Cavity enhanced optical microscopy
AssigneeQLIBRI GmbH
InventorThomas Huemmer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to a method for cavity enhanced microscopy, a sample is arranged on a sample carrier of an optical cavity, which is formed by a pair of opposing mirrors. A description defining a lateral motion of the sample during a predefined time interval and a variation of the cavity length during the time interval in a temporally synchronized manner is stored and an actuator system is triggered to move the sample carrier and/or at least one mirror of the pair of mirrors to effect the lateral motion of the sample with respect to the cavity and the variation of the cavity length according to the description. Light is introduced into the cavity and transmitted portions and/or reflected portions and/or scattered portions and/or emitted portions are detected to generate a sensor dataset.
Claims20
A method for performing cavity enhanced microscopy of a sample, the method comprising:
- arranging the sample in an optical cavity, which is formed by a pair of opposing mirrors and which has a variable cavity length, and which is given by a distance between the pair of mirrors, wherein the sample is placed on a sample carrier, which is formed by one of the pair of mirrors or is arranged between the pair of mirrors;
- storing a description defining a lateral motion of the sample relative to the optical cavity during a predefined time interval and a variation of the cavity length during the time interval in a temporally synchronized manner;
- effecting the entire lateral motion of the sample relative to the optical cavity during the time interval and the entire variation of the cavity length during the time interval according to the stored description by triggering an actuator system to move the sample carrier and/or at least one mirror of the pair of mirrors by generating a single trigger signal;
- introducing light into the optical cavity during the lateral motion of the sample and the variation of the cavity length;
- detecting transmitted portions of the introduced light and/or reflected portions of the introduced light and/or scattered portions of the introduced light and/or portions of light emitted from the optical cavity in response to the introduced light;
- and
- generating a sensor dataset depending on the detected transmitted portions and/or the detected reflected portions and/or the detected scattered portions and/or the detected portions of light emitted from the optical cavity.
An optical sensor system for performing cavity enhanced microscopy of a sample, the optical sensor system comprising:
- a pair of opposing mirrors, which is arrangeable to form an optical cavity, wherein a variable cavity length of the optical cavity is given by a variable distance between the pair of mirrors;
- a sample carrier on which the sample is placeable, wherein the sample carrier is formed by one of the pair of mirrors or is arranged between the pair of mirrors;
- a storage device storing a description, which defines a lateral motion of the sample relative to the optical cavity during a predefined time interval and a variation of the cavity length during the time interval in a temporally synchronized manner;
- an actuator system, which is arranged and configured to change the distance between the pair of mirrors and to move the sample carrier relative to the optical cavity laterally;
- a control circuit, which is configured to effect the entire lateral motion of the sample relative to the optical cavity during the time interval and the entire variation of the cavity length during the time interval according to the stored description by triggering the actuator system to move the sample carrier and/or at least one mirror of the pair of mirrors by generating a single trigger signal;
- a light source, which is arrangeable and configured to introduce light into the optical cavity during the lateral motion of the sample and the variation of the cavity length;
- at least one optical detector, which is arrangeable and configured to detect transmitted portions of the introduced light and/or reflected portions of the introduced light and/or scattered portions of the introduced light and/or portions of light emitted from the optical cavity in response to the introduced light;
- and
- an evaluation circuit, which is configured to generate a sensor dataset depending on the detected transmitted portions and/or the detected reflected portions and/or the detected scattered portions and/or the detected portions of light emitted from the optical cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.