Microscope system with oblique illumination
AssigneeAndor Technology Limited
InventorsJohn Oreopoulos, Peter Sinclair
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microscope system has an illumination optical system comprising a multi-mode optical fibre having an egress for emitting a laser beam. The egress is located in a plane that is conjugate to the microscope sample plane. The illumination optical system is configured such that the laser beam is incident at the objective lens laterally displaced from the principal optical axis of the objective lens in order that the objective lens delivers the laser beam to the sample plane at an angle that is oblique to the principal optical axis. Utilization of a multi-mode optical fibre for laser delivery in oblique illumination microscopy, such as TIRF microscopy, solves problems associated with using single-mode optical fibres such as alignment and uniformity of illumination.
Claims19
A microscope system for imaging a sample located in a sample plane, the system comprising:
- a microscope objective lens;
- an illumination optical system configured to illuminate the sample plane with a light beam through the objective lens, the illumination optical system comprising a multi-mode optical fibre having an egress for emitting said light beam,
- wherein the illumination optical system is configured such that said egress is located in a beam egress plane that is conjugate to the sample plane, said illumination optical system being configured to form an image of said egress of said multi-mode optical fibre at said sample plane,
- and wherein the illumination optical system is configured such that said light beam is incident at said objective lens laterally displaced from the principal optical axis of the objective lens in order that the objective lens delivers said light beam to the sample plane at an angle that is oblique to the principal optical axis.
The microscope system of any preceding claim, wherein said multi-mode optical fibre is coupled to a light source for generating said light beam, and wherein said light source or said illumination optical system includes means for homogenizing the light beam or is otherwise configured such that said light beam is homogenized.
A method of illuminating a sample plane of a microscope system through an objective lens, the method comprising:
- locating a light beam egress of a multi-mode optical fibre in a beam egress plane that is conjugate to the sample plane;
- illuminating said sample plane using a light beam from the multi-mode optical fibre;
- and causing said light beam to be laterally displaced from a principal optical axis of said objective lens when incident on said objective lens, wherein said illuminating involves creating an image of said light beam egress of said multi-mode optical fibre at said sample plane.
A microscope system for imaging a sample located in a sample plane, the system comprising:
- a microscope objective lens;
- an illumination optical system configured to illuminate the sample plane with a light beam through the objective lens, the illumination optical system comprising a multi-mode optical fibre having an egress for emitting said light beam,
- wherein the illumination optical system is configured such that said egress is located in a beam egress plane that is conjugate to the sample plane, said illumination optical system being configured to create an image of said egress of said multi-mode optical fibre at said sample plane,
- wherein the illumination optional system includes at least one collimating lens arranged to collimate light from said egress, said egress being located at a front focal plane of said at least one collimating lens, a back focal plane of said at least one collimating lens being a conjugate plane to a back focal plane of the objective lens,
- and wherein the illumination optical system is configured such that said light beam is incident at said objective lens laterally displaced from the principal optical axis of the objective lens in order that the objective lens delivers said light beam to the sample plane at an angle that is oblique to the principal optical axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.