Optical confocal device having a common light directing means
First Claim
1. In a confocal scanning device for viewing an object, of the type including illumination means including an array of independently addressable microlasers, optical means for directing light generated by the illumination means onto an object and detection means including the array of detectors for detecting light from the object to which light from the illumination means has been directed;
- the improvement comprising;
a. said array of microlasers and said array of detectors being in a single array; and
b. said optical means directing light from the object onto said detection means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A confocal scanning imaging device for viewing an object, includes illumination means including an array of independently addressable microlasers, detection means including an array of detectors for detecting light from an object to which light from the illumination means has been directed. The array of microlasers and the array of detectors are combined into a single array, such as on a single chip, and in a pattern constructed and arranged so that different detectors are adjacent each microlaser so that light from an illuminated object may be directed back to the vicinity of the illuminating microlaser and be detected by the adjacent detector(s). There is optical means for directing light generated by the microlasers onto an object and for directing light from an object so illuminated onto detectors adjacent the illuminating microlaser. The optical means includes a bilens and a matching lens system including two objective lenses. The system is constructed so that the relationships are as follows:
Δ=δ.sub.1 f.sub.1 /f.sub.2
δ.sub.2 =δ.sub.1 f.sub.3 /f.sub.1
where Δ is the distance between the optical centers of the bilens, δ2 is the distance between sequentially illuminated points on the object, δ1 is the distance between neighboring elements in the array, the focal length of the bilens is f2 and the focal length of the objective lens nearest the array is f1 and the focal length of the objective lens furthest from the array is f3.
82 Citations
36 Claims
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1. In a confocal scanning device for viewing an object, of the type including illumination means including an array of independently addressable microlasers, optical means for directing light generated by the illumination means onto an object and detection means including the array of detectors for detecting light from the object to which light from the illumination means has been directed;
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the improvement comprising; a. said array of microlasers and said array of detectors being in a single array; and b. said optical means directing light from the object onto said detection means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A confocal scanning device for viewing an object, comprising:
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a. illumination means including an array of independently addressable microlasers; b. detection means including an array of independently addressable detectors for detecting light from the object to which light from the illumination means has been directed, said array of microlasers and said array of detectors being in a single array and in a pattern constructed and arranged so that different detectors are adjacent each microlaser so that light from an illuminated object may be directed back to the vicinity of the illuminating microlaser and be detected by the adjacent detectors; and c. optical means for directing light generated by the microlasers onto the object and for directing light from the object so illuminated onto detectors adjacent the illuminating microlaser. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A confocal scanning imaging device for viewing an object, comprising:
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a. illumination means including an array of independently addressable microlasers; b. detection means including an array of independently addressable detectors for detecting light from an object to which light from the illumination means has been directed, said array of microlasers and said array of detectors being in a single combined array and in a pattern constructed and arranged so that different detectors are adjacent each microlaser so that light from an illuminated object may be transmitted back to the vicinity of the illuminating microlaser and be detected by the adjacent detectors; c. optical means for directing light generated by the microlasers onto the object and for directing light from an object so illuminated onto detectors adjacent the illuminating microlaser; and d. imaging device means for forming an image of the object from the information detected by said detection means. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for generating an image of an object, comprising the steps of:
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a. generating time-variant electrical excitations, b. addressing said electrical excitations to microlasers in an array of independently addressable microlasers to generate non-overlapping beams of coherent light, c. directing said light onto the object, and d. detecting, in an array of detectors, light resulting from any of light scattering, light reflection, or light transmission from the object by independently addressing each detector in the array when it is to detect reflected and remitted light, e. the plane of said microlasers and the plane of said detecting being identical. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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Specification