4532 results about "Microscope objective" patented technology

Methods and apparatus for rendering quantitative phase maps across and through transparent samples. A broadband source is employed in conjunction with an objective, Fourier optics, and a programmable two-dimensional phase modulator to obtain amplitude and phase information in an image plane. Methods, referred to as Fourier transform light scattering (FTLS), measure the angular scattering spectrum of the sample. FTLS combines optical microscopy and light scattering for studying inhomogeneous and dynamic media. FTLS relies on quantifying the optical phase and amplitude associated with a coherent image field and propagating it numerically to the scattering plane. Full angular information, limited only by the microscope objective, is obtained from extremely weak scatterers, such as a single micron-sized particle. A flow cytometer may employ FTLS sorting.

A system for inspecting a specimen is provided. The system includes an illumination subsystem configured to produce a plurality of channels of light energy, each channel of light energy produced having differing characteristics (type, wavelength, etc.) from at least one other channel of light energy. Optics are configured to receive the plurality of channels of light energy and combine them into a spatially separated combined light energy beam and direct it toward the specimen. A data acquisition subsystem comprising at least one detector is provided, configured to separate reflected light energy into a plurality of received channels corresponding to the plurality of channels of light energy and detect the received channels.

This invention is related to a flow fluorometric device and method employing a two-photon excitation and / or confocal optical set-up. The optical set-up of this invention is optimal for counting small fluorescent biological particles. The active focal volume is diffraction-limited and consequently much smaller than the volume of the flow channel. The excitation and detection concept has been found very efficient for rejection of the background signal. An objective lens with large numerical aperture for focusing the laser and for collecting the fluorescence is used and this restricts the active volume of measurement to a diffraction-limited volume which approximately corresponds to a volume of femtoliter. This volume is significantly smaller than the detection volume of ordinary flow cytometry.

An apparatus includes a light source configured for generating a coherent light beam having a wavelength, λ, a light detector, and beam-forming optics configured for receiving the generated light beam and for generating a plurality of substantially parallel Bessel-like beams directed into a sample in a first direction. Each of the Bessel-like beams has a fixed phase relative to the other Bessel-like beams. Imaging optics are configured for receiving light from a position within the sample that is illuminated by the Bessel-like beams and for imaging the received light onto the detector. The imaging optics include a detection objective having an axis oriented in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction, where the detector is configured for detecting light received by the imaging optics. A processor configured to generate an image of the sample based on the detected light.

An auto-focusing method and device are presented for determining an in-focus position of a sample supported on a substrate plate made of a material transparent with respect to incident electromagnetic radiation. The method utilizes an optical system capable of directing incident electromagnetic radiation towards the sample and collecting reflections of the incident electromagnetic radiation that are to be detected. A focal plane of an objective lens arrangement is located at a predetermined distance from a surface of the substrate, which is opposite to the sample-supporting surface of the substrate. A continuous displacement of the focal plane relative to the substrate along the optical axis of the objective lens arrangement is provided, while concurrently directing the incident radiation towards the sample through the objective lens arrangement to thereby focus the incident radiation to a location at the focal plane of the objective lens arrangement. Reflected components of the electromagnetic radiation to a location objective lens arrangement are continuously detected. The detected reflected components are characterized by a first intensity peak corresponding to an in-focus position of said opposite surface of the substrate, and a second intensity peak spaced in time from the first intensity peak and corresponding to an in-focus position of said sample-supporting surface of the substrate. This technique enables imaging of the sample when in the in-focus position of the sample-supporting surface of the substrate.

A method and apparatus for three dimensional optical microscopy is disclosed which employs dual opposing objective lenses about a sample and extended incoherent illumination to provide enhanced depth or Z.Iadd.-.Iaddend.direction resolution. In a first embodiment, observed light from both objective lenses are brought into coincidence on an image detector and caused to interfere thereon by optical path length adjustment. In a second embodiment, illuminating light from an extended incoherent light source is detected to the sample through both objective lenses and caused to interfere with a section of the sample by adjusting optical path lengths. Observed light from one objective lens is then recorded. In a third embodiment, which combines the first two embodiments, illuminating light from an extended incoherent light source is directed to the sample through both objective lenses and caused to interfere within a section of the sample by adjusting optical path lengths. The observed light from both lenses is caused to interfere on the image detector by the same optical path length adjustment. .Iadd.In a fourth embodiment of the invention, further spatial structure is introduced into the illumination light. Computational processing is used to enhance lateral or XY resolution as well as depth or Z resolution..Iaddend.

