Patent ID: 8780181

Claim:
A method for obtaining a plurality of images of a liquid sample, the method comprising: a) arranging said liquid sample in relation to a sample device; b) arranging said sample device in relation to an apparatus having: at least a first optical detection assembly comprising at least a first image acquisition device, said first optical detection assembly having an optical axis and an object plane, said object plane comprising an image acquisition area from which electromagnetic waves can be detected as an image by said first image acquisition device; an image illumination device; at least one translation unit configured to move said sample device and said first optical detection assembly relative to each other; and said apparatus arranged to support said first optical detection assembly and said translation unit, wherein said first optical detection assembly and said translation unit are configured so that at least a part of said sample device is intersected by said image acquisition area; c) moving said sample device and said first detection assembly relative to each other over a scanning length, said movement comprising a movement in a direction along a first scanning path, which defines an angle theta relative to said optical axis, wherein theta is in the range of from about 0.3 to about 89.7 degrees, wherein said at least one translation unit moves said sample device and said at least one optical detection assembly relative to each other in a substantially continuous step-wise manner; d) wherein electromagnetic waves are transmitted from the image illumination device through the image acquisition area towards the image acquisition device; and e) obtaining said plurality of images, wherein the plurality of images are obtained with a predetermined time interval in between two successive images, wherein the predetermined time interval is in the range of from about 10 −9 s to about 10 3 s.