Irradiation light in a visible light region is irradiated to a sample while switching irradiation of infrared light IR having a wavelength that corresponds to the infrared absorption spectrum of an observation target material included in the sample between a first state and a second state. A first image and a second image are generated based on the phase distribution, the intensity distribution, and the polarization direction distribution of the light including the irradiation light that has passed through the sample in synchronization with the switching of the infrared light IR irradiation between the first state and the second state. Subsequently, an output image is generated so as to represent one from among the position, size, and shape based on the difference and/or ratio with respect to the pixel values for each pixel between the first image and the second image.

Apparatus and methods are described use with a bodily sample that contains cells. A microscope (24) is focused, such that a focal plane of the microscope (24) at least approximately coincides with a level at which at least some cells belonging to the sample are at least partially disposed. At least one on-focus microscopic image of the sample, while the focal plane of the microscope (24) approximately coincides with the level. The microscope (24) is focused such that the focal plane of the microscope is offset with respect to the level, at least one off-focus microscopic image of the sample is acquired, while the focal plane of the microscope (24) is offset with respect to the level. A property of at least a portion of the sample is determined, at least partially based upon the on-focus and off-focus images. Other applications are also described.

A specimen processing system includes a plate for supporting a specimen system, wherein the specimen system includes a container and a specimen contained therein. The specimen processing system further includes a camera disposed above the plate and configured to generate images of the specimen system, a light source disposed beneath the plate for radiating light towards the plate, a light stop for blocking a portion of the light from reaching the specimen system to produce darkfield illumination of the specimen at the camera, and one or more processors electronically coupled to the camera and configured to track a position of the specimen within the specimen container during a specimen processing protocol based on the images.

A system and method for analyzing bodily fluid include a sample holder holding a bodily fluid sample, an image capture device generating an image of the bodily fluid sample comprising a plurality of fields of view. An image processor is programmed to determine a biofilm in the bodily fluid sample from the image, determine a biofilm area or volume within each of the plurality of fields of view to form a plurality of biofilm areas, determine a total biofilm area or total biofilm volume by adding the plurality of biofilm areas, determine a first value corresponding to a comparison of the total biofilm area or the total biofilm volume and a total volume of the bodily fluid sample, and classify the first value into a classification. An analyzer, using the classification, displays an indicator on a display for indicating the classification of the biofilm within the bodily fluid sample.

An inspection apparatus includes a specimen stage configured to retain a specimen, at least three imaging devices arranged in a triangular array positioned above the specimen stage, each of the at least three imaging devices configured to capture an image of the specimen, one or more sets of lights positioned between the specimen stage and the at least three imaging devices, and a control system in communication with the at least three imaging devices.

A rapid and automatic virus imaging and analysis system includes (i) electron optical sub-systems (EOSs), each of which has a large field of view (FOV) and is capable of instant magnification switching for rapidly scanning a virus sample; (ii) sample management sub-systems (SMSs), each of which automatically loads virus samples into one of the EOSs for virus sample scanning and then unloads the virus samples from the EOS after the virus sample scanning is completed; (iii) virus detection and classification sub-systems (VDCSs), each of which automatically detects and classifies a virus based on images from the EOS virus sample scanning; and (iv) a cloud-based collaboration sub-system for analyzing the virus sample scanning images, storing images from the EOS virus sample scanning, and storing and analyzing machine data associated with the EOSs, the SMSs, and the VDCSs.

An information processing unit includes: a diagnostic image input section that inputs the diagnostic image; an operation information obtaining section that obtains display operation history information representing an operation history of a user who controls displaying of the diagnostic image; a query image generation section that extracts a predetermined region of the input diagnostic image to generate a query image; a diagnosed image obtaining section that supplies the generated query image and the display operation history information to a diagnosed image search unit and obtains the diagnosed image obtained as a search result by the diagnosed image search unit; and a display control section that displays the diagnostic image and the obtained diagnosed image for comparison.

This document describes methods, systems and computer program products directed to imaging blood cells. The subject matter described in this document can be embodied in a method of classifying white blood cells (WBCs) in a biological sample on a substrate. The method includes acquiring, by an image acquisition device, a plurality of images of a first location on the substrate, and classifying, by a processor, objects in the plurality of images into WBC classification groups. The method also includes identifying, by a processor, objects from at least some classification groups, as unclassified objects, and displaying, on a user interface, the unclassified objects and at least some of the classified objects.

The invention relates to a device (1) and a method for determining the action of active ingredients on nematodes and other organisms in aqueous tests. The device (1) according to the invention comprises a holder (13) for a cell culture plate (30) having multiple wells (31) in which the nematodes can be filled with the active ingredients, said cell culture plate (30) having a bottom side (33), a top side (32) and also side walls extending between bottom side (33) and top side (32), a camera (11) which is used to record images of preferably the bottom side (33) of the cell culture plate (30), a lighting mechanism (14) having at least a first light source (15) which illuminates the cell culture plate (30), there being arranged between the first light source (15) and a first side wall (34) of the cell culture plate (30) in the installed state a first optical unit which directs the light of the first light source (15) through the first side wall (34) in the direction of the bottom side (33) of the cell culture plate (30). The method according to the invention makes it possible to simultaneously investigate many active ingredients within a very short time.

The subject disclosure presents systems and methods for automatically selecting meaningful regions on a whole-slide image and performing quality control on the resulting collection of FOVs. Density maps may be generated quantifying the local density of detection results. The heat maps as well as combinations of maps (such as a local sum, ratio, etc.) may be provided as input into an automated FOV selection operation. The selection operation may select regions of each heat map that represent extreme and average representative regions, based on one or more rules. One or more rules may be defined in order to generate the list of candidate FOVs. The rules may generally be formulated such that FOVs chosen for quality control are the ones that require the most scrutiny and will benefit the most from an assessment by an expert observer.