US 8,264,694 B2Granted

Quantitative phase-contrast and excitation-emission systems

AssigneeUT-Battelle, LLC

InventorsChristopher J. Mann, Philip R. Bingham

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Abstract

An optical system includes an optical interferometer that generates interference phenomena between optical waves to measure multiple distances, thicknesses, and indices of refraction of a sample. An excitation-emission device allows an electromagnetic excitation and emission to pass through an objective in optical communication with the sample. An electromagnetic detector receives the output of the optical interferometer and the excitation-emission device to render a magnified image of the sample. A digital delay generator synchronizes the optical interferometer and excitation-emission device to operate in substantially unison to generate a noninvasive depth of field of the portion of the sample that corrects a plurality of optical aberrations in real-time.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An optical system comprising:

a plurality of optical interferometers configured to:
split light emitted from a plurality of light sources into first optical waves and second optical waves,
combine the first optical waves into a first combined optical wave that is transmitted through a sample and
combine the second optical waves into a second combined optical wave to serve as a reference wave, and
generate an interference phenomena between the first combined optical wave that is transmitted through the sample and the second combined optical wave to measure a plurality of distances, a plurality of thicknesses, and a plurality of indices of refraction of at least a portion of the sample,
an objective in optical communication with the sample, the objective configured to:
receive the first combined optical wave after the first combined optical wave is transmitted through the sample;
transmit an electromagnetic excitation to the sample, the electromagnetic excitation being transmitted to the sample for generation of emissions by the sample when the sample is subjected to the electromagnetic excitation;
and
receive the emissions generated by the sample;
an excitation-emission device configured to transmit the electromagnetic excitation to the objective;
an electromagnetic detector that receives at least one output of the plurality of optical interferometers and an output of the excitation-emission device to render a magnified image of at least a portion of the sample;
a digital delay generator that synchronizes at least one of the plurality of optical interferometers and the excitation emission device to operate in substantially unison to generate a noninvasive depth of field of the portion of the sample that corrects a plurality of optical aberrations in real-time;
and
a display that renders a magnified image of the at least portion of the sample in realtime.

12 more elements

An optical system comprising:

a plurality of optical interferometers configured to:
split light emitted from a plurality of light sources into first and second optical waves;
combine the first optical waves into a first combined optical wave that is transmitted through a sample;
and
combine the second optical waves into a second combined optical wave that serves as a reference wave;
generate an interference phenomena between the first combined optical wave that is transmitted through the sample and the second combined optical wave to measure a plurality of distances, a plurality of thicknesses, and a plurality of indices of refraction of at least a portion of the sample,
an objective an objective in optical communication with the sample, the objective configured to:
receive the first combined optical wave after the first combined optical wave is transmitted through the sample;
transmit an electromagnetic excitation to the sample, the electromagnetic excitation being transmitted to the sample for generation of emissions by the sample when the sample is subjected to the electromagnetic excitation;
and
receive the emissions generated by the sample;
an excitation-emission device configured to transmit the electromagnetic excitation to the objective;
an electromagnetic detector that receives at least one output of the plurality of optical interferometers and an output of the excitation-emission device to render a magnified image of the at least a portion of the sample;
a digital delay generator that synchronizes the plurality of optical interferometers and excitation-emission device to operate in unison to generate a noninvasive depth of field of the portion of the sample in real-time;
a display that renders a magnified image of the at least portion of the sample in real time, where the electromagnetic detector comprises a monochrome charge coupled device that stores a portion of the at least one output of the plurality of optical interferometers;
and
a red, green, blue (RGB) charge coupled device camera that stores a portion of the output of the excitation-emission device in a memory.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.