Enhancing polarized light microscopy

• US 20040125373A1
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marine Biological Laboratory
• Original Assignee: Marine Biological Laboratory
• Inventors: Torok, Peter, Hoyt, Clifford C., Oldenbourg, Rudolf, Shribak, Mykhailo
• Granted Patent: US 6,924,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/364
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0004 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0092 Polarisation microscopes

Abstract

A microscope system for determining optical properties of a specimen includes a source of polarized light, a detector for detecting the intensity of light incident thereon, an optical path extending from the source to the detector, a condenser for providing light from the source to the specimen, an objective for receiving light from the specimen, a support for mounting the specimen, a sectored variable retarder mounted in the optical path, and a polarized light analyzer mounted in the path between the sectored variable retarder and the detector. The variable retarder has a multiple sectors. Each sector is individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of the sector.

Claims

1. A microscope system for determining optical properties of a specimen, comprising:

a source of polarized light;

a detector for detecting the intensity of light incident thereon;

an optical path extending from said source to said detector;

a condenser for providing light from the source to the specimen;

an objective for receiving light from the specimen;

a support for mounting the specimen;

a sectored variable retarder mounted in said optical path, the variable retarder having a plurality of sectors, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector; and

a polarized light analyzer mounted in said path between said sectored variable retarder and said detector.

2. The microscope system of claim 1, further comprising:

in said optical path, a second sectored variable retarder having at least one sector, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector.

3. The microscope system of claim 2, wherein said first and second sectored variable retarders are mounted with their slow axes at 45°

to each other, together forming a sectored universal compensator.

4. The microscope system of claim 2, wherein said sectored variable retarders are located between the polarized light source and the specimen, said polarized light analyzer being mounted in said path between the specimen and said detector.

5. The microscope system of claim 2, wherein said sectored variable retarders are located between the specimen and the detector.

6. The microscope system of claim 2, wherein the specimen is located between the sectored variable retarders.

7. The microscope system of claim 2, further comprising:

in said optical path third and fourth sectored variable retarders, each retarder having at least one sector and each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector, said third and fourth sectored variable retarders being mounted between second sectored variable retarder and said polarized light analyzer;

wherein said specimen is mounted between said second and third variable retarder.

8. The microscope system of claim 2, wherein the source of polarized light includes a plurality of polarized light sources, each source being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light intensity of said source.

9. A microscope system for determining optical properties of a specimen, comprising:

a source of polarized light;

a detector for detecting the intensity of light incident thereon,

a optical path extending from said source to said detector,

a condenser for providing light from the light source to a specimen;

an objective for receiving light from the specimen;

a support for mounting a specimen whose characteristics are to be measured;

a spatial light modulator having a plurality of sectors, each sector affecting the amplitude and/or direction of light impinging on said sector;

a sectored variable retarder in said optical path, the sectored variable retarder containing at least one sector, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector; and

a polarized light analyzer mounted in said path between said sectored variable retarder and said detector.

10. The microscope system of claim 9, further comprising:

a second sectored variable retarder having at least one sector, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector, wherein said second sectored variable retarder is positioned in said optical path between said first sectored variable retarder and said polarization analyzer.

11. The microscope system of claim 10, wherein the spatial light modulator includes two polarizers with one sectored variable retarder in between the two polarizers, the sectored variable retarder having a plurality of sectors, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector.

12. The microscope system of claim 10, wherein said spatial light modulator includes at least one rotatably mounted off-centered aperture stop.

13. The microscope system of claim 10, wherein said spatial light modulator includes interchangeable off-centered aperture stops.

14. The microscope system of claim 10, wherein the spatial light modulator includes a wavefront beam splitter, being mounted in said optical path between said specimen and said detector.

15. The microscope system of claim 10, wherein said spatial light modulator is mounted in said optical path between the polarized light source and the specimen.

16. The microscope system of claim 15, further comprising:

third and fourth sectored variable retarders, each retarder having at least one sector, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector, positioning said third and fourth sectored variable retarders in said optical path between the second sectored variable retarder and the polarization analyzer, with the specimen mounted between the second and third sectored variable retarder.

17. The microscope system of claim 10, wherein said spatial light modulator is mounted in said optical path between said specimen and said detector.

18. The microscope system of claim 17, further comprising:

third and fourth sectored variable retarders, each retarder having at least one sector, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector, said third and fourth sectored variable retarders being mounted in said optical path between the second sectored variable retarder and the polarization analyzer, with the specimen mounted between the second and third sectored variable retarder.

19. The microscope system of claim 15, further comprising:

a second spatial light modulator mounted in said optical path between said specimen and said detector.

20. The microscope system of claim 19, further comprising:

third and fourth sectored variable retarders, each retarder having at least one sector, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector, said third and fourth sectored variable retarders being mounted in said optical path between the second sectored variable retarder and the polarization analyzer, with the specimen mounted between the second and third sectored variable retarder.

21. An optical device comprising:

a source of polarized light;

a detector for detecting the intensity of light incident thereon;

an optical path extending from said source to said detector;

an optical system for providing light from the light source to said detector; and

a sectored variable retarder mounted in said optical path, the variable retarder having multiple sectors, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector.

22. The optical device of claim 21, further comprising:

in said optical path, a second sectored variable retarder having at least one sector, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector.

23. A spatial polarization state generator comprising:

a source of polarized light;

an optical path extending from the source of polarized light; and

in said optical path, a sectored variable retarder having multiple sectors, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector.

24. The spatial polarization state generator of claim 23, further comprising:

in said optical path, a second sectored variable retarder having at least one sector, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector.

