Software Defined Microscope

• US 20140368904A1
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Dieudonne, Michael, Moertelmaier, Manuel
• Application Number:
  US14/470,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20140368904A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/385
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0076 arrangements using fluorescence or luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/06 Means for illuminating specimens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/365 Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes G02B21/361, G02B21/362 take precedence

Abstract

A microscope having a first illumination spatial light modulator (SLM) that receives light of a first wavelength from an illumination source and processes that light in a manner that transfers light into an objective lens through a dichroic reflector that passes light of the first wavelength is disclosed. The microscope includes an imaging system that receives light from the objective lens and forms an image on a camera, and a controller having a graphical user input that displays the image to a user and controls the first illumination SLM to alter the processing of the light in response to commands from the user. The illumination SLM is controlled to provide functions that would normally be carried out by one or more lenses or prisms in the illumination optical train of a conventional microscope and/or correct for alignment errors in the illumination source.

Claims

1. A microscope comprising:

a first illumination spatial light modulator (SLM) that receives light of a first wavelength from an illumination source and processes that light in a manner that transfers light into an objective lens through a dichroic reflector that passes light of said first wavelength;

an imaging system that receives light from said objective lens and forms an image on a camera;

a controller having a graphical user input that displays said image to a user and controls said first illumination SLM to alter said processing of said light in response to commands from said user.

2. The microscope of claim 1 wherein said controller selectively illuminates a region of said sample specified by a user on said GUI.

3. The microscope of claim 1 wherein said controller causes said first illumination SLM to emulate a Fresnel lens in one mode of illumination.

4. The microscope of claim 1 wherein said controller causes said first illumination SLM to emulate a Fresnel prism in one mode of illumination.

5. The microscope of claim 1 wherein said light source comprises a plurality of light sources, and wherein said controller corrects for alignment errors in said light sources utilizing said image from said camera.

6. The microscope of claim 1 wherein said objective lens is characterized by a back focal plane and a lens axis that passes through the center of said objective lens, and wherein said controller causes said first illumination SLM to emulate a lens that focuses said light onto said back focal plane at a position offset from said lens axis.

7. The microscope of claim 1 wherein said controller processes said light such that a sample viewed by said microscope is illuminated in one of a plurality of patterns chosen by said user with said GUI.

8. The microscope of claim 7 wherein said controller processes said light such that said camera receives a first image of a first field of view of said sample, said image being displayed on said GUI.

9. The microscope of claim 8 wherein said controller processes said light such that said light is concentrated at a sub-field of said first field of view at a location input through said GUI by reference to said first image, said sub-field being less than said first field of view.

10. The microscope of claim 6 further comprising a second illumination SLM, said second illumination SLM being displaced from said first illumination SLM and receiving light processed by said first illumination SLM, wherein said controller controls said first and second illumination SLMs such that one of said first and second illumination SLMs is positioned to focus said light onto said back focal plane at said position offset from said lens axis and the other of said first and second illumination SLMs is positioned substantially in a plane conjugate to a back focal plane of said objective.

11. The microscope of claim 1 wherein said imaging system comprises an imaging SLM that is controlled by said controller, said imaging SLM imaging light from said dichroic reflector onto said camera.

12. The microscope of claim 11 wherein said controller causes said imaging SLM to correct for aberrations in said objective lens.

13. The microscope of claim 11 further comprising a polarization beam splitting assembly that receives light from said dichroic reflector, splits that light such that light of a first polarization strikes said imaging SLM in a first region of said imaging SLM and light of the orthogonal polarization is passed through a polarization rotating assembly and strikes said imaging SLM in a second region that is separated from said first region.

14. The microscope of claim 11 further comprising a polarization beam splitting assembly that receives light from said dichroic reflector, splits that light such that light of a first polarization strikes said imaging SLM and light of an orthogonal polarization is imaged to said camera.

15. The microscope of claim 13 wherein said controller causes said imaging SLM to form a first image from said light striking said imaging SLM in said first region on said camera and a second image from light striking said imaging SLM in said second region, said first image being separate from said second image in said camera.

16. The microscope of claim 11 wherein said controller causes said imaging SLM to emulate a Fresnel prism that generates a spectral enhanced image of a sample viewed with said microscope.

17. The microscope of claim 11 wherein said objective lens and said imaging SLM are characterized by a depth of focus in said sample and wherein said controller causes said imaging SLM to alter that depth of focus.

18. The microscope of claim 11 wherein said controller causes said imaging SLM to emulate a lens having a center section blocked.

19. The microscope of claim 19 wherein said lens is a super-resolution Daisy lens.