US 11,731,129 B2
Apparatuses, systems and methods for imaging micro-objects
Paul M. Lundquist, Oakland, CA (US); Paul M. Lebel, Redwood City, CA (US); and Phillip Ronald Thomas Jess, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Berkeley Lights, Inc., Emeryville, CA (US)
Filed by BERKELEY LIGHTS, INC., Emeryville, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 24, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/357,372.
Application 17/357,372 is a continuation of application No. 16/415,894, filed on May 17, 2019, granted, now 11,077,438.
Application 16/415,894 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2017/064308, filed on Dec. 1, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/429,066, filed on Dec. 1, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0316306 A1, Oct. 14, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B01L 7/00 (2006.01); G01J 3/02 (2006.01); G01J 3/10 (2006.01); G01J 3/44 (2006.01); G01N 21/31 (2006.01); G01N 21/64 (2006.01); G02B 21/06 (2006.01); G02B 21/16 (2006.01); G02B 21/36 (2006.01); G01N 1/40 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/502715 (2013.01) [B01L 7/00 (2013.01); G01J 3/0208 (2013.01); G01J 3/0229 (2013.01); G01J 3/10 (2013.01); G01J 3/4406 (2013.01); G01N 1/40 (2013.01); G01N 21/31 (2013.01); G01N 21/6458 (2013.01); G02B 21/06 (2013.01); G02B 21/16 (2013.01); G02B 21/361 (2013.01); B01L 2200/147 (2013.01); B01L 2300/046 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0645 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0654 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0663 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0883 (2013.01); B01L 2300/1822 (2013.01); B01L 2400/0424 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical apparatus for imaging micro-objects in an enclosure of a microfluidic device, the optical apparatus comprising:
a structured light modulator configured to receive unstructured light beams from a first light source and reflect or transmit structured light beams suitable for illuminating micro-objects located in the enclosure of the microfluidic device;
a first tube lens configured to capture and transmit the structured light beams from the structured light modulator, comprising:
a first surface having a convex shape and a first radius of curvature;
a second surface having a second radius of curvature;
a third surface having a concave shape and a third radius of curvature;
a fourth surface having a concave shape and a fourth radius of curvature;
wherein the first radius of curvature is positive, the third radius of curvature is negative, and the fourth radius of curvature is negative, and wherein a front focal point and a back focal point of the first tube lens are not equally spaced from a midpoint of the first tube lens;
an objective lens configured to capture and transmit image light beams from a field of view comprising at least a portion of the enclosure of the microfluidic device, wherein the apparatus is characterized by an aperture stop at the back of the objective lens, wherein the aperture stop is at least 25 mm;
a first dichroic beam splitter configured to receive and reflect or transmit the structured light beams from the first tube lens, and further configured to receive and transmit or reflect the image light beams from the objective lens;
a second tube lens configured to receive and transmit the image light beams from the first dichroic beam splitter; and
an image sensor configured to receive the image light beams from the second tube lens, wherein the image sensor forms an image of the field of view based upon the image light beams received from the second tube lens.