An interferometer scans the sample surface laterally with respect to the optical axis of the interferometric objective. The objective is tilted, so that the sample surface is placed at an angle with respect to the maximum coherence plane of the instrument. By moving the sample stage laterally, at an angle, through a point at a set distance from the objective on the objective's optical axis, rather than vertically along the optical axis, different parts of the object intersect the maximum coherence plane at different times as the surface passes through the coherence plane, the precise time depending on the profile of the surface. When the OPD of a point on the object's surface is greater than the coherence length of the light source, the intensity of light reflected from this point does not produce interference fringes. Therefore, the intensity registered by the detector is approximately constant. However, when the object point enters the zone of coherence, the interference effects modulate the intensity the same way as in a regular VSI procedure. As the object moves along the scanning direction, it also has a relative vertical speed with respect to the objective because of the tilt of the objective's optical axis with respect to the scanning plane; therefore, the lateral scanning motion produces an OPD variation as the vertical scan in a conventional system. As a result, light intensity data are acquired continuously as the test surface is scanned, thus elimination the need for stitching multiple sub-sets of data.

In a first aspect the invention is a video camera head comprising an objective lens assembly and a solid state imager (SSI) comprised of a solid state pick up device and additional circuitry adapted to produce an output video signal. The video camera head has a maximum outer diameter of 1.1 mm or less and the length of the objective lens assembly is 2.5 mm or less. In a second aspect the invention is a visualization probe comprising illumination means, an objective lens assembly, and a solid state imager (SSI) comprised of a solid state pick up device and additional circuitry adapted to produce an output video signal. The visualization probe has a maximum outer diameter of 2.8 mm or less. In a third aspect the invention is a medical device comprising a visualization probe comprised of illumination means, an objective lens assembly, and a solid state imager (SSI) comprised of a solid state pick up device and additional circuitry adapted to produce an output video signal. The medical device has a maximum outer diameter of 3.2 mm or less.

A projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines has a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective. At least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧1.6 at the operating wavelength.

The invention provides a wide-angle, low-cost endoscopic objective optical system that is reduced in terms of distortion and field curvature and composed only of spherical lenses, especially a video endoscopic objective optical system. The optical system comprises a first group G1 comprising a negative meniscus lens convex on an object side thereof, an aperture stop S, a second group G2 comprising a positive lens having a plane directed toward an object point side, a third group G3 including at least one concave refractive surface and having a positive refracting power as a whole, and a fourth group G4 comprising a cemented lens comprising a negative meniscus lens and a double-convex lens and having positive refracting power, so that an image is formed at an imaging device I via the first group G1 to the fourth group G4. A chief ray is reflected at the convex surface of the positive lens in the second group in a direction away from an optical axis.

An endoscope is described in which the diameter of the image relay assembly is less than that of the objective lens assembly. An endoscope sheath is also described for sheathing the endoscope and housing or directing optical fibers for use in illuminating the endoscope view of view. An endoscope-sheath system is further described comprising the combination of the endoscope and the endoscope sheath in eccentric alignment to reduce fluid flow impedance between the two.

A microscope for use in total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) is provided. The microscope includes a first white-light source for directing light along a first optical path; an annular slit member disposed in the first optical path, the annular slit member having an annular slit for blocking all but an annulus of light corresponding to the annular slit; and an objective lens for directing the annulus of light to a specimen such that TIRFM of the specimen is achieved. Also provided are various ways for converting the microscope to and from a TIRFM microscope and a conventional microscope.

Methods and devices are disclosed for acquiring depth resolved aberration information using principles of low coherence interferometry and perform coherence gated wavefront sensing (CG-WFS). The wavefront aberrations is collected using spectral domain low coherence interferometry (SD-LCI) or time domain low coherence interferometry (TD-LCI) principles. When using SD-LCI, chromatic aberrations can also be evaluated. Methods and devices are disclosed in using a wavefront corrector to compensate for the aberration information provided by CG-WFS, in a combined imaging system, that can use one or more channels from the class of (i) optical coherence tomography (OCT), (ii) scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, (iii) microscopy, such as confocal or phase microscopy, (iv) multiphoton microscopy, such as harmonic generation and multiphoton absorption. In particular, a swept source (SS) is used that drives both an OCT channel and a coherence gated wavefront sensor, where:a) both channels operate according to SS-OCT principles;b) OCT channel integrates over at least one tuning scan of the swept source to provide a TD-OCT image of the object;c) CG-WFS integrates over at least one tuning scan of the swept source to provide an en-face TD-OCT mapping of the wavefront.For some implementations, simultaneous and dynamic aberration measurements / correction with the imaging process is achieved. The methods and devices for depth resolved aberrations disclosed, will find applications in wavefront sensing and adaptive optics imaging systems that are more tolerant to stray reflections from optical interfaces, such as reflections from the microscope objectives and cover slip in microscopy and when imaging the eye, the reflection from the cornea.

