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Apparatus and method to reduce vignetting in microscopic imaging

  • US 10,502,944 B2
  • Filed: 10/02/2017
  • Issued: 12/10/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2017
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for correcting the intensity of light across the field of view of an image sensor in a microscope apparatus to correct for the vignetting of light from a light source of the microscope apparatus, the microscope apparatus including an image sensor having pixels, and a specimen stage, wherein light from the light source travels along a light path to the specimen stage and then to the image sensor the method comprising the steps of:

  • interposing a programmable spatial light modulator, pSLM, in the light path between the light source and the image sensor, the pSLM having a plurality of pixels;

    modulating the intensity of light passing through one or more pixels of the plurality of pixels of the pSLM to produce an altered illumination landscape at the field of view of the image sensor that reduces the effects of vignetting of light that would otherwise be produced at the image sensor,wherein, prior to the step of modulating, the method further includes the step of;

    assessing a reference illumination landscape of the microscope apparatus, said step of assessing including;

    placing a reference specimen in the field of view of the image sensor,defining a plurality of segments of the pSLM, each segment having one or more pixels,illuminating the reference specimen with the light source at a power level P1, andseparately measuring the intensity of light reaching the image sensor through each segment of the pSLM at power level P1, by separately allowing each segment to transmit light while the remaining segments block at least a portion of light, andwherein said step of modulating the intensity of light passing through the pSLM includes;

    identifying the segment with the lowest intensity of the reference illumination landscape, herein Smin, having an intensity ISmin; and

    reducing the intensity of light passing through each of the pixels of the segments of the pSLM that are greater than ISmin at power level P1 to more closely approach ISmin.

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