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System for obtaining images in bright field and crossed polarization modes and chemical images in raman, luminescence and absorption modes

  • US 7,564,541 B2
  • Filed: 03/30/2006
  • Issued: 07/21/2009
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:

  • (a) a substantially monochromatic light source that illuminates a sample, along a first optical path, with a plurality of photons to thereby produce, along a second optical path, photons scattered or emitted from different locations on or within the sample wherein the first optical path is at an oblique angle with respect to the second optical path;

    (b) a first white light source located under the sample that illuminates the sample with broadband light to thereby produce, along the second optical path, photons transmitted through the sample; and

    a second white light source located above the sample that illuminates the sample with broadband light to thereby produce, along the second optical path, photons reflected from different locations on or within the sample;

    (c) at least one processor that generates first control signals that control operation of the substantially monochromatic light source, the first white light source and the second white light source;

    (d) an optical lens, positioned in the second optical path, that collects photons scattered, emitted, or transmitted along the second optical path;

    (e) a two-dimensional tunable filter, responsive to second control signals generated by the at least one processor and positioned in the second optical path, that sequentially passes photons, in each of a plurality of predetermined wavelength bands, which were scattered or emitted from different locations on or within the sample or transmitted through the sample;

    (f) a first two-dimensional array of detection elements, responsive to third control signals generated by the at least one processor, that detects in a spatially accurate manner photons passed by the two-dimensional filter which were scattered or emitted from different locations on or within the sample or transmitted through the sample;

    (g) a second two-dimensional array of detection elements, responsive to fourth control signals generated by the at least one processor, that detects in a spatially accurate manner photons reflected from different locations on or within the sample and generates an image;

    (h) wherein the system includes instructions, executable by the at least one processor, for alternatively configuring the system in a Raman mode, a luminescence mode, an absorption mode and a brightfield transmission or reflection mode;

    (i) wherein, in said Raman mode, the first control signals control operation of the substantially monochromatic light source in order to produce photons scattered from different locations on or within the sample, the second control signals control operation of the two-dimensional tunable filter such that the tunable filter sequentially passes photons, in each of a plurality of predetermined wavelength bands, which were scattered from different locations on or within the sample, and the third control signals control operation of the first two-dimensional array of detection elements in order to detect in a spatially accurate manner photons passed by the two-dimensional filter which were scattered from different locations on or within the sample;

    (ii) wherein, in said luminescence mode, the first control signals control operation of the substantially monochromatic light source in order to produce photons emitted from different locations on or within the sample, the second control signals control operation of the two-dimensional tunable filter such that the tunable filter sequentially passes photons, in each of a plurality of predetermined wavelength bands, which were emitted from different locations on or within the sample, and the third control signals control operation of the first two-dimensional array of detection elements in order to detect in a spatially accurate manner photons passed by the two-dimensional filter which were emitted from different locations on or within the sample;

    (iii) wherein, in said absorption mode, the first control signals control operation of the first white light source in order to produce photons transmitted through the sample, the second control signals control operation of the two-dimensional tunable filter such that the tunable filter sequentially passes photons, in each of a plurality of predetermined wavelength bands, which were transmitted through the sample, and the third control signals control operation of the first two-dimensional array of detection elements in order to detect in a spatially accurate manner photons passed by the two-dimensional filter which were transmitted through the sample;

    (iv) wherein, in said bright field mode, the first control signals control operation of one of the following;

    the first white light source in order to produce photons transmitted through the sample and the second white light source in order to produce photons reflected from different locations on or within the sample, and the fourth control signals control operation of the second two-dimensional array of detection elements in order to detect in a spatially accurate manner photons which were transmitted or reflected from different locations on or within the sample and to generate a bright field image; and

    (i) wherein the at least one processor combines sequential outputs from the first two-dimensional array of detection elements to generate a chemical image of the sample, wherein each of the sequential outputs from the first two-dimensional array of detection elements corresponds to spatially resolved photons in one of the plurality of predetermined wavelength bands passed by the two-dimensional tunable filter and detected by the first two-dimensional array of detection elements.

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