Apparatus and method for providing high intensity non-coherent light and for speckle reduction
AssigneeCadent Ltd.
InventorsNoam Babayoff, Yossef Atiya, Tzvi Philipp
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Abstract
An apparatus adapted for confocal imaging of a non-flat specimen comprising a light source for producing a light beam, imaging optics adapted to focus the light beam into at least one spot on a surface of a specimen, and a detector adapted to receive and detect light reflected from the specimen surface. The light source comprises an optical system for converting a coherent beam into a plurality of beams, each of which is modified by a moving diffuser within a range of movement that is correlated to the detector's integration time.
Claims41
Optical system for converting a substantially coherent parent light beam into a plurality of light beams having at least reduced spatial coherence of illumination compared to said coherent parent light source, comprising:
- a beam splitter for splitting a parent beam from said coherent parent light source into an array of incident beams, each beam being focused at a spot;
- a moving diffuser arrangement located at or near each said spot, and adapted for presenting a different diffuser part to each focused spot as the diffuser arrangement is moved in a path between at least two positions;
- and
- a collimator arrangement for collimating the light from said coherent light source.
A light source for providing a plurality of light beams, comprising:
- a parent coherent light source for providing a parent beam of coherent light;
- a beam splitter for splitting said parent beam into an array of incident beams, each beam being focused at a spot;
- a moving diffuser arrangement located at or near each said spot, and adapted for presenting a different diffuser part to each focused spot as the diffuser arrangement is moved in a path between at least two positions and
- a collimator arrangement for collimating the light from said coherent light source.
An apparatus adapted for confocal imaging of a non-flat specimen, said apparatus having an optical axis and a predetermined lateral resolution and comprising a light source for producing a light beam, imaging optics adapted to focus the light beam into at least one spot on a surface of a specimen, and a detector having an integration time and adapted to receive and detect light reflected from said surface;
- said light source comprising:
- a parent coherent light source for providing a parent beam of coherent light;
- a beam splitter for splitting said parent beam into an array of incident beams, each beam being focused at a spot;
- and
- a moving diffuser arrangement located at or near each said spot, and adapted for presenting a different diffuser part to each focused spot as the diffuser arrangement is moved in a path between at least two positions.
A method for converting a coherent light source into a plurality of light sources having reduced spatial coherence of illumination compared to said coherent light source, comprising:
- splitting a parent beam from a coherent light source into an array of incident beams, each beam being focused at a spot;
- moving a diffuser arrangement that is located at or near each said spot, and presenting a different diffuser part to each focused spot as the diffuser arrangement is moved in a path between at least two positions;
- and
- collimating the light from said coherent light source.
A method for confocal imaging of a non-flat specimen, the method comprising:
- providing an apparatus comprising a coherent source of light and a detector;
- splitting a parent beam from a coherent light source into an array of incident beams, each beam being focused at a spot;
- moving a diffuser arrangement at the origin of said array of incident beams, and presenting a different diffuser part to each said incident beam as the diffuser arrangement is moved between at least two positions;
- focusing the incident beams into at least one spot on a surface of the specimen by means of imaging optics;
- directing light reflected by the surface toward the detector;
- detecting the light by the detector;
- wherein said diffuser arrangement is moved between said positions within the integration time of the detector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.