US 12,422,658 B2
Method for analysing scanning efficacy
Martin Philip Gouch, Hertfordshire (GB); Louise Joanne Collins, Hertfordshire (GB); and William Hawes, Hertfordshire (GB)
Assigned to Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., Tucson, AZ (US)
Appl. No. 18/009,152
Filed by Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., Tucson, AZ (US)
PCT Filed May 26, 2021, PCT No. PCT/GB2021/051271
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 8, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/250373, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2008690 (GB), filed on Jun. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0258919 A1, Aug. 17, 2023
Int. Cl. G02B 21/24 (2006.01); G02B 21/00 (2006.01); G02B 21/36 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01)
CPC G02B 21/244 (2013.01) [G02B 21/008 (2013.01); G02B 21/367 (2013.01); G06T 7/0014 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10056 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10148 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30024 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30168 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a microscope scanner comprising a detector array, the method comprising:
performing a pre-scan so as to generate a pre-scan image of a target, wherein the target comprises a sample, and wherein a depth of focus for the pre-scan is in excess of 500 micrometres;
performing a first imaging scan of one or more area(s) of interest, AOI, on the target, wherein performing the first imaging scan comprises:
moving the detector array relative to the target along an image scan path and acquiring an image of the target at each of a plurality of locations along the image scan path using the detector array, and wherein a depth of focus for each image acquired along the image scan path is below 3 micrometres;
generating focus control data during the first imaging scan, wherein generating focus control data comprises calculating a focus merit value at each said location along the image scan path; and
adjusting a focal height of the detector array along the image scan path based on said focus merit values; and
analysing an efficacy of the first imaging scan using the focus control data and determining a change to one or more scanning parameters from the first imaging scan, for the performance of a second imaging scan, based on this analysis.