BioArray Solutions , a developer of genetic diagnostics equipment based on micro array technology, required an automated image acquisition system to take high resolution, filtered images of probes on micro arrays. The system had to run with as little user input as possible and therefore had to automatically find and image each 300x300 um chip on either a standard 8 well slide or a 96 well plate. Images had to be acquired under different light filters to allow fluorescent bead probes to be categorized, and subsequently saved in an SQL database.

System Overview
The Multispectral Array Imaging System (MAIS) is composed of the following hardware and software:
• Nikon LV 150 Microscope
• Nikon 20X objective and various filters
• DVC 1412 firewire camera with filter wheel
• Prior proscan controller with Z motor and filter wheel
• Conix 13500RP stage
• Exfo X-cite 120 PC
• Surface mount barcode scanner
• Dell XPS 410 with Windows XP
• Labview 8.2.1 Professional
• NI Imaq Vision 8.2.1
• NI Internet Toolkit 6.0
The system performs the following tasks: 1) scans in individual carrier ID’s (up to 12 at a time), 2) checks to see that the ID has not been used before, and 3) creates multiple network and local file paths to store images and created array data. After a successful scan the system moves to a calculated XYZ coordinate where it expects the first chip on the first slide to be located. It then searches for the exact location of the chip using a green filter to cause beads on the micro array to fluoresce. Once the array has been found, the system will focus and center on the array, and take a set of 3 fluorescent and one Bright field images. A proprietary program (.dll) is then called to perform to create a 2D array of data points representing different fluorescent intensities of individual beads located on the micro array. A map is formed with this 2D array to allow scientists to track the DNA attached to the individual beads.

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