US 11,815,446 B2
Methods and apparatus for characterizing a specimen container and specimen
Patrick Wissmann, Munich (DE); Benjamin S. Pollack, Jersey City, NJ (US); and Ludwig Listl, Munich (DE)
Assigned to Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc., Tarrytown, NY (US)
Appl. No. 16/072,427
Filed by Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc., Tarrytown, NY (US)
PCT Filed Jan. 24, 2017, PCT No. PCT/US2017/014777
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 24, 2018,
PCT Pub. No. WO2017/132171, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 3, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/288,381, filed on Jan. 28, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2018/0372648 A1, Dec. 27, 2018
Int. Cl. G01N 21/13 (2006.01); G01N 21/25 (2006.01); G01N 15/04 (2006.01); G01N 35/00 (2006.01); G01N 21/88 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/13 (2013.01) [G01N 15/042 (2013.01); G01N 21/253 (2013.01); G01N 21/255 (2013.01); G01N 21/88 (2013.01); G01N 35/00663 (2013.01); G01N 35/00613 (2013.01); G01N 2015/045 (2013.01); G01N 2021/8845 (2013.01); G01N 2201/0627 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A quality check module, comprising:
an imaging location within the quality check module configured to receive a specimen container containing a specimen;
a camera located adjacent to the imaging location, the camera having a viewpoint extending therefrom to the imaging location; and
a spectrally-switchable light source included in a light panel assembly located adjacent to and on an opposite side of the imaging location as the camera and in line with the viewpoint, the light panel assembly configured to provide lighting for the camera, the spectrally-switchable light source configured to be operatively switchable between multiple different spectra,
wherein the camera is configured to generate first images of the imaging location at different exposure times while illuminated by a first spectra provided by the spectrally-switchable light source and generate second images of the imaging location at different exposure times while illuminated by a second spectra provided by the spectrally-switchable light source.