Systems, devices, and methods including a dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus

• US 9,310,289 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokitae LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tokitae LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Behrend, Matthew R., Hegg, Michael C., Horning, Matthew P., Wilson, Benjamin K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Punnoose, Roy M
• Application Number:
  US14/466,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20140362302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 356/337
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0238 Optical sensor arrangements for performing transmission measurements on body tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1233 for measuring blood flow, e.g. at the retina
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0062 Arrangements for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/48 Other medical applications
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/004 specially adapted for a specific therapy
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light G01N3/00 - G01N19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/49 within a body or fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/445 Plasmodium
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/10 affording dark-field illumination G02B21/14 and G02B21/125 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/361 Optical details, e.g. image relay to the camera or image sensor G02B21/364 takes precedence; illumination details G02B21/06 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1313 specially adapted for a particular application
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/30 Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods are described that modulate a specimen-background dark-field micrograph contrast.

Claims

1. A method of modulating a specimen-background dark-field micrograph contrast, comprising:

varying an illumination-collection spacing by varying at least one of an illumination angle of incidence or a collection aperture dimension, based on a detected dark-field contrast differential.

2. The method of modulating the specimen-background dark-field micrograph contrast of claim 1, wherein varying the illumination-collection spacing includes concurrently varying the illumination angle of incidence and the collection aperture dimension.

3. The method of modulating the specimen-background dark-field micrograph contrast of claim 1, wherein varying the illumination-collection spacing includes modulating a separation zone bounded in part by an electromagnetic energy delivered by a dark-field illuminator and a sample-scattering collection zone associated with an effective numerical aperture of an objective assembly.

4. The method of modulating the specimen-background dark-field micrograph contrast of claim 1, wherein varying the effective collection angle includes modulating a numerical aperture associated with a scattered electromagnetic energy collection objective.

5. The method of modulating the specimen-background dark-field micrograph contrast of claim 1, wherein varying the collection aperture dimension includes modulating an effective numerical aperture associated with a scattered electromagnetic energy collection objective.

6. The method of modulating the specimen-background dark-field micrograph contrast of claim 1, wherein varying the collection aperture dimension includes manipulating a plurality of pixels of a liquid crystal display device.

7. The method of modulating the specimen-background dark-field micrograph contrast of claim 1, wherein varying the collection aperture dimension includes actuating an electronic aperture based on a target intensity threshold difference.

8. The method of modulating a specimen-background dark-field micrograph contrast of claim 1, further comprising:

varying one of the illumination angle or the collection aperture dimension while maintaining a substantially fixed illumination-collection spacing.