Field flattening correction method for fluorescence imaging system

1. A method for use in flattening an image across a usable field of view in an imaging system having an illumination source configured to illuminate a sample platform with illumination at a first frequency and a detector system having a detector that detects illumination at a second frequency by correcting the image for fluorescence spatial variations and scatter spatial variations, the method comprising:

acquiring a first image of a stable fluorescent target located proximal to the sample platform using the detector, wherein the stable fluorescent target absorbs illumination at said first frequency and emits at said second frequency and has a size that fills at least a usable field of view of the detector system;

acquiring a second image of a scattering target located proximal to the sample platform using the detector, wherein the scattering target scatters illumination at said first frequency and has a size that fills at least the usable field of view of the detector system;

determining a pixel remapping function based on the acquired first and second images; and

storing the pixel remapping function for later use in correcting for fluorescence spatial variations and scatter spatial variations in images of a sample taken using the imaging system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including acquiring an image of a sample located proximal to the sample platform; and thereafter

adjusting, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, an intensity value of each pixel in the image of the sample using the pixel remapping function to form a corrected image.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the pixel remapping function is a piecewise continuous function having first and second linear slopes meeting at a threshold value, wherein adjusting includes:

using the first slope to modify the pixel value if the intensity value of the pixel is below the threshold value; and

using the second slope to modify the pixel value if the intensity value of the pixel is above the threshold value.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first slope represents an adjustment for scatter spatial variation and wherein the second slope represents an adjustment for fluorescence spatial variations.

5. The method of claim 2 , further including displaying a representation of the corrected image.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detector includes a two dimensional array detector.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the array detector includes CCD detector.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detector includes a single dimension array detector and wherein acquiring an image includes scanning along a second dimension to build the image.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detector includes a single pixel detector and wherein acquiring an image includes scanning along a single dimension or along two dimensions to build the image.

10. A method of flattening an image across a usable field of view in an imaging system having an illumination source configured to illuminate a sample platform with illumination at a first frequency and a detector system that detects illumination at a second frequency, the method comprising:

acquiring an image of a sample located proximal to the sample platform using the detector;

accessing stored pixel remapping data for the imaging system, wherein the remapping data includes a mapping function that corrects for fluorescence spatial variations and scatter spatial variations in images taken using the imaging system based on the intensity value of a pixel; and

adjusting, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, an intensity value of each pixel in the image of the sample using the pixel remapping data to form a corrected image.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the stored pixel remapping data is determined by:

acquiring a first image of a stable fluorescent target located proximal to the sample platform using the detector, wherein the stable fluorescent target absorbs illumination at said first frequency and emits at said second frequency and has a size that fills at least a usable field of view of the detector system;

acquiring a second image of a scattering target located proximal to the sample platform using the detector, wherein the scattering target scatters illumination at said first frequency and has a size that fills at least the usable field of view of the detector system; and

determining the pixel remapping function based on the acquired first and second images.

12. The method of claim 10 , further including displaying a representation of the corrected image.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pixel remapping function is a piecewise continuous function having first and second linear slopes meeting at a threshold value, wherein adjusting includes:

using the first slope to modify the pixel value if the intensity value of the pixel is below the threshold value; and

using the second slope to modify the pixel value if the intensity value of the pixel is above the threshold value.

14. An imaging system, comprising:

a sample platform;

an illumination source configured to illuminate the sample platform with illumination at a first frequency;

a detector system including a detector element that detects illumination at a second frequency;

a memory that stores pixel remapping data for the imaging system, wherein the remapping data includes a mapping function that corrects for fluorescence spatial variations and scatter spatial variations in images taken using the imaging system based on the intensity value of a pixel; and

an intelligence module adapted to receive and process signals from the detector element, wherein during operation, the detector element acquires an image of a sample located proximal to the sample platform, the intelligence module accesses the stored mapping function and adjusts, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, an intensity value of each pixel in the image of the sample using the pixel mapping function to form a corrected image.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the stored pixel remapping data is determined by:

acquiring a first image of a stable fluorescent target located proximal to the sample platform using the detector, wherein the stable fluorescent target absorbs illumination at said first frequency and emits at said second frequency and has a size that fills at least a usable field of view of the detector system;

acquiring a second image of a scattering target located proximal to the sample platform using the detector, wherein the scattering target scatters illumination at said first frequency and has a size that fills at least the usable field of view of the detector system; and

determining the pixel mapping function based on the acquired first and second images.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the pixel mapping function is a piecewise continuous function having first and second linear slopes meeting at a threshold value, wherein adjusting includes:

using the first slope to modify the pixel value if the intensity value of the pixel is below the threshold value; and

using the second slope to modify the pixel value if the intensity value of the pixel is above the threshold value.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the detector system includes optical elements configured to direct and focus light emitted from or scattered by the sample platform onto the detector element.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the detector element includes one of a single pixel detector, a one-dimensional detector array or a two-dimensional detector array.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the detector element includes a CCD detector.

20. The system of claim 14 , further including a display device for displaying a representation of the corrected image.