Systems and methods according to embodiments of the present invention facilitate imaging and sectioning of a thick specimen that allow for 3D image reconstruction. An example embodiment employs a laser scanning microscope and sectioning device, where the specimen, and optionally, the sectioning device are affixed to respective programmable stages. The stage normally used for aligning the specimen with the microscope objective is used as an integral component for sectioning the specimen. A specimen is imaged such that the imaging depth is less than the sectioning depth to produce overlap in contiguous sets of images; both acts are repeated until the imaging is completed. A substantially or completely seamless 3D image of the specimen is reconstructed by collecting sets of 2D images and aligning imaged features of structures in overlapping images or portions thereof. Specimen may be from a human, animal, or plant.

An endoscope objective lens for collecting combined bright field (white light) and fluorescence images includes a negative lens group, a stop, and a positive lens group. The lens has a combination of large entrance pupil diameter (≧0.4 mm) for efficiently collecting weak fluorescence light, large ratio between the entrance pupil diameter and the maximum outside diameter (Dentrance / Dmax larger than 0.2), large field of view (FFOV≧120°) and favorably corrected spherical, lateral chromatic and Petzval field curvature for both visible and near infrared wavelengths.

A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a manipulator for reducing rotationally asymmetric image errors. The manipulator in turn contains a lens, an optical element and an interspace formed between the lens and the optical element, which can be filled with a liquid. At least one actuator acting exclusively on the lens is furthermore provided, which can generate a rotationally asymmetric deformation of the lens.

The invention relates to a superwide-angle lens optical system having a long back-focus lens arrangement and comprising a relay lens group. The optical system is constructed of, in order from an object side thereof, an objective lens group Ob having positive refracting power, a primary image-formation plane formed by the objective lens group Ob and a relay lens group R1 having positive refracting power. A field stop FS is positioned at or near the primary image-formation plane, and condition (1-1) is satisfied. h / fo>1.8  (1-1) Here fo is the focal length of the objective lens group Ob, and h is the diameter of an image circle on the primary image-formation plane.

A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus (110) is designed for immersion operation in which an immersion liquid (134) adjoins a photosensitive layer (126). The refractive index of the immersion liquid is greater than the refractive index of a medium (L5; 142; L205; LL7; LL8; LL9). that adjoins the immersion liquid on the object side of the projection objective (120; 120′; 120″). The projection objective is designed such that the immersion liquid (134) is convexly curved towards the object plane (122) during immersion operation.

An auto-focusing method and device are presented for determining an in-focus position of a sample supported on a substrate plate made of a material transparent with respect to incident electromagnetic radiation. The method utilizes an optical system capable of directing incident electromagnetic radiation towards the sample and collecting reflections of the incident electromagnetic radiation that are to be detected. A focal plane of an objective lens arrangement is located at a predetermined distance from a surface of the substrate, which is opposite to the sample-supporting surface of the substrate. A continuous displacement of the focal plane relative to the substrate along the optical axis of the objective lens arrangement is provided, while concurrently directing the incident radiation towards the sample through the objective lens arrangement to thereby focus the incident radiation to a location at the focal plane of the objective lens arrangement. Reflected components of the electromagnetic radiation to a location objective lens arrangement are continuously detected. The detected reflected components are characterized by a first intensity peak corresponding to an in-focus position of said opposite surface of the substrate, and a second intensity peak spaced in time from the first intensity peak and corresponding to an in-focus position of said sample-supporting surface of the substrate. This technique enables imaging of the sample when in the in-focus position of the sample-supporting surface of the substrate.

An optical assembly suitable for use with an optical medium for the storage and retrieval of data, the optical assembly comprising: a source of illumination for providing a beam of optical radiation, an objective lens disposed in the optical path of the beam for redirecting the beam to the optical medium, and a diffractive optical element disposed between the redirected beam of radiation and the optical medium such that at least a portion of the redirected beam of radiation passes through a surface of the diffractive optical element and is reflected to the objective lens.

The invention is an imager assembly for a miniature camera head. The assembly comprises an imaging sensor having conductive leads; an objective lens system placed on top of the sensor; circuitry, mounted beneath the imaging sensor, for driving the sensor and amplifying the electrical signals; and conductive wires electrically linking the internal components of the assembly and for linking the assembly to remote locations. The conductive leads are bent and the circuitry and conductive wires are arranged and mounted such that the dimensions in a plane parallel to the sensor plane of the camera head are approximately equal to or less than the dimensions in the plane of the sensor. The circuitry is capable of delivering signals produced by the imaging sensor for further processing and the components of the imager, except for the imaging surface of the sensor and the objective lens system, are encapsulated by an isolating material.