Automated Capillary Imaging System with Repositionable Field of View
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems for analyzing blood cell dynamics in non-invasive hematological measurements require manual operation by a skilled technician to acquire optimal images of capillaries, limiting their availability for unsupervised patients or home use.
Innovation Solution
An automated system with a repositionable imaging subsystem and controller that automatically adjusts focus, illumination, exposure time, and wavelength selection to acquire high-quality images of capillaries without human intervention, stitching images together to produce a single image with capillary locations, sizes, and confidence levels across a super field of view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual operation by a skilled technician is used to acquire optimal images of capillaries, then image quality and measurement accuracy are improved, but the system requires skilled personnel and reduces accessibility for unsupervised patients or home use
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-calibration and self-adjustment of imaging parameters automatically. The controller adjusts focus, illumination, exposure time, and wavelength without requiring skilled technician intervention, enabling unsupervised patients to obtain high-quality capillary images at home
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical adjustment by technicians is replaced with an automated controller that uses algorithms to adjust imaging parameters. The system substitutes human expertise with computer-controlled automation to maintain image quality while improving accessibility
2Measurement precision
If manual adjustment of imaging parameters is used, then optimal image acquisition is achieved, but the process time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary automatic calibration and parameter optimization before actual image acquisition. The controller pre-adjusts focus, illumination, and exposure settings based on preliminary assessments, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual adjustments during patient measurements
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging system automatically adjusts all parameters including focus, illumination intensity, exposure time, and wavelength selection without technician intervention. This self-adjusting capability significantly reduces the time required to acquire optimal capillary images while maintaining high measurement precision
3Reliability
If multiple imaging parameters are manually adjusted to ensure optimal conditions, then measurement reliability is improved, but the device complexity and ease of operation worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The controller serves multiple functions simultaneously: it adjusts focus, illumination, exposure time, wavelength selection, and performs image quality assessment. This multi-functional automation consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate manual adjustments into a single integrated system that improves reliability without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Complex manual adjustment mechanisms are replaced with computer-controlled automation. The controller uses algorithms to manage multiple imaging parameters, substituting the complexity of manual multi-parameter adjustment with streamlined electronic control that actually reduces perceived system complexity for the user
Data Source
AI summary
An automated system for acquiring images of one or more capillaries in a capillary bed includes a platform for receiving a body portion of a subject, an imaging subsystem having a repositionable field of view and coupled to the platform to acquire images of at least a capillary bed of the body portion and a controller communicably coupled to the imaging subsystem to automatically reposition the field of view of the imaging subsystem to different areas of the capillary bed, and at each field of view within the capillary bed, activate the imaging subsystem to acquire images of one or more capillaries in the capillary bed.