Method and apparatus for dynamic correction of microscopic image signals

Abstract

A circuit is provided for correcting an image signal received from a camera wherein the camera includes a plurality of charge coupled devices, each for providing a light signal indicative of the intensity of light incident thereon and wherein the plurality of light signals from the plurality of charge coupled devices are indicative of an image received by the camera. The correction circuit includes a gain memory for storing a plurality of gain correction factors wherein each gain correction factor is associated with a respective charge coupled device of the camera. The correction circuit further includes an offset memory for storing a plurality of offset correction factors wherein each offset correction factor is associated with a respective one of the plurality of charged coupled devices. The gain memory is responsive to a control circuit for multiplying the plurality of electric signals by the appropriate gain correction factor. Similarly, the offset memory is responsive to a control circuit for adding the appropriate one of the plurality of offset correction factors with the signal from its respective charge coupled device. A light detection circuit is also provided for normalizing the corrected plurality of signal to make the resulting measurement a measurement of the percentage of transmission of the focused slide specimen.