Patent ID: 6970789

Claim:
A method for determining an initial focal position estimate for a current sample location on a substrate comprising multiple sample locations using a microscope focus positioning system, wherein the method comprises: (A) determining a focal position of at least two other sample locations on the substrate, comprising conducting a focal position search over a large range of focal planes; (B) aligning the microscope focusing position system with a current sample location on the substrate; (C) estimating an initial focal position estimate for the current sample location on the substrate by a method comprising carrying out one or more techniques selected from the group consisting of: i) conducting a linear regression analysis of focal positions determined in step (A) for at least two other sample locations on the substrate to estimate an initial focal position for the current sample location; and ii) conducting a quadratic regression analysis of focal positions determined in step (A) for at least three other sample locations on the substrate to estimate an initial focal position for the current sample location, and (D) focusing over a narrow range of focal planes to obtain the focal position for the current sample location on the substrate; wherein said sample locations are selected from the group consisting of wells of a microtiter plate, cell binding locations on a chemically patterned surface, and user-defined subsections of substrates containing one or more specimen(s) spread out in space that is to be optically imaged by applying microscopy.