Techniques for scanned illumination
First Claim
1. A method for operating an imaging system, the method comprising:
- collecting a two-dimensional image of a portion of a substrate on a positioning stage via a digital camera in the imaging system by moving the positioning stage in a first path of travel under an objective lens component of the imaging system that is normal to the optical axis of the objective lens component, wherein the image spans multiple rows of pixels of a sensor element in the camera;
while the camera is collecting the image of the portion of the substrate, performing steps comprising;
scanning a line of light across the portion of the substrate by changing an angle of a scan mirror so that the image of the portion of the substrate that is acquired by the objective lens component is kept still with respect to the digital camera while the substrate is moving in a continuous motion, thereby exposing first one or more rows of pixels spanned by the image while keeping in the dark second one or more rows of pixels spanned by the image; and
reading out the first one or more rows of pixels while continuing to scan the line of light across the portion of the substrate thereby exposing the second one or more rows of pixels.
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Abstract
Imaging systems are provided for high speed, high resolution imaging of biochemical materials. In an example embodiment, an imaging system comprises an objective lens component, a line generator, a digital camera, a positioning stage, and a scan mirror. The line generator generates a line of light that is scanned across a portion of a substrate that is mounted on the positioning stage. The positioning stage moves the substrate in a particular direction that is substantially normal to an optical axis of the objective lens component. The camera collects an image of the portion of the substrate through the objective lens component. The scan mirror moves in coordination with the positioning stage, while the line of light is being scanned across the portion of the substrate and the substrate is being moved in the particular direction, in order to keep the image still with respect to the camera while the image is being collected by the camera.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for operating an imaging system, the method comprising:
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collecting a two-dimensional image of a portion of a substrate on a positioning stage via a digital camera in the imaging system by moving the positioning stage in a first path of travel under an objective lens component of the imaging system that is normal to the optical axis of the objective lens component, wherein the image spans multiple rows of pixels of a sensor element in the camera; while the camera is collecting the image of the portion of the substrate, performing steps comprising; scanning a line of light across the portion of the substrate by changing an angle of a scan mirror so that the image of the portion of the substrate that is acquired by the objective lens component is kept still with respect to the digital camera while the substrate is moving in a continuous motion, thereby exposing first one or more rows of pixels spanned by the image while keeping in the dark second one or more rows of pixels spanned by the image; and reading out the first one or more rows of pixels while continuing to scan the line of light across the portion of the substrate thereby exposing the second one or more rows of pixels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for operating an imaging system, the method comprising:
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collecting an image of a portion of a substrate via a digital camera in the imaging system, wherein the image spans multiple rows of pixels of a sensor element in the camera; while the camera is collecting the image of the portion of the substrate, performing steps comprising; scanning a line of light across the portion of the substrate thereby exposing first one or more rows of pixels spanned by the image while keeping in the dark second one or more rows of pixels spanned by the image; moving the substrate under an objective lens component of the imaging system; changing an angle of a scan mirror so that the image of the portion of the substrate that is acquired by the objective lens component is kept still with respect to the camera while the substrate is moving; and reading out the first one or more rows of pixels while continuing to scan the line of light across the portion of the substrate, thereby exposing the second one or more rows of pixels; wherein changing the angle of the scan mirror includes a first time interval during which the line of light is scanned across the portion of the substrate and a second time interval during which the scan mirror is returned to an initial position; further including ceasing to scan the line of light across the portion of the substrate during the second time interval; and wherein the first time interval is greater than the second time interval. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An imaging system comprising:
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an objective lens component;
a line generator that is configured to generate a line of light that is scanned across a portion of a substrate;a positioning stage that is configured to move the substrate in a first direction path of travel that is substantially normal to an optical axis of the objective lens component; a digital camera that is configured to acquire a two-dimensional image of the portion of the substrate through the objective lens component; and a scan mirror that is configured to move in coordination with the positioning stage, while the line of light is being scanned across the portion of the substrate and the substrate is being moved in the first direction path of travel in a continuous motion, in order to maintain the image still with respect to the camera while the image is being acquired by the camera; and an illumination mirror and a computer logic, wherein the image spans multiple rows of pixels in the camera, and wherein while the camera is acquiring the image of the portion of the substrate;
the illumination mirror is configured and operative to scan the line of light across the portion of the substrate to expose first one or more rows of pixels spanned by the image while keeping in the dark second one or more rows of pixels spanned by the image; and
the computer logic is configured and operative to read out the first one or more rows of pixels while the illumination mirror continues to scan the line of light across the portion of the substrate to expose the second one or more rows of pixels. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification