US 10,520,715 B2 · Methods and apparatus for stretched light field microscope

Abstract

The information budget of a light field microscope is increased by increasing the field of view and image circle diameter of the microscope, while keeping the ratio of overall magnification of the microscope to the numerical aperture of the microscope unchanged. Alternatively, the information budget is increased by increasing the field of view and image circle diameter of the microscope by a first factor, while increasing the ratio of overall magnification of the microscope to the numerical aperture of the microscope by a smaller, second factor. In some cases, an infinity-corrected light field microscope has an overall magnification that is greater than the nominal magnification of the objective lens.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

(a) refracting light by passing the light through an infinity-corrected objective lens, then through a tube lens, and then through a lenslet array;
and
(b) then capturing a light field image formed by the light;
wherein
(i) the infinity-corrected objective lens has a focal length,
(ii) the tube lens has a focal length that is longer than 200 millimeters, and
(iii) the microscope has an overall magnification that is substantially greater than a nominal magnification of the objective lens, which nominal magnification is equal to 200 millimeters divided by the focal length of the objective lens.

4 more elements

A method comprising:

(a) refracting light by passing the light through an infinity-corrected objective lens and then through a tube lens;
(b) then further refracting the light by causing different portions of the light to pass through different lenslet arrays in a set of multiple lenslet arrays, in such a way that each of the portions passes through only one lenslet array in the set of lenslet arrays;
and
(c) capturing light field images formed by the light;
wherein the tube lens has a focal length that is longer than 200 millimeters.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/155,874Filed 9 Oct 2018 · continuation

Priority

28 Sep 2014

Published

US 2019/0041624 A17 Feb 2019

Granted

31 Dec 2019

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G02B 21/361
Arranged for photographic purposes or projection purposes or digital imaging or video purposes including associated control and data processing…:…
G02B 21/0004
Microscopes: specially adapted for specific applications
G02B 21/367
Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes: providing an output produced by processing a plurality of individual…
G02B
Optical elements, systems or apparatus

Family

Application62/056,585Us provisional application · filed 28 Sep 2014

Application14/868,340Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Sep 2015

US 2019/0041624 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 Feb 2019

US 10,120,180 B2Parent of this continuation

US 2016/0091705 A1Published application

US 10,520,715 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Methods and apparatus for stretched light field microscope

Life of this patent

Methods and apparatus for stretched light field microscope

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20