Point source microscope: device, methods and assembly procedures

A method of aligning a point source module, said point source module comprising:

• (a) a Shack cube comprising a beam splitter cube having four optically functional faces, with an optical element having a spherical reference surface secured to one of said four faces and defining a reference arm;
• (b) a test arm that is associated with transmission of optical radiation from a source to a sample and through one of the following:
• (i) said reference surface, or
• (ii) a face of said beam splitter cube adjacent said reference surface and on the opposite side of the beam splitting surface from said reference surface;
• (c) a point source of optical radiation whose emissions are incident on a face of said beam splitter cube such that light from said source traverses both said reference arm and said test arm;
• and
• (d) a detector associated with a face of said beam splitter cube adjacent said source and on the opposite side of said beam splitting surface from said source comprising a detector arm, an objective lens associated with said test arm, or both, said method comprising combining a cat's eye-type reflection with said objective lens so that images from said spherical reference surface and from said objective lens are coincident or separated, as desired.

A method of using a point source microscope, said point source microscope comprising:

• (a) a Shack cube comprising a beam splitter cube having four optically functional faces, with an optical element having a spherical reference surface secured to one of said four faces and defining a reference arm;
• (b) a test arm comprising an objective lens that is associated with transmission of optical radiation from a source to a sample and through one of the following:
• (i) said reference surface, or
• (ii) a face of said beam splitter cube adjacent said reference surface and on the opposite side of said beam splitting surface from said reference surface;
• (c) a point source of optical radiation whose emissions are incident on a face of said beam splitter cube such that light from said source traverses both said reference arm and said test arm;
• and
• (d) a detector associated with the face of said beam splitter cube adjacent said source and on the opposite side of said beam splitting surface from said source so as to receive optical radiation that has reflected from both said spherical reference surface and from said sample after passing through said objective lens, said method comprising obtaining information relating to optical datums, mechanical datums, or both.