Patent ID: 9342734
Filing Date: 2016-05-17
CPC Classification: G01N,G02B,G06K,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A system for counting cells or biomolecules in a liquid sample, comprising: a covered sample having a known height and chamber configured to hold a suspension of biomolecules or cells in a liquid sample of a known volume, wherein the sample chamber holding the liquid sample is covered; at least one fluorescent light source connected to at least one fluorescent light beam narrowing collimator; a bright-field light source connected to a bright-field light beam narrowing collimator positioned between the sample chamber and the bright-field light source, and wherein the bright-field light source is configured to emit light onto the liquid sample in the sample chamber positioned in-line above the bright-field light source, wherein each of the at least one fluorescent light source and bright-field light source is configured to acquire a single static fluorescent image and a single static bright field image of the biomolecules or cells in the known volume of liquid sample; a microscope objective; a detection device; a fluorescent filter assembly to allow only excitation light to illuminate the sample and allow only emission light from the sample to be imaged by the detection device, wherein the fluorescent filter assembly is positioned in-line with the bright-field light source, the bright-field beam narrowing device, the sample chamber, the microscopic objective and the detection device; and a movable light shutter, positioned between the sample chamber and the bright-field light source, to block bright-field light during fluorescent detection; wherein the fluorescent filter assembly is positioned in-line with the microscope objective and the chamber, and wherein the volume of the covered sample chamber under interrogation by the fluorescent and bright-field lights is known for each image taken, and wherein each of the fluorescent light source and the bright-field light source is a light emitting diode.