A microscope system includes: an enclosed sample chamber for receiving a sample carrier in an examining position in which a sample arranged on the sample carrier is microscopically examinable; an enclosed incubation chamber that is separated from the sample chamber and that receives the sample carrier in at least one storing position; and a sample carrier transfer unit including an enclosed transfer chamber that is connected to the sample chamber by a first opening, and to the incubation chamber by a second opening, and a sample carrier handling device arranged within the transfer chamber for moving the sample carrier between the storing position and the examination position.

Two or more micropipettes are used to increase a microinjection throughput in an automated system for microinjecting adherent cells on a Petri dish. In the system, a motorized stage carrying the Petri dish sequentially visits the cells according to an optimized injection sequence. The sequence is selected by minimizing a total distance traveled by the motorized stage such that each cell is visited once by one of the micropipettes. Using multiple micropipettes advantageously reduces the minimized total distance over using a single micropipette to thereby increase the throughput. The optimized injection sequence is obtained by solving an equality-generalized traveling salesman problem. Each micropipette is mounted on a motorized micromanipulator. The motorized stage and motorized micromanipulators operate coordinately that each micromanipulator goes down or up during movement of the motorized stage to compensate for unevenness between a focus plane and a moving trajectory of the motorized stage.

Two or more micropipettes are used to increase a microinjection throughput in an automated system for microinjecting adherent cells on a Petri dish. In the system, a motorized stage carrying the Petri dish sequentially visits the cells according to an optimized injection sequence. The sequence is selected by minimizing a total distance traveled by the motorized stage such that each cell is visited once by one of the micropipettes. Using multiple micropipettes advantageously reduces the minimized total distance over using a single micropipette to thereby increase the throughput. The optimized injection sequence is obtained by solving an equality-generalized traveling salesman problem. Each micropipette is mounted on a motorized micromanipulator. The motorized stage and motorized micromanipulators operate coordinately that each micromanipulator goes down or up during movement of the motorized stage to compensate for unevenness between a focus plane and a moving trajectory of the motorized stage.

In order to provide a surgical microscope system (100), a control apparatus (120), and a control method that enable position and orientation of a lens tube to be adjusted without requiring a large-scale system, the surgical microscope system includes an arm (112), a surgical microscope (113), a target value setting unit (122), an estimation unit (123), and a control unit (125), the arm includes a rotatable joint (118), the surgical microscope includes a microscope optical system (114) and a camera (115) that captures an operative field image that is a microscope magnification image of an operative field by the microscope optical system, the surgical microscope being supported by the arm, the target value setting unit sets target values of position and orientation of the surgical microscope, the estimation unit estimates the position and orientation of the surgical microscope on the basis of the operative field image and generates estimated values, and the control unit is configured to control a rotation of the joint in accordance with results of comparison of the target values with the estimated values.

A method can be provided for analyzing a fluidic sample with dispersed particles. Using such exemplary method, it is possible to irradiate the sample with light, so that the photons of the light transfer momentum to the particles. It is also possible to measure at least one property of the particles that is altered by the momentum transfer. The light can be a propagating beam with an intensity distribution that has gradients pointing to more than one point within each plane normal to the direction of propagation, while varying steadily along the direction of propagation, and/or a 3D vortex trap beam that is configured to confine the particles in a three-dimensional volume by means of high-intensity gradients. An exemplary device can also be provided (e.g., for performing the method), comprising a chamber for holding a sample that is elongate along an axis and configured to pass a beam of light along the axis. The chamber can have a conical inner cross section that substantially expands in the direction of propagation of the beam.

A method can be provided for analyzing a fluidic sample with dispersed particles. Using such exemplary method, it is possible to irradiate the sample with light, so that the photons of the light transfer momentum to the particles. It is also possible to measure at least one property of the particles that is altered by the momentum transfer. The light can be a propagating beam with an intensity distribution that has gradients pointing to more than one point within each plane normal to the direction of propagation, while varying steadily along the direction of propagation, and/or a 3D vortex trap beam that is configured to confine the particles in a three-dimensional volume by means of high-intensity gradients. An exemplary device can also be provided (e.g., for performing the method), comprising a chamber for holding a sample that is elongate along an axis and configured to pass a beam of light along the axis. The chamber can have a conical inner cross section that substantially expands in the direction of propagation of the beam.

Color calibration for digital pathology is provided. A standard glass slide is prepared with a specimen having zero or more stains. The specimen is scanned a first time using a hyperspectral imaging system to produce a first digital image having XYZ color values. The specimen is scanned a second time using a digital pathology imaging system to produce a second digital image having RGB color values. The first and second digital images are then registered against each other to align the digital image data. Individual pixels of the first and second images may be combined in the registration process so that the first and second digital images have substantially similar pixel sizes. A lookup table is generated to associate XYZ color values to RGB color values. Once the lookup table has been generated, it can be used to present RGB color on a display using the corresponding XYZ color.

Color calibration for digital pathology is provided. A standard glass slide is prepared with a specimen having zero or more stains. The specimen is scanned a first time using a hyperspectral imaging system to produce a first digital image having XYZ color values. The specimen is scanned a second time using a digital pathology imaging system to produce a second digital image having RGB color values. The first and second digital images are then registered against each other to align the digital image data. Individual pixels of the first and second images may be combined in the registration process so that the first and second digital images have substantially similar pixel sizes. A lookup table is generated to associate XYZ color values to RGB color values. Once the lookup table has been generated, it can be used to present RGB color on a display using the corresponding XYZ color.

Nanofluidic flow cells and systems for single-molecule nanoconfinement and imaging of molecules in a fluid are described. The nanofluidic flow cell comprises a bottom substrate bonded to a top substrate, microchannels and a central chamber carved in the bottom or top substrate. The microchannels and the central chamber define an empty space into which a fluid can flow. The microchannels extend on opposite side of the central chamber, each microchannel comprising a central portion crossing the central chamber and a pair of arms extending outside the central chamber, these arms comprising a fluid port positioned at opposite ends of the microchannel and outside the central chamber. The central chamber comprises a nanoconfinement and imaging area including carved nanostructures configured for single-molecule nanoconfinement. Also described are nanofluidic chips, methods of confinement, pneumatic-based nanofluidic systems and manifold assembly for the nanofluidic flow cell.

Nanofluidic flow cells and systems for single-molecule nanoconfinement and imaging of molecules in a fluid are described. The nanofluidic flow cell comprises a bottom substrate bonded to a top substrate, microchannels and a central chamber carved in the bottom or top substrate. The microchannels and the central chamber define an empty space into which a fluid can flow. The microchannels extend on opposite side of the central chamber, each microchannel comprising a central portion crossing the central chamber and a pair of arms extending outside the central chamber, these arms comprising a fluid port positioned at opposite ends of the microchannel and outside the central chamber. The central chamber comprises a nanoconfinement and imaging area including carved nanostructures configured for single-molecule nanoconfinement. Also described are nanofluidic chips, methods of confinement, pneumatic-based nanofluidic systems and manifold assembly for the nanofluidic flow cell.