A method and a system of detecting at least one sample in a sample container, comprising a sample container, further comprising a cavity, the volume of said cavity partially or fully occupied with at least one solid sample and at least one fluid; and at least one camera capturing at least one image of the sample container; and a data processing device detecting at least one sample in the sample container by processing the at least one image captured by the at least one camera. The method and system further comprise putting the sample container in sudden motion prior to the at least one camera capturing at least one image of the sample container.

The innovative systems and methods described herein use a high-resolution imaging microscope for capturing images of marine microorganisms and particles in situ in an aquatic environment. Using darkfield illumination, high-resolution images may be obtained, capturing features of the microorganism or particle as small as 10 μm in remarkable clarity. Utilizing an open flow-through approach in sample imaging, the delicate structures of the plankton and particles may be imaged completely intact without damage and in their natural orientation. The images can be classified at high accuracy based on physiological and morphological in-formation captured in the image including features as fine as 1 μm. The disclosed classification method utilizes adaptable training sets of taxonomic categories and a novel method of discerning in-focus targets, providing a highly accurate identification system.

This application provides to a method for identifying one or more prostate tissue samples in a database that are closest to a test prostate sample, which can be used to aid pathologists when examining prostate tissues to attain reliable and consistent diagnoses of prostate cancer. Also provided are databases and computer algorithms that can be used with such methods.

An image processing device includes an input unit and an alignment unit. The input unit inputs a cell shape image and a fluorescence image. The cell shape image shows a shape of a cell in a tissue section. The fluorescence image shows expression of a specific protein as a fluorescent bright point in a region same as a region in the tissue section. The alignment unit aligns the cell shape image and the fluorescence image based on an information source detected in both the cell shape image and the fluorescence image.

In one embodiment, L dimensional images are trained, mapped, and aligned to an M dimensional topology to obtain azimuthal angles. The aligned L dimensional images are then trained and mapped to an N dimensional topology to obtain 2.sup.N vertex classifications. The azimuthal angles and the 2.sup.N vertex classifications are used to map L dimensional images into 0 dimensional images.

A system for nucleic acid amplification is to synthesize amplified target nucleic acids or determine the presence of target nucleic acid. The mobile device of the system may be implemented with software for analyzing the reaction or optionally delivering the information of a sample to a cloud. Therefore, the system can provide corresponding genetic information of organism, cancer cells or viruses of interest. The information may include gene expression levels of interest, DNA identity of samples as well as treatment suggestion and professional lists for consulting. The system could also optionally be used with a mobile device to amplify the target nucleic acid for the downstream sequencing or measurement.

An organism evaluation system for analyzing organisms within a fluid flow, comprising one or more of a stimulation section comprising a means for inducing a motive response in a living organism within the fluid flow passing through the stimulation section and a shepherding section comprising a means for temporarily separating such an organism from and then returning it to the fluid flow, a flow normalizing section in fluid communication with the stimulation section and/or shepherding section, and a viewing section in fluid communication with the flow normalizing section, the viewing section comprising a body having formed therein a body cavity defining a viewing port, the viewing section further comprising an optical system mounted relative to the body for viewing the fluid flow within the viewing port through a cavity first opening, whereby image data relating to the fluid flow and organisms therein is acquired via the optical system for analysis.

The present disclosure discloses a microscopic device (100, 1400, 1900) and an image processing device (1500). The image processing device (1500) includes a receiving device (1501) configured to receive a digital image generated by the microscopic device (100, 1400, 1900), the digital image includes a scaling pattern (202, 302, 402, 502, 702, 802, 902, 1002); a storage device (1502) configured to store the digital image; and a processor (1503) configured to determine a magnification of the microscopic device (100, 1400, 1900) based on the scaling pattern (202, 302, 402, 502, 702, 802, 902, 1002).

A cell observation apparatus includes an imaging device capable of imaging a vessel containing cells while varying a focal position, an illuminating device for irradiating the vessel with illuminating light; and a controller for controlling the imaging device. The controller includes: a z-stack imaging controller for causing the imaging device to take a plurality of z-stack images while varying the focal position; a variance value calculation part for calculating a variance value of pixels values for each of the z-stack images; an edge index value calculation part for calculating an edge index value indicative of edge strength for each of the z-stack images; a focus evaluation value calculation part for calculating a focus evaluation value having a minimum value in an in-focus position, based on the variance value and the edge index value; and an in-focus position estimation part for calculating the focal position where the focus evaluation value has a minimum value to estimate the in-focus position. This achieves the estimation of the in-focus position with high precision while suppressing the increase in the number of images taken for z-stack imaging.

The disclosure features methods and systems that include illuminating a candidate structure with radiation linearly polarized along a first polarization direction and obtaining a first image of the dendritic structure, illuminating the candidate structure with radiation linearly polarized along a second polarization direction and obtaining a second image of the dendritic structure, where an angle between the first and second polarization directions is at least 10, for a set of pixels corresponding to a first region of the candidate structure in the first and second images, determining a first change in average pixel intensity between the first and second images, and authenticating the candidate structure as a dendritic structure based on the first change in average pixel intensity.