Image-Guided Microscopic Illumination for Rapid ROI Targeting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack the capability to perform high-content, automated, image-guided, localized photo-triggered processes for illuminating patterns on biological samples with the necessary speed and precision for applications such as protein, lipid, or nucleic acid labeling and analysis.
Innovation Solution
A microscope-based system integrating optical, photochemical, and mechatronic designs, utilizing a controllable camera, pattern illumination devices, and processing modules to rapidly determine and illuminate specific regions of interest based on real-time image processing, enabling high-content capability with image-guided illumination at 300 milliseconds per field of view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated image-guided illumination is implemented, then processing speed and content capability are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the illumination process into discrete steps: image acquisition, image processing to identify regions of interest, and targeted illumination. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while working together in an automated pipeline that achieves high processing speed despite increased complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Image processing algorithms serve as intermediaries between the microscope imaging system and the illumination system. These algorithms analyze captured images, identify regions of interest, and translate them into precise illumination coordinates, enabling automated control while managing system complexity through computational mediation
2Productivity
If high-content capability is achieved through rapid sequential illumination of multiple fields of view, then productivity is improved, but the time required for each field of view increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs image acquisition, processing, and illumination in a continuous sequential manner across multiple fields of view. By maintaining continuous operation without idle periods and efficiently transitioning between fields, the system achieves high content throughput while minimizing the time penalty for sequential processing
Solution Approach 2:
Image processing and region identification are performed in advance before illumination occurs. This preliminary action allows the system to pre-calculate illumination coordinates and prepare the illumination system, reducing the actual illumination time and enabling faster sequential processing across multiple fields
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient collection of biomolecular samples for proteomic analysis within a reasonable duration by facilitating rapid, high-content processing of proteins, lipids, or nucleic acids, supporting photo-induced molecular tagging, photoconversion, and studies of proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics.
Implementation Method 1
an illumination light source, a shutter, a pattern illumination device such as a pair of galvanometer scanning mirrors
Implementation Method 2
A femtosecond laser may be used as the illumination light source to generate a two-photon effect for high axial illumination precision
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for image-guided microscopic illumination are provided. A processing module controls an imaging assembly such that a camera acquires an image or images of a sample in multiple fields of view, and the image or images are automatically transmitted to a processing module and processed by the first processing module automatically in real-time based on a predefined criterion so as to determine coordinate information of an interested region in each field of view. The processing module also controls an illuminating assembly to illuminate the interested region of the sample according to the received coordinate information regarding to the interested region, with the illumination patterns changing among the fields of view.