Patent ID: 8989475
Filing Date: 2015-03-24
Classification: A61B,A61P,C12M,C12N,C12Q,G01N,G02B,G06K,G06T,G16B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for automated imaging of human embryos in culture, comprising: a) one or more microscopes configured to operate within an incubator; b) each microscope configured to focus on an associated culture dish disposed on a stage; c) each microscope including a light source for illuminating embryos in said associated culture dish; d) each microscope including a camera; and e) a means for storing time sequential images from one or more cameras; and f) a computer configured to estimate cell boundaries of embryos in one or more of the time sequential images via an estimation technique, the estimation technique including generation of multiple hypotheses for parameters associated with each of one or more of the cell boundaries in each of the one or more of the time sequential images based on probability distributions of the parameters associated with each of one or more of the cell boundaries, the computer further configured to track cell boundaries shown by the time sequential images based on the estimated cell boundaries to measure one or more cellular parameters selected from the group consisting of: i) the duration of the first cytokinesis; ii) the time interval between cytokinesis 1 and cytokinesis 2; iii) the time interval between cytokinesis 2 and cytokinesis 3; iv) the time interval between the first and second mitosis; and v) the time interval between the second and third mitosis.