LED point scanning system
First Claim
1. An LED optical system for point scanning of a sample comprising:
- (a) a movable scan head having(i) an LED light source providing an illumination beam along a single path,(ii) an illumination spatial filter having a pinhole aperture spaced apart from the light source,(iii) means for focusing the illumination beam into the pinhole aperture,(iv) means for directing the illumination beam after the illumination beam has been focused into the pinhole aperture onto a spot of the sample to cause signal radiation to be returned from the sample, and(v) means for collecting and detecting the signal radiation returned from the sample,(b) a stage for supporting the sample, and(c) means for moving the scan head along a first axis relative to the stage to illuminate a plurality of spots along a scan line on the sample.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An LED point imaging scanner for stimulating and for reading fluorescent and reflective signal radiation from a target sample is disclosed. The LED light source is mounted on a scan head and is focused into the pinhole aperture of a spatial filter, then collimated and focused to a spot on the sample. The spatial filter in the illumination path, or an optical fiber serving the equivalent function, effectively restricts the incoherent LED light and creates a point light source. Signal radiation from the sample is collected through the scan head and the returning light beam is collimated and focused onto the receiving section of a detection means. A spatial filter in the path of the returning beam may also be utilized. The detection means is either a small detector which is mounted directly on the scan head or an end of an optical fiber which transmits the point image to a remotely-positioned stationary detector. The scan head is moved along one or two axes relative to the sample for scanning of a target area of the sample.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. An LED optical system for point scanning of a sample comprising:
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(a) a movable scan head having (i) an LED light source providing an illumination beam along a single path, (ii) an illumination spatial filter having a pinhole aperture spaced apart from the light source, (iii) means for focusing the illumination beam into the pinhole aperture, (iv) means for directing the illumination beam after the illumination beam has been focused into the pinhole aperture onto a spot of the sample to cause signal radiation to be returned from the sample, and (v) means for collecting and detecting the signal radiation returned from the sample, (b) a stage for supporting the sample, and (c) means for moving the scan head along a first axis relative to the stage to illuminate a plurality of spots along a scan line on the sample. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An LED optical system for point scanning of a sample comprising:
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(a) an LED light source providing an illumination beam along a single path, (b) means for focusing the illumination beam into an optical fiber, the fiber transmitting the illumination beam, (c) a movable scan head having (i) means for receiving the transmitted illumination beam from the fiber and for directing the illumination beam onto a spot of the sample to cause signal radiation to be returned from the sample, and (ii) means for collecting and detecting the signal radiation returned from the sample, (d) a stage for supporting the sample, and (e) means for moving the scan head along a first axis relative to the stage to illuminate a plurality of spots along a scan line on the sample. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A moving scan head for point imaging of a sample, the scan head comprising:
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an LED source providing an illumination beam along a single path, an illumination spatial filter having a pinhole aperture, a first focusing lens disposed between the LED source and the illumination spatial filter for focusing the illumination beam into the pinhole aperture of the illumination spatial filter, a collimating lens for collimating the illumination beam after the illumination beam has been focused into the pinhole aperture, a beam splitter disposed in the illumination beam path for reflecting at least a portion of the collimated illumination beam, an objective lens for receiving the portion of the illumination beam from the beam splitter and for focusing the portion of the illumination beam onto a spot of the sample to cause signal radiation to emerge from the sample, and for receiving and collimating the signal radiation from the sample to form a collimated returning beam, the beam splitter also disposed in the returning beam path for passing at least a portion of the collimated returning beam, and a receiving section of a detection means disposed to intercept the returning beam. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An LED point scanner for imaging of a sample, the scanner comprising:
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(a) an incident beam means having (i) a movable light source providing an illumination beam from an LED along a single path, (ii) a spatial filter having a pinhole aperture, (iii) means for focusing the illumination beam into the pinhole aperture, (iv) means for collimating the illumination beam after the illumination beam has been focused into the pinhole aperture, and (v) means for receiving the collimated illumination beam and for focusing the collimated illumination beam onto a spot of the sample to cause signal radiation to be returned from the sample, (b) an outgoing beam means having (i) means for collecting and collimating the signal radiation from the sample into a returning beam, and (ii) means for focusing the collimated returning beam onto a receiving section of a detection means, and (c) means for moving the incident and outgoing beam means to provide for scanning along a first axis relative to the sample. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification