Cell Imaging Focal Scanning for Full 3D Structure Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microscopes struggle to observe the three-dimensional structure of stacked cells effectively due to limitations in focal depth and inaccurate determination of scanning ranges, leading to unnecessary or insufficient imaging.
Innovation Solution
A cell observation apparatus and method that acquires thickness information from culture vessels, sets an initial scanning range based on cell thickness, adjusts focal positions, and updates the scanning range as needed to capture comprehensive three-dimensional images of cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If autofocus control is performed based on cell growth degree to determine a single focal position, then imaging at a specific cell thickness is achieved, but the three-dimensional structure of stacked cells cannot be observed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cell imaging process into multiple focal positions along the optical axis. Instead of focusing on a single plane, the system captures images at multiple discrete focal depths (e.g., first focal position, second focal position, third focal position), which are then synthesized to reconstruct the three-dimensional structure of stacked cells. This segmentation of the focal space enables comprehensive 3D observation while maintaining precise focus at each level.
2Productivity
If the scanning range of the focusing position is set based on user-input cell size, then imaging can be performed, but unnecessary imaging occurs when the range is too wide or insufficient imaging occurs when the range is too narrow
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs feedback mechanisms to dynamically adjust the scanning range based on actual cell characteristics. Thickness information acquisition units measure the actual thickness of cultured cells, and this measured data is fed back to automatically update the scanning range settings. This closed-loop feedback ensures that the scanning range precisely matches the actual cell dimensions, eliminating both unnecessary imaging (when range is too wide) and insufficient imaging (when range is too narrow), thereby optimizing imaging efficiency while maintaining accuracy.
3Ease of operation
If a fixed scanning range is used for imaging, then the imaging process is simple, but it cannot adapt to cells of different thicknesses leading to inefficient imaging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static, fixed scanning range into a dynamic, adaptive scanning range that automatically adjusts according to cell thickness. The system incorporates thickness information acquisition units that measure actual cell dimensions and automatically update the scanning range parameters accordingly. This dynamic adaptation maintains operational simplicity for the user while significantly improving imaging efficiency by ensuring the scanning range always matches the actual cell characteristics, regardless of cell type or growth stage.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided a cell observation apparatus and method capable of observing a three-dimensional structure of an entire cell and preventing unnecessary imaging. The cell observation apparatus includes an image formation optical system 30 that forms an image of a cell; an image formation optical system control unit 51 that controls a scanning range of a focal position of the image formation optical system 30; a thickness information acquisition unit 53 that acquires information relating to a thickness of the cell; and an imaging unit 40 that captures the image formed by the image formation optical system 30. The image formation optical system control unit 51 sets an initial scanning range of the focal position based on the information relating to the thickness, forms an image of the cell at each of a plurality of focal positions within the set initial scanning range, subsequently acquires the image captured by the imaging unit 40 for each of the plurality of focal positions, estimates the thickness of the cell based on the image, updates the initial scanning range of the focal position based on the estimated thickness of the cell, and forms an image of the cell at each of a plurality of focal positions within the updated scanning range.