Amnis Corporation

Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Keith Frost

William E Ortyn

David Abraham Basiji

David Joseph Perry

James K Riley

Brian E Hall

Michael J Seo

Richard Bauer

N Robert McRuer

Robert Lovejoy Goodwin

Thaddeus C George

Luchuan Liang

C Brandon Forehand

Rosalynde J Finch

Aaron Michael Donsbach

James Riley

David Perry

Rosalynde Finch

The use of an imaging system, cell compartment markers, and molecular markers in methods for correlating the movement of molecules within a cell to a particular compartment are provided, including measuring and correlating molecule movement in adherent and non-adherent cells.

Image-based quantitation of molecular translocation

Methods and systems are described for providing efficient product ordering of products, such as groceries or any other product or item. The customer enters keywords (or generic terms) that describe a desired item on a first portion of a display screen and search result items associated with each of the keywords on the list automatically appear on a second portion of the display screen. When the customer selects the desired items from the second portion of the display screen, the selected items automatically appear on a third portion of the display screen. The customer can then click a 'Check Out' button on the same screen and have the products shipped to him/her.

Method and system for efficient order placement

A flow of objects, such as text, on a page may be analyzed by generating an initial determination of whether a portion of an object is continued from one page to another based on a cue in an area of the object. The initial determination may be visually represented on a page. The initial determination may be corrected by an editor to create an editor determination when the initial determination is not a correct continuation status of the portion of the object. In some aspects, the initial determination may include a statistical confidence interval, a reason display, and/or a magnification of portions of the object which may be included in a continuation. In other aspects, heuristics may learn from the editor changes to improve a subsequent initial determination.

Detecting continuation of flow of a page

Editing the sequential flow of objects of a page is disclosed. The objects may have intended correct sequential order for processing or viewing, which may be difficult to detect by a computer algorithm. An initial flow may be created using an initial flow algorithm to provide an initial order of the objects. The initial flow may be visually represented on a page, such as by a curve drawn through the objects. A human editor may reorder the objects if the initial flow is not correct. In some aspects, the editor may trace a new order of the objects by controlling an input device to sequentially order the objects in an editor-assigned flow. In other aspects, the editor may sequentially select objects to create the editor-assigned flow. In response to the editor-assigned flow, a validation flow may be created, which may assist the editor in confirming accuracy of the edited flow. In other aspects, heuristics may learn from the editor-assigned flow to improve the initial flow over time.

Editing the sequential flow of a page

Image based quantitation of molecular translocation

A high speed, high-resolution flow imaging system is modified to achieve extended depth of field imaging. An optical distortion element is introduced into the flow imaging system. Light from an object, such as a cell, is distorted by the distortion element, such that a point spread function (PSF) of the imaging system is invariant across an extended depth of field. The distorted light is spectrally dispersed, and the dispersed light is used to simultaneously generate a plurality of images. The images are detected, and image processing is used to enhance the detected images by compensating for the distortion, to achieve extended depth of field images of the object. The post image processing preferably involves de-convolution, and requires knowledge of the PSF of the imaging system, as modified by the optical distortion element.

Extended depth of field imaging for high speed object analysis

Combinatorially-synthesized deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) oligonucleotides attached to encoded beads that are hybridized to amplified and labeled genomic DNA or ribonucleic acid (RNA) are analyzed using a flow imaging system. Oligonucleotides and corresponding reporters are bound to the surfaces of a plurality of small beads such that different beads bear different oligo sequences. Each bead bears a unique optical signature comprising a predefined number of unique reporters, where each reporter comprises a predefined combination of different fluorochromes. The composite spectral signature in turn identifies the unique nucleotide sequence of its attached oligo chains. This optical signature is rapidly decoded using an imaging system to discriminate the different reporters attached to each bead in a flow in regard to color and spatial position on the bead.

Method and apparatus for reading reporter labeled beads

A multi-channel imaging system generates an ensemble of images for each field of view of an object. Each image in the ensemble is intended to contain information from only one source among a plurality of sources for the object. However, due to crosstalk, at least a portion of the signal from a first source appears in a channel intended for a second source. Because the accuracy of the correction will be degraded if the images in an ensemble are spatially misaligned with respect to one another, the spatial offset between images is determined and a correction is applied to substantially eliminate the offset. Then, a correction to the signals is determined to substantially reduce the contributions to the signal in a channel from the signals in other channels. The signal processing can be employed to process the output signals for each of a plurality of different disclosed imaging systems.

Method and apparatus for correcting crosstalk and spatial resolution for multichannel imaging

In automated computation-based interpretation of images, the accuracy and reliability of the detection and delineation of objects, known as 'object segmentation,' is implemented so as to provide efficient performance. In a multi-step process, objects are first detected and captured into regions of interest (ROIs). Sets of pixels belonging to respective objects are then identified. Preferably object detection is achieved using both a two-dimensional (2D) low pass filter and a 2D edge enhancement filter. Two different gradient based edge enhancement filters are disclosed. One embodiment of the invention defines a (ROI) by first determining the center of objects by executing a plurality of decimations on the filtered image data, and then establishing object boundaries. In a second embodiment the ROI is defined by generating an amplitude histogram of the filtered image data, and for histograms exceeding a threshold determining by pixel which rows are to be included in the ROI.

Computational methods for the segmentation of images of objects from background in a flow imaging instrument

A pair of optical gratings are used to modulate light from an object, and the modulated light from either grating is used to determine the velocity of the object. Each optical grating is offset from a reference focal point by the same distance, one grating being offset in a positive direction, the other in a negative direction. Signals produced in response to the modulated light can be processed to determine a direction in which a primary collection lens should be moved in order to improve a focus of the imaging system on the object. The lens is moved incrementally in the direction so determined, and the process is repeated until an optimal focus is achieved. In a preferred embodiment, the signals are weighted, so that the optical grating disposed closest to the optimal focus position contributes the most to velocity detection.

Auto focus for a flow imaging system

A multichannel imaging system generates an ensemble of images for each field of view of an object. Each image in the ensemble is intended to contain information from only one source among a plurality of sources for the object. However, due to crosstalk, at least a portion of the signal from a first source appears in a channel intended for a second source. Because the accuracy of the correction will be degraded if the images in an ensemble are spatially misaligned with respect to one another, the spatial offset between images is determined and a correction is applied to substantially eliminate the offset. Then, a correction to the signals is determined to substantially reduce the contributions to the signal in a channel from the signals in other channels. The signal processing can be employed to process the output signals for each of a plurality of different disclosed imaging systems.

An illumination system for increasing a light signal from an object passing through a reflection cavity. The reflection cavity is defined by spaced-apart, opposed first and second surfaces disposed on opposite sides of a central volume. Preferably the first reflecting surface forms an acute angle with the second reflecting surface. A beam of light is directed into the reflection cavity so that light is reflected back and forth between the first and second surfaces a plurality of times, illuminating a different portion of the central volume with each pass until, having ranged over the central volume, the light exits the reflection cavity. The 'recycling' of the light beam in this manner substantially improves the signal to noise ratio of a detection system used in conjunction with the reflection cavity by increasing an average illumination intensity in the central volume.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Keith Frost