US 8,559,014 B2Granted

High-resolution, common-path interferometric imaging systems and methods

OwnerHwan J. Jeong, David A. Markleinventors

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Abstract

High-resolution, common-path interferometric imaging systems and methods are described, wherein a light source generates and directs light toward a sample from different directions. An optical imaging system collects the resultant scattered and unscattered components. A variable phase shifting system adjusts the relative phase of the components. The interfered components are sensed by an image sensing system. The process is repeated multiple times with different phase shifts to form corresponding multiple electronic signals representative of raw sample images, which are processed by a signal processor to form a processed image. Multiple processed images, each corresponding to a different illumination azimuth angle, are combined to extend the system resolution.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A common path, interferometric imaging system for forming a resolution-enhanced image of a sample, comprising:

an illumination source that sequentially illuminates the sample from different directions to form for each illumination a plurality of substantially unscattered light components and substantially scattered light components that have a relative phase;
an optical imaging system that has a pupil and that, collects and images the substantially scattered light components and the substantially unscattered light components for each illumination, wherein the substantially scattered light components, and the substantially unscattered light components pass through a portion of the pupil;
a variable phase shifting system located substantially at the pupil and that varies said relative phase by at least three different amounts for each illumination;
a detector having an array of pixels that sense for each illumination an intensity of combined portions of the substantially scattered light component and the substantially unscattered light component after the relative phase is adjusted and after they have interfered with one another, and that generates in response thereto at least three raw images;
and
processing means operably connected to the detector for receiving and processing the at least three raw images for each illumination and forming therefrom a complex amplitude of an optical field for each detector pixel, and Fourier-processing the complex amplitudes for each illumination to form the resolution-enhanced image of the sample.

3 more elements

A common-path interferometric method of forming a resolution-enhanced image of a sample, comprising:

sequentially performing a plurality of illuminations of the sample at different directions relative to the sample to form a plurality of substantially unscattered light components and a substantially scattered light components;
collecting the substantially scattered light components and the substantially unscattered light components with an optical imaging system having a pupil, wherein the substantially scattered light components and the substantially unscattered light components have a relative phase, and wherein the unscattered components pass through a portion of the pupil;
for each illumination, adjusting substantially at the pupil said relative phase by two or more amounts;
sensing combined portions of the substantially scattered light components and the substantially unscattered light components after said relative phase adjusting to generate a set of raw sample images for each illumination;
processing each set of raw sample images to define a complex amplitude image for each illumination, and Fourier-transforming each complex amplitude image to define a corresponding spatial frequency spectrum for each illumination;
orienting and then coherently merging the spatial frequency spectra;
and
inverse Fourier-transforming the coherently merged frequency spectra for the different illuminations to form the resolution-enhanced sample image.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/924,244Filed 23 Sep 2010 · us provisional application
Priority: 25 Sep 2009
Published: US 2011/0075928 A131 Mar 2011
Granted: 15 Oct 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G02B 27/58
Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00: optics for apodization or superresolution;…
A61B 6/5282
Involving detection or reduction of artifacts or noise: due to scatter
G02B
Optical elements, systems or apparatus
A61B
Medical diagnosis and surgery