US 6,128,077 A · Confocal spectroscopy system and method

Abstract

A confocal spectral imaging system comprises a light source, a light modulator forming an illumination aperture and directing an illumination pattern to conjugate object locations, and analyzing means with a detection aperture, dispersive elements and a detector, wherein the illumination and detection apertures are in conjugate optical planes, and the light modulator consist of an array of light modulator elements, a group of which being arranged according to the illumination pattern and forming the illumination aperture, and are controlled such that the illumination pattern is directed to time-dependent changing conjugate locations of the object. A programmable light source comprises a white light source, dispersion means and a spatial light modulator with an array of individually time-dependent controllable modulator elements being illuminated with the dispersed light and providing a position selective transmittivity or reflectivity, so that a light with a predetermined wavelength distribution passes the light modulator.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A confocal spectral imaging system comprising:

light source means;
light modulator means being arranged in a light path between said light source means and an object under investigation, said light modulator means comprising a two-dimensional array of light modulator elements, a group of which being arranged according to a predetermined illumination pattern to be formed in conjugate locations of said object, said light modulator elements forming an illumination aperture, wherein said light modulator means is controllable such that the illumination pattern is directed to time-dependent changing conjugate locations of the object, and
analyzing means with spectrally dispersive elements and a detector camera, said analyzing means capable of collecting from said object spectrally resolved light with multiple wavelengths in a dispersed state, wherein a detection aperture is arranged in a light path between said object and said spectrally dispersive elements, and said illumination and detection apertures are placed in conjugate optical planes.

A confocal spectral imaging method, comprising the steps of:

focusing illumination light from a light source means via light modulator means forming an illumination aperture and shaping a predetermined illumination pattern, to conjugate locations of an object under investigation, wherein said light modulator means comprises a two-dimensional array of light modulating elements which are controlled in a time-dependent fashion such that light modulating elements shaped according to the illumination aperture form an illumination pattern sequence, and
collecting spectrally resolved light with multiple wavelengths in a dispersed state emitted from said object with analyzing means with a detection aperture, spectrally dispersive elements and a detector camera, wherein the illumination and detection apertures are placed in conjugate optical planes.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Confocal spectroscopy system and method

Life of this patent

Confocal spectroscopy system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29