Oblique viewing microscope system
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsJean-Claude Andre Chastang, Kathryn Barr Kirtley, Alan Edward Rosenbluth
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Abstract
An improved oblique viewing microscope system including a diffraction grating that oscillates in the plane of the grating and/or an illuminator that oscillates the light rays directed to the object synchronized with the grating period. Additionally, a low frequency diffraction grating is also disclosed. The oscillation and/or low frequency grating provide a high resolution, multi-color image of an object viewed at an oblique angle. A dual oblique viewing microscope system is also disclosed to provide Koehler illumination.
Claims21
An oblique viewing microscope system for providing a high-resolution, multi-color image of an object, comprising:
- means for reflecting an image of an object at a first oblique angle with the normal to the object;
- relay means for projecting the reflected image with a magnification of magnitude substantially unity;
- a movable diffraction grating having a grating period for diffracting the projected image into a plurality of orders, said grating being tilted so that said relay means projects the image onto said grating at a second oblique angle to the normal of the grating, said orders as a group being diffracted substantially parallel to the normal of said grating;
- means for oscillating said diffraction grating in the plane of the grating;
- means for illuminating the object through a filter means having a plurality of slits and means for oscillating the illumination means so that said reflected image is an array of parallel slit-like images;
- and
- detection means for capturing at least two orders and projecting said captured orders into a display means for combining said orders into a high-resolution, multi-color image of said object for viewing.
An oblique viewing microscope system for providing a high-resolution, multi-color image of an object, comprising:
- means for reflecting an image of an object at a first oblique angle with the normal to the object;
- relay means for projecting the reflected image with a magnification of magnitude substantially unity;
- a movable first diffraction grating having a grating period for diffracting the projected image into a plurality of orders, said grating being tilted so that said relay means projects the image onto said grating at a second oblique angle to the normal of the grating, said orders as a group being diffracted substantially parallel to the normal of said grating;
- means for oscillating said movable first diffraction grating in the plane of the grating;
- and
- detection means for capturing at least two orders and projecting said captured orders into a display means for combining said orders into a high-resolution, multi-color image of said object for viewing,
- said reflecting means further comprising:
- a second diffraction grating;
- means for illuminating said second diffraction grating at an angle substantially normal to said second diffraction grating;
- and
- a second relay means for imaging the illuminated second diffraction grating onto the object at a third oblique angle with the normal to the object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.