High sensitivity sensor utilizing ultra-fast laser pulse excitation and time delayed detector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10520437-B1
Application number	US-201916421702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 24, 2019
Priority date	May 24, 2019
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A system for imaging a biological target includes a light excitation source providing an excitation laser pulse. The system also includes an objective lens that receives reflections of the excitation laser pulse. The system further includes a reimaging optical lens that generates an image of an entrance pupil of the objective lens. The system includes a time-delayed detector that detects the image of the entrance pupil.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for imaging a biological target, comprising:
a light excitation source providing an excitation laser pulse;
an objective lens that receives reflections of the excitation laser pulse;
a reimaging optical lens that generates an image of an entrance pupil of the objective lens; and
a time-delayed detector that detects the image of the entrance pupil.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the objective lens, the reimaging optical lens, and the detector are enclosed in a housing.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system does not include a spectral band filter.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the detector is a complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the time-delayed detector comprises a shutter.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a controller that activates the time-delayed detector after the light excitation source has been deactivated.

7. A system for imaging a biological target, comprising:
a light excitation source providing an excitation laser pulse;
a total internal reflectance microscope objective lens;
an objective lens that receives reflections of the excitation laser pulse;
a reimaging optical lens that generates an image of an entrance pupil of the objective lens; and
a time-delayed detector that detects the image of the entrance pupil.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the objective lens, the reimaging optical lens, and the detector are enclosed in a housing.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the system does not include a spectral band filter.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the detector is a complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the time-delayed detector comprises a shutter.

12. The system of claim 7 further comprising a controller that activates the time-delayed detector after the light excitation source has been deactivated.

13. A method for imaging a biological target, the method comprising:
providing an excitation laser pulse to the biological target;
receiving, by an objective lens, reflections of the excitation laser pulse from the biological target;
generating an image, by a reimaging optical lens, of an entrance pupil image of the objective lens; and
detecting by a detector, following a time delay, the entrance pupil image.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the objective lens, the reimaging optical lens, and the detector are encased in a housing.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the method does not include using a spectral band filter.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the detector is a complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the detector comprises a shutter.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein detecting by the detector occurs after a light source that emits the excitation laser pulse has been deactivated.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the biological target comprises deoxyribonucleic acid.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein providing the excitation laser pulse is through a total internal reflectance microscope objective lens.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Stebbins Adriane
• Spariosu Kalin
• Cook Lacy G

Classifications

• G02B27/56

  Optics using evanescent waves, i.e. inhomogeneous waves · CPC title

• G01N21/648 Primary

  using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence · CPC title

• G01N21/6458 Primary

  Fluorescence microscopy (fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16) · CPC title

• G01N21/6428

  Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" (in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53) · CPC title

• G01N2021/6439

  with indicators, stains, dyes, tags, labels, marks · CPC title