Real-Time Stereo 3D Digital/Video Imaging in a Light Microscope Using a Single Lens and a Single Camera
First Claim
1. A method of creating 3D perception of a three-dimensional specimen using a microscope having a single objective lens with an objective aperture having an aperture area, a single camera having a frame rate and an illuminator that directs light along a path that includes the specimen, the objective aperture and the camera comprising:
- creating a right-eye view of the specimen in the camera by limiting the light that passes through the objective aperture to less than the entire area of the objective aperture;
creating a left-eye view of the specimen in the camera by limiting the light that passes through the objective aperture to less than the entire area of the objective aperture which, in part at least, is a different area than that which creates the right-eye view;
alternatively creating left-eye views and right-eye views at a rate that is a function of the camera frame rate.
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Abstract
The methods and apparatus of the present invention provide 3D real-time viewing in a light microscope by passing light through only a portion of the objective aperture, in such a way as to produce alternating left-eye and right-eye views of the specimen. A computer with a sync pulse generator synchronizes the frame rate of the camera with the alternating left-eye and right-eye images, which are sequentially captured by the camera and reformatted into the standard side-by-side stereo file format and displayed on a 3D TV or the like, where they can be viewed in 3D in real-time.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of creating 3D perception of a three-dimensional specimen using a microscope having a single objective lens with an objective aperture having an aperture area, a single camera having a frame rate and an illuminator that directs light along a path that includes the specimen, the objective aperture and the camera comprising:
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creating a right-eye view of the specimen in the camera by limiting the light that passes through the objective aperture to less than the entire area of the objective aperture; creating a left-eye view of the specimen in the camera by limiting the light that passes through the objective aperture to less than the entire area of the objective aperture which, in part at least, is a different area than that which creates the right-eye view; alternatively creating left-eye views and right-eye views at a rate that is a function of the camera frame rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. Microscope apparatus having a single objective lens with an objective aperture having an aperture area, a single camera having a frame rate for creating 3D perception of a three -dimensional specimen comprising:
an illumination system that, in a first mode, directs light along an optical path that includes the specimen, the objective aperture and the camera and only passes light through a portion of the objective aperture to create a right-eye view of the specimen and, in a second mode, directs light along a path that includes the specimen, the objective aperture and the camera and only passes light through a different portion of the objective aperture to create a left-eye view of the specimen. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
Specification