IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHODOLOGY

• US 20070139541A1
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pixel Matched Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Angkor Technology, LLP, Daniel Bortnick, Gregory Turocy, Himanshu Amin, Palantyr Research LLC
• Inventors: Fein, Howard, Cartlidge, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,692,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/294
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1433 using image recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1479 Using diffuse illumination or excitation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1497 Particle shape
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/361 Optical details, e.g. image relay to the camera or image sensor G02B21/364 takes precedence; illumination details G02B21/06 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting

Abstract

An imaging system, methodology, and various applications are provided to facilitate optical imaging performance. The system contains a sensor having one or more receptors and an image transfer medium to scale the sensor and receptors in accordance with resolvable characteristics of the medium, and as defined with certain ratios. A computer, memory, and/or display associated with the sensor provides storage and/or display of information relating to output from the receptors to produce and/or process an image, wherein a plurality of illumination sources can also be utilized in conjunction with the image transfer medium. The image transfer medium can be configured as a k-space filter that correlates projected receptor size to a diffraction-limited spot associated with the image transfer medium, wherein the projected receptor size can be unit-mapped within a certain ratio to the size of the diffraction-limited spot, both in the object plane.

Claims

1. An imaging system, comprising:

a sensor comprising pixels, the pixels having a pixel area of about 0.01 microns² or more and about 600 microns² or less; and

an image transfer medium having a diffraction limited spot size area in an object plane of about 0.0003 microns² or more and about 600 microns² or less, the image transfer medium comprising a Gaussian diffraction limited spot wherein at least about 85% of radiation energy exists in a central peak, the image transfer medium comprising a first lens positioned toward the object plane and a second lens positioned toward the sensor, the first lens sized to have a focal length smaller than the second lens to provide an apparent reduction of the pixels within the object plane,

wherein pixels projected through the image transfer medium have a projected pixel area in the object plane of about 0.0003 microns² or more and about 600 microns² or less, the ratio of the projected pixel area in the object plane to the diffraction limited spot size area in the object plane is from about 5;

1 to about 1;

12.

2. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the projected pixel area to the diffraction limited spot size area is from about 4:

1 to about 1;

10.

3. The imaging system of claim 1 further comprising an illumination source providing at least about 75% of illumination energy having a wavelength range from about 100 nm to about 2,000 nm.

4. A particle sizer comprising the imaging system of claim 1.

5. A microscope comprising the imaging system of claim 1.

6. A comprising the imaging system of claim 1.

7. A system for thin film analysis comprising the imaging system of claim 1.

8. A system for air quality monitoring comprising the imaging system of claim 1.

9. An imaging system, comprising:

a sensor comprising pixels, the pixels having a pixel pitch of about 0.1 microns or more and about 20 microns or less; and

an image transfer medium having a diffraction limited spot in an object plane having a diameter of about 0.01 microns or more and about 20 microns or less, the image transfer medium comprising a Gaussian diffraction limited spot wherein at least about 85% of radiation energy exists in a central peak, the image transfer medium comprising a first lens positioned toward the object plane and a second lens positioned toward the sensor, the first lens sized to have a focal length smaller than the second lens to provide an apparent reduction of the pixels within the object plane,

wherein pixels projected through the image transfer medium have a projected pixel diameter in the object plane of about 0.01 microns or more and about 20 microns or less, the ratio of the projected pixel pitch in the object plane to the diffraction limited spot diameter in the object plane is from about 1;

1.9 to about 1.9;

1.

10. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the ratio of the projected pixel pitch to the diffraction limited spot diameter is from about 1:

1.7 to about 1.7;

1.

11. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the image transfer medium comprises an objective lens system and a transfer lens system.

12. A microscope comprising the imaging system of claim 9.

13. A particulate detection system comprising the imaging system of claim 9.

14. An automated inspection system comprising the imaging system of claim 9.

15. A system of diagnosing disease comprising the imaging system of claim 9.

16. An imaging system, comprising:

a sensor comprising pixels, the pixels having a pixel width of about 0.1 microns or more and about 20 microns or less; and

an image transfer medium having a diffraction limited spot in an object plane having a diameter of about 0.01 microns or more and about 20 microns or less, the image transfer medium comprising a Gaussian diffraction limited spot wherein at least about 85% of radiation energy exists in a central peak, the image transfer medium comprising a first lens positioned toward the object plane and a second lens positioned toward the sensor, the first lens sized to have a focal length smaller than the second lens to provide an apparent reduction of the pixels within the object plane,

wherein pixels projected through the image transfer medium have a projected pixel width in the object plane of about 0.01 microns or more and about 20 microns or less, the ratio of the projected pixel width in the object plane to the diffraction limited spot diameter in the object plane is from about 1;

1.9 to about 1.9;

1.

17. The imaging system of claim 16, wherein the ratio of the projected pixel width to the diffraction limited spot diameter is from about 1:

1.4 to about 1.4;

1.

18. A fluorescence microscope comprising the imaging system of claim 16.

19. A biological material imaging system comprising the imaging system of claim 16.

20. A machine vision system comprising the imaging system of claim 16.