25. The spatial polarization state generator of claim 23 further comprising:

in said optical path, a spatial light modulator, having a plurality of sectors, each sector affecting the amplitude and/or direction of light impinging on said sector;

26. The spatial polarization state generator of claim 24 further comprising

in said optical path, a spatial light modulator, having a plurality of sectors, each sector affecting the amplitude and/or direction of light impinging on said sector;

27. A method for use in determining polarization optical properties of an object, the method comprising:

providing a source of polarized light;

providing a detector for detecting the intensity of light incident thereon;

providing an optical path between said source and said detector;

providing in said optical path a first sectored variable retarder, having a plurality of sectors, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector;

providing in said optical path a second, third and fourth sectored variable retarder, each retarder having at least one sector, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector;

providing a polarization analyzer in said optical path between said fourth sectored variable retarder and said detector;

providing a support for mounting an object whose optical characteristics are to be measured, said support being located in said optical path so that two sectored variable retarders are located on each side of the object;

configuring the light retardation characteristics of sectors of said first, second, third and fourth sectored variable retarder;

determining the intensity of light incident on said detector when said variable retarder sectors are configured for selected light retardation characteristics; and

determining polarization optical properties of the object, based on said light intensities being passed by the polarization analyzer and detected by the detector.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

providing in said optical path a spatial light modulator, having a plurality of sectors, each sector affecting the amplitude and/or direction of light impinging on said sector;

determining polarization optical properties of said object, based on light intensities being passed by the polarization analyzer and detected by said detector when sectors of said spatial light modulator and first, second, third and fourth variable retarders are configured for selected light transmission and retardation characteristics.

37. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

providing in said optical path a second spatial light modulator, having a plurality of sectors, each sector affecting the amplitude and/or direction of light impinging on said sector, positioning said second spatial light modulator so that said object support is located between first and second spatial light modulator;

determining polarization optical properties of said object, based on light intensities being passed by the polarization analyzer and detected by said detector when sectors of said first and second spatial light modulator and first, second, third and fourth variable retarders are configured for selected light transmission and retardation characteristics.

29. A method for use in determining polarization properties of light from an object, the method comprising:

providing a detector for detecting the intensity of light incident thereon;

providing an optical path between said object and said detector;

providing in said optical path a sectored variable retarder, having a plurality of sectors, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector;

providing a polarization analyzer in said optical path between said sectored variable retarder and said detector;

configuring the light retardation characteristics of sectors of said sectored variable retarder;

determining the intensity of light incident on said detector when said variable retarder sectors are configured for selected light retardation characteristics; and

determining polarization properties of light from the object, based on said light intensities being passed by the polarization analyzer and detected by said detector.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising

providing a second sectored variable retarder, having at least one sector, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector, positioning said second sectored variable retarder in said optical path between said object and said polarization analyzer;

configuring the light retardation characteristics of sectors of said first and second sectored variable retarder; and

determining polarization properties of light from the object, based on the light intensities being passed by the polarization analyzer and detected by said detector when sectors of said first and second variable retarders are configured for selected light retardation characteristics.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising

providing in said optical path, a spatial light modulator, having a plurality of sectors, each sector affecting the amplitude and/or direction of light impinging on said sector;

determining polarization properties of light from the object, based on the light intensities being passed by the polarization analyzer and detected by said detector when sectors of said spatial light modulator and variable retarder are configured for selected light transmission and retardation characteristics.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising

providing in said optical path, a spatial light modulator, having a plurality of sectors, each sector affecting the amplitude and/or direction of light impinging on said sector;

determining polarization properties of light from the object, based on the light intensities being passed by the polarization analyzer and detected by said detector when sectors of said spatial light modulator and first and second variable retarders are configured for selected light transmission and retardation characteristics.

33. A method for use in determining polarization optical properties of an object, the method comprising:

providing a source of polarized light;

providing a detector for detecting the intensity of light incident thereon;

providing an optical path between said source and said detector;

providing in said optical path a sectored variable retarder, having a plurality of sectors, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector;

providing a polarization analyzer in said optical path between said sectored variable retarder and said detector;

providing a support for mounting an object whose optical characteristics are to be measured, said support being located in said optical path between said source of polarized light and said polarization analyzer;

configuring the light retardation characteristics of sectors of said sectored variable retarder;

determining the intensity of light incident on said detector when said variable retarder sectors are configured for selected light retardation characteristics; and

determining polarization optical properties of the object based on said light intensities being passed by the polarization analyzer and detected by the detector.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

providing a second sectored variable retarder, having at least one sector, each sector being individually addressable by a control signal that affects the light retardation characteristics of said sector, positioning said second sectored variable retarder in said optical path between said source of polarized light and said polarization analyzer;

configuring the light retardation characteristics of sectors of said first and second sectored variable retarders; and

determining polarization optical properties of said object, based on light intensities being passed by the polarization analyzer and detected by said detector when sectors of said first and second variable retarders are configured for selected light retardation characteristics.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

providing in said optical path a spatial light modulator, having a plurality of sectors, each sector affecting the amplitude and/or direction of light impinging on said sector;

determining polarization optical properties of said object, based on light intensities being passed by the polarization analyzer and detected by said detector when sectors of said spatial light modulator and variable retarder are configured for selected light transmission and retardation characteristics.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

providing in said optical path a spatial light modulator, having a plurality of sectors, each sector affecting the amplitude and/or direction of light impinging on said sector;

determining polarization optical properties of said object, based on light intensities being passed by the polarization analyzer and detected by said detector when sectors of said spatial light modulator and first and second variable retarders are configured for selected light transmission and retardation characteristics.