Virtual Tissue Staining Using Hyperspectral Imaging Transforms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods require multiple tissue samples and increased costs to visualize different tissue components due to the inability to restain biological tissues with different dyes or tags after initial staining.
Innovation Solution
Hyperspectral imaging is used to virtually stain biological tissues by analyzing electromagnetic radiation waveforms, allowing a single tissue sample to be virtually stained with various dyes or tags without actual staining, and generating images that mimic actual staining results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple tissue samples are used to visualize different tissue components with different stains, then visualization of multiple tissue components is improved, but costs and sample requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of staining effects through computational processing. Hyperspectral imaging captures the optical properties of tissue, and algorithms generate synthetic images that mimic the appearance of differently stained tissue sections. This allows multiple virtual stains to be applied to a single physical sample, eliminating the need for multiple physical samples while achieving comprehensive visualization of different tissue components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent develops a universal hyperspectral imaging system that can perform multiple staining functions with a single device and sample. The system captures broad spectral information and uses computational algorithms to generate multiple types of stained images from one unstained tissue sample, making the single sample serve multiple diagnostic purposes that traditionally required multiple separately stained samples.
2Illumination intensity
If actual staining is performed on tissue samples, then contrast and visibility of tissue components are improved, but the ability to apply multiple different stains is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary hyperspectral imaging of the unstained tissue sample to capture its complete optical signature before any staining is applied. This preliminary data collection enables subsequent computational generation of multiple virtual stain types from the same sample, allowing the tissue to be 'stained' multiple times virtually without physical alteration, thus maintaining both contrast enhancement and multi-stain versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/chemical staining process with a computational/optical system. Instead of physically applying different chemical stains to different tissue sections, the system uses hyperspectral imaging combined with algorithms that computationally generate images resembling different stain types. This substitution maintains the visual contrast benefits of staining while eliminating the constraint of applying only one physical stain per sample.
3Loss of information
If multiple tissue samples are processed through staining procedures, then comprehensive analysis of different tissue components is improved, but time and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple staining procedures into a single hyperspectral imaging and computational processing workflow. Instead of separately staining, processing, and analyzing multiple tissue samples with different stains, the system combines these functions into one process: capture hyperspectral data from one unstained sample, then computationally generate multiple virtual stain types, thereby reducing processing time and resource consumption while maintaining comprehensive analysis capability.
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 enhanced visualization of multiple tissue components in a single sample, facilitating comprehensive analysis and reducing costs by eliminating the need for multiple samples.
Implementation Method 1
Advancements in technology make it possible to use hyperspectral imaging to virtually stain biological tissue for enhanced visualization without actually staining and/or tagging the tissue
Implementation Method 2
detecting by at least one detection device electromagnetic radiation reflected or transmitted from the tissue sample
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure herein provides methods, systems, and devices for virtually staining biological tissue for enhanced visualization without use of an actual dye or tag by detecting how each pixel of an unstained tissue image changes in waveform after staining with a certain dye(s) and/or tag(s) or other transformation under a certain electromagnetic radiation source, developing a virtual staining transform based on such detection, and applying such virtual staining transform to an unstained biological tissue to virtually stain the tissue.