Patent Document ID: 8760506
Application ID: 13056824
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. An imaging system ( 100 ) for enhancing microscopic images of unstained cells, the imaging system ( 100 ) comprising: a light source ( 102 ) for producing light ( 120 a ); a sample holder ( 109 ) for containing cells to be imaged; a condenser ( 104 ) for focussing the light ( 120 b ) at a focal plane within the sample holder ( 109 ) on the cells to be imaged; a translation mechanism for moving the focal plane of the light ( 120 b ) relative to the sample holder ( 109 ); and a detector system ( 112 ) configured to acquire a plurality of images at respective focal planes within the sample holder ( 109 ) and to process the plurality of images to provide an resultant enhanced image (U r ), wherein processing of the plurality of images comprises: applying a pixel-by-pixel minimisation operation to each of the plurality of images to identify a dark image (U 1 dark ); applying a non-linear top-hat transform to the dark image (U 1 dark ) to obtain an intermediate image (U 2 dark ); and processing the intermediate image (U 2 dark ) to produce the resultant enhanced image (U r ).