one of the calculated phase shifts is outside the predetermined range of phase shifts; 20. The apparatus of claim 17, responsive to determining that at least one of the calculated phase shifts is outside the predetermined range of phase shifts, calculates a gain value to correct for the phase shifts that are outside the predetermined range of phase shifts.

19. 20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor further establishes a new phase shift voltage based at least in part on the calculated gain value, the phase adjustment assembly comprising a piezoelectric element that adjusts the phase of the light structured by the first phase mask and the second phase mask, and the new phase shift voltage actuates the piezoelectric element to provide a phase shift approaching the predetermined range of values.

20. 20. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a target device comprising a preformed optical pattern, the target device enabling the first optical assembly to emit structured illumination towards the preformed optical pattern, the target device enabling the image sensor to capture an image of the preformed optical pattern when illuminated by the first optical assembly.

Images