Modular, electro-optical device for increasing the imaging field of view using time-sequential capture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11294165-B2
Application number	US-201815939107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure provides optical image acquisition methods and devices for microscopy systems that enhance the field-of-view during image acquisition. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the methods and devices for enhancing the field-of-view of a sample during image acquisition in an optical imaging system include directing an incident electromagnetic field through a plurality of polarization-selective gratings, where each of the polarization-selective gratings is configured to apply a discrete amount of angular displacement to the incident electromagnetic field in a direction transverse or axial to the optical system's electromagnetic axis, resulting in an enhanced field-of-view during image acquisition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical image acquisition method, the method comprising:
directing an incident light beam through an optical imaging acquisition device, the optical imaging acquisition device comprising:
a voltage-controlled variable wave plate configured to receive the incident light beam, to modulate the polarization thereof, and to receive a zeroth voltage across the wave plate;
four liquid crystal polarization-selective gratings, wherein the liquid crystal polarization gratings are configured to encode arbitrary optical field patterns upon the incident light beam, the liquid crystal polarization-selective gratings comprising:
a first liquid crystal polarization-selective grating configured to receive a first light beam corresponding to an output of the voltage-controlled wave plate and to receive a first voltage across the grating, wherein application of the first voltage across the first polarization-selective grating controls displacement of the first light beam by a first angle (−θ x ), wherein the first angle corresponds to displacing incident light by a first magnitude in a negative direction along an x-axis that is co-planer with the first polarization-selective grating;
a second liquid crystal polarization-selective grating configured to receive a second light beam corresponding to an output of the first polarization-selective grating and to receive a second voltage, wherein application of the second voltage across the second polarization-selective grating controls displacement of the second light beam by a second angle (+θ x ), wherein the second angle corresponds to displacing incident light by the first magnitude in a positive direction along the x-axis;
a third liquid crystal polarization-selective grating configured to receive a third light beam corresponding to an output of the second polarization-selective grating and to receive a third voltage, wherein application of the third voltage across the third polarization-selective grating controls displacement of the third light beam by a third angle (−θ y ), wherein the third angle corresponds to displacing incident light by a second magnitude in a negative direction along a y-axis that is co-planer with the third polarization-selective grating and perpendicular to the x-axis; and
a fourth liquid crystal polarization-selective grating configured to receive a fourth light beam corresponding to an output of the third polarization-selective grating and to receive a fourth voltage, wherein application of the fourth voltage across the fourth polarization-selective grating controls displacement of the fourth light beam by a fourth angle (+θ y ), wherein the fourth angle corresponds to displacing incident light by the second magnitude in a positive direction along the y-axis; and
a voltage controller configured to apply combinations of the zeroth, first, second, third and fourth voltages across the voltage-controlled variable wave plate and the liquid crystal polarization-selective gratings;

applying, by the voltage controller, different combinations of voltages across the voltage-controlled variable wave plate and the polarization-selective gratings to acquire a plurality of images by sweeping the incident light beam across an angular range by modulating the incident light beam through the polarization-selective gratings, wherein the plurality of images corresponds to sweeping the incident light beam through a plurality of:
a lower left position corresponding to displacing the incident light beam by −θ x along the x-axis and −θ y along the y-axis (−θ x , −θ y );
a middle left position corresponding to displacing the incident light beam by −θ x along the x-axis and no displacement along the y-axis (−θ x , 0);
an upper left position corresponding to displacing the incident light beam by −θ x along the x-axis and +θ y along the y-axis (−θ x , +θ y );
a lower middle position corresponding to no displacement of the incident light beam along the x-axis and displacing the incident light beam by −θ y along the y-axis (0, −θ y );
a middle position corresponding to no displacement of the incident light beam along the x-axis and no displacement of the incident light beam along the y-axis (0, 0);
an upper middle position corresponding to no displacement of the incident light beam along the x-axis and displacing the incident light beam by +θ y along the y-axis (0, +θ y );
a lower right position corresponding to displacing the incident light beam by +θ x along the x-axis and −θ y along the y-axis (+θ x , −θ y );
a middle right position corresponding to displacing the incident light beam by +θ x along the x-axis and no displacement of the incident light beam along the y-axis (+θ x , 0); and
an upper right position corresponding to displacing the incident light beam by +θ x along the x-axis and +θ y along the y-axis (+θ x , +θ y ); and

generating a composite image comprised of the plurality of acquired images, wherein the composite image exhibits a larger field-of-view than each of the plurality of acquired images.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each discrete amount of angular displacement to the incident light beam is configured to pan an acquired image.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the four polarization-selective gratings are arranged serially.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein modulating the incident light beam through the plurality of polarization-selective gratings results in a polarization incident for each independent polarization-selective grating.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising modulating the polarization incident upon each independent polarization-selective grating by:
a) a voltage across each polarization-selective grating;
b) a voltage across a variable wave-plate retarder; or
c) a combination of a) and b).

6. A device attached to an optical imaging system, the device comprising:
a voltage-controlled variable wave plate configured to receive the incident light beam, to modulate the polarization thereof, and to receive a zeroth voltage across the wave plate;
four liquid crystal polarization-selective gratings, wherein the liquid crystal polarization gratings are configured to encode arbitrary optical field patterns upon the incident light beam, the liquid crystal polarization-selective gratings comprising:
a first liquid crystal polarization-selective grating configured to receive a first light beam corresponding to an output of the voltage-controlled wave plate and to receive a first voltage across the grating, wherein application of the first voltage across the first polarization-selective grating controls displacement of the first light beam by a first angle (−θ x ), wherein the first angle corresponds to displacing incident light by a first magnitude in a negative direction along an x-axis that is co-planer with the first polarization-selective grating;
a second liquid crystal polarization-selective grating configured to receive a second light beam corresponding to an output of the first polarization-selective grating and to receive a second voltage, wherein application of the second voltage across the second polarization-selective grating controls displacement of the second light beam by a second angle (+θ x ), wherein the second angle corresponds to displacing incident light by the first magnitude in a positive direction along the x-axis;
a third liquid crystal polarization-selective grating configured to receive a third light beam corresponding to an output of the second polarization-selective grating and to receive a third voltage, wherein application of the third voltage across the third polarization-selective grating controls displacement of the third light beam by a third angle (−θ y ), wherein the third angle corresponds to displacing incident light by a second magn

Assignees

• Univ Leland Stanford Junior

Inventors

• Deisseroth Karl A
• Quirin Sean

Classifications

• H04N23/695

  Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects · CPC title

• H04N23/698

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• G02B21/0012

  Surgical microscopes (counterbalanced structures for surgical microscopes G02B7/001) · CPC title

• G02B21/0092

  Polarisation microscopes · CPC title