Spatial light modulator apparatus

• US 20050213188A1
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andor Technology PLC (Oxford Instruments PLC)
• Original Assignee: Andrew Frank Desimone, Bruce Crary
• Inventors: DeSimone, Andrew Frank, Crary, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 6,972,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/06 Means for illuminating specimens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/088 for both incident illumination and transillumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/365 Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes G02B21/361, G02B21/362 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0857 Static memory circuit, e.g. flip-flop
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/346 based on modulation of the reflection angle, e.g. micromirrors micromirrors devices per se G02B26/0833

Abstract

A spatial light modulator apparatus for an optical microscope system including an optical head with a mounting flange for mounting the optical head to a port of the microscope, a DMD for generating a pattern image of light, a light source mount for receiving a source of illumination, and one or more optical elements for directing light from the source of illumination to the DMD and to direct the pattern image generated by the DMD to the microscope. A DMD controller has a digital input and is connected to the DMD for driving the individual micromirrors of the DMD to generate the pattern image. A pattern generation subsystem is configured to output pattern image data and a digital interface is connected between the digital input of the DMD controller and the pattern generation subsystem, the digital interface configured to provide a digital drive signal to the DMD controller corresponding to the pattern image data.

Claims

1. A digital interface interconnected between a controller for a spatial light modulator device and a pattern generation subsystem, the digital interface comprising:

a clock which provides a clock signal; and

a logic device responsive to pattern image data output by the pattern generation subsystem and the clock signal and configured to assign pixels to the pattern image data and to serialize the assigned pixels according to the clock signal to reformat the pattern image data to correspond to the spatial addressing of the spatial light modulator device.

2. The digital interface of claim 1 in which the spatial light modulator is a DMD.

3. The digital interface of claim 1 in which the logic device is a programmable logic device or a field programmable gate array.

4. The digital interface of claim 2 further including a digital cable connecting the digital interface to a DMD controller connected to the DMD.

5. The digital interface of claim 4 in which the DMD controller is configured to buffer the reformatted pattern image data and to load the memory cells of the DMD.

6. The digital interface of claim 1 in which the logic device is further configured to generate a plurality of timing signals based on the clock signal to synchronize serialization of the assigned pixels.

7. The digital interface of claim 6 in which the plurality of timing signals correspond to DMD address counter signals.

8. The digital interface of claim 7 in which several of the said DMD address counter signals are multiplied in frequency by the logic device to provide faster global dark resets.

9. The digital interface of claim 8 in which the logic device is further configured to provide a reset command, a new state command, and a hold command.

10. The digital interface of claim 1 in which the digital interface is on a PC card received in a computer and wherein the pattern generation subsystem is operable on the computer.