Patent ID: 8450082
Filing Date: 2013-05-28
Classification: B01L,G01N,G02B

Abstract:
1. A method for identifying fluorescent dye-tagged cells in a biological fluid layer using a microscope system having a field of view at a selectable focus depth, the microscope field of view being substantially smaller than an area of the biological fluid layer, the method comprising: (a) illuminating the biological fluid layer through an objective of the microscope system; (b) identifying the focus depth of the objective of the microscope system at which the illuminating produces a highest background fluorescence observed through the objective; (c) identifying a depth of the biological fluid layer based on said highest background fluorescence of the biological fluid layer caused by the fluorescent dye-tagging; (d) acquiring one or more analysis images using the microscope system at one or more focus depths at or close to the identified depth of the biological fluid layer; (e) image processing the acquired one or more analysis images to identify candidate features that may correspond to dye-tagged cells; (f) relatively moving the field of view and the biological fluid layer; and (g) repeating the identifying, acquiring, image processing, and relative moving steps to identify candidate features over the area of the biological fluid layer.