Apparatus and method for the rapid spectral resolution of confocal images
First Claim
1. A confocal scanning beam microscope, comprising:
- a) means for supporting a sample to be observed and measured;
b) an illumination source producing a light beam along a path toward said sample;
c) means for focusing the light beam on a prescribed sample plane of a sample;
d) means for scanning the light beam in a predetermined scan pattern on said sample plane;
e) means for simultaneously acquiring at least two points of said predetermined scan pattern on the sample plane, wherein said points include a region of the sample represented by at least two image pixels;
f) a detection arm placed in the path of light reflected, scattered, or emitted from said region on said sample plane of said sample, comprising means for resolving the spectra of said light from each said region including a light receiving opening, and a detector array placed behind said means for spectrally resolving said region;
g) means for focusing the light from said region reflected, scattered, or emitted from said sample plane of said sample to said light receiving opening of said means for resolving the spectra of the light from said region; and
h) wherein said detector array comprises means for detecting the image of said region and means for simultaneously detecting the spectra of said light of said region.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A confocal scanning microscope apparatus and method is used to rapidly acquire spectrally resolved images. The confocal scanning microscope apparatus includes optics used to simultaneously acquire at least two points along a scan pattern on a sample plane of a sample, wherein the points include regions of the sample represented by at least two pixels. A detection arm is placed in the path of the light reflected, scattered, or emitted from the sample plane comprising a spectrometer having a slit for receiving such light and a detector array placed behind the spectrometer. The image corresponding to the at least two points is recorded on the first axis of said detector and the spectral resolution thereof is simultaneously recorded on the second axis of said detector. The confocal scanning microscope apparatus and method offers significant improvements to the current techniques for genetic sequencing, as well as significant improvements to traditional confocal scanning microscope applications.
-
Citations
39 Claims
-
1. A confocal scanning beam microscope, comprising:
-
a) means for supporting a sample to be observed and measured; b) an illumination source producing a light beam along a path toward said sample; c) means for focusing the light beam on a prescribed sample plane of a sample; d) means for scanning the light beam in a predetermined scan pattern on said sample plane; e) means for simultaneously acquiring at least two points of said predetermined scan pattern on the sample plane, wherein said points include a region of the sample represented by at least two image pixels; f) a detection arm placed in the path of light reflected, scattered, or emitted from said region on said sample plane of said sample, comprising means for resolving the spectra of said light from each said region including a light receiving opening, and a detector array placed behind said means for spectrally resolving said region; g) means for focusing the light from said region reflected, scattered, or emitted from said sample plane of said sample to said light receiving opening of said means for resolving the spectra of the light from said region; and h) wherein said detector array comprises means for detecting the image of said region and means for simultaneously detecting the spectra of said light of said region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method for rapid acquisition of spectrally resolved confocal images comprising:
-
a) supporting a sample to be observed and measured; b) transmitting a light beam along a path toward said sample; c) focusing the light beam on a prescribed sample plane of a sample; d) scanning the light beam in a predetermined scan pattern on said sample plane; e) acquiring simultaneously at least two points of said predetermined predetermined scan pattern on the sample plane, wherein said points include a region of the sample represented by at least two image pixels; f) focusing said region to said light receiving opening of means for resolving the spectra of the light from each said region; and g) recording simultaneously the image of said region along one axis of a detector and spectral resolution of the image of said region along a second axis of said detector. - View Dependent Claims (28)
-
-
29. A confocal scanning beam microscope for scanning a gel to detect fluorescence from fluorescence labeled separated samples contained in a plurality of microcapillaries, comprising:
-
a) means for supporting said samples to be observed and measured; b) an illumination source producing a light beam along a path toward said sample; c) means for focusing the light beam on a prescribed sample plane of said samples, wherein said samples are separated in a plurality of microcapillaries arranged in a coplanar parallel array located within said sample plane; d) means for scanning the light beam in a predetermined scan pattern on said sample plane; e) means for simultaneously acquiring a line of points of said predetermined scan pattern on the sample plane, wherein said line of points run perpendicular to and across said plurality of microcapillaries; f) a detection arm placed in the path of light reflected, scattered, or emitted from said line of points on said sample plane of said samples, comprising means for resolving the spectra of said line of points including a light receiving opening, and a detector array placed behind said means for spectrally resolving said line of points; g) means for focusing the light from said line of points reflected, scattered, or emitted from said sample plane of said samples to said light receiving opening of means for resolving the spectra of the light from each said region; and h) wherein said detector arm comprises means for detecting the image of said line of points and means for simultaneously detecting the spectra of said light of said line of points. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
-
Specification