Confocal microscopy

A method for confocal microscopy which images sections of tissue comprising the steps of:

• producing a single beam of long coherence length light of different wavelengths which represents the combination of a plurality of different beams of long coherence length light each of said different wavelengths;
• separating said single beam into an imaging beam and a reference beam;
• modulating the phase of said reference beam;
• scanning and focusing said imaging beam below the surface of said tissue and collecting returned light from said tissue;
• interacting said returned light with said modulated reference beam to provide a combined return beam which has heterodyne components;
• detecting said combined return beam to provide electrical signals corresponding to said components;
• and
• processing said electrical signals to produce an image of said tissue section.

A system for imaging below the surface of an object comprising:

• a confocal optical system for scanning said object and collecting light from said object;
• a plurality of light sources operating at different wavelengths of long coherence length light which are combined into a single beam for illuminating said confocal optical system;
• means for splitting said single beam into an imaging beam for illuminating said confocal optical system and a reference beam;
• means for modulating said reference beam;
• means for combining said collected light from said object and said modulated reference beam;
• means for detecting the portion of said combined light representing a section of said object to produce electrical signals representative of said section;
• and
• means for producing an image of said section of said object in accordance with said electrical signals.

A method for producing an image of a section of an object using confocal optics which scan and collect light from said object comprising the steps of:

• combining into a single beam light from a plurality of beams of different wavelengths of long coherence length light;
• splitting said single beam into an imaging beam for illuminating said object via said confocal optical system and a reference beam;
• modulating said reference beam;
• combining light collected by said confocal optical system and said modulated reference beam;
• detecting the portion of said combined light representing said section of said object to produce electrical signals representative of said section;
• and
• producing an image of said section in accordance with said electrical signals.

A system for imaging sections of tissue below the surface of said tissue comprising:

• a light source for producing a single beam of light of different wavelengths of long coherence length light which represents the combination of a plurality of different beams of each of said different wavelengths;
• first optics for separating said single beam into an imaging beam and a reference beam;
• a reference arm having an optical modulator for modulating the phase of said reference beam, in which said reference beam travels along said reference arm along a reference arm path;
• an image arm having confocal optics for scanning and focusing said imaging beam below the surface of said tissue and collecting returned light of said imaging beam from said tissue, in which said imaging beam travels along said image arm along an image arm path;
• second optics for spatially overlapping said returned light with said modulated reference beam to provide a combined return beam which has heterodyne components, wherein the difference in length of said image arm path and said reference arm path between said first and second optics is in accordance with said different wavelengths;
• a detector which receives said return beam and produces electrical signals corresponding to said components;
• and
• means for processing said electrical signals to produce an image of said tissue section.

A confocal microscope system for imaging sections of tissue below the surface of said tissue comprising:

• a light source for producing a single beam of light of different wavelengths which represents the combination of a plurality of different beams of each of said different wavelengths;
• first optics for separating said single beam into an imaging beam and a reference beam;
• an optical modulator for modulating the phase of said reference beam;
• confocal optics for scanning and focusing said imaging beam below the surface of said tissue and collecting returned light of said imaging beam from said tissue in which said confocal optics have a numerical aperture;
• second optics for interacting said returned light with said modulated reference beam to provide a combined return beam which has heterodyne components;
• a detector which receives said return beam and produces electrical signals corresponding to said components;
• and
• means for processing said electrical signals to produce an image of said tissue section having an axial resolution in accordance with the numerical aperture of the confocal optics, the different wavelengths of said single beam, and the number of different beams providing said single beam.

A method for confocal microscopy which images sections of tissue comprising the steps of:

• producing a single beam of light of different wavelengths which represents the combination of a plurality of different beams of each of said different wavelengths;
• separating said single beam into an imaging beam and a reference beam;
• modulating the phase of said reference beam;
• scanning and focusing said imaging beam below the surface of said tissue and collecting returned light from said tissue;
• interacting said returned light with said modulated reference beam to provide a combined return beam which has heterodyne components;
• detecting said combined return beam to provide electrical signals corresponding to said components;
• and
• processing said electrical signals to produce an image of said tissue section having an axial resolution in accordance with at least the different wavelengths of said single beam and the number of different beams providing said single beam.

A system for imaging sections of tissue comprising:

• a light source for producing a single beam of light of different wavelengths which represents the combination of a plurality of different beams of each of said different wavelengths;
• first optics for separating said single beam into an imaging beam and a reference beam;
• an optical modulator for modulating the phase of said reference beam;
• confocal optics for scanning and focusing said imaging beam below the surface of said tissue and collecting returned light of said imaging beam from said tissue in which said confocal optics have a numerical aperture;
• second optics for interacting said returned light with said modulated reference beam to provide a combined return beam;
• a detector having an aperture which receives said combined return beam through said aperture to spatially limit the light of the combined returned beam to a focal plane in the tissue and produce electrical signals in accordance with said combined returned light;
• and
• means for processing said electrical signals to produce an image of said tissue section.