High-Throughput Hyperspectral Imaging With Superior Resolution And Optical Sectioning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016202178-A1
Application number	US-201514594956-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 12, 2015
Priority date	Jan 12, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An imaging system includes a light source configured to illuminate a target and a camera configured to image light responsively emitted from the target and reflected from a spatial light modulator (SLM). The imaging system is configured to generate high-resolution, hyperspectral images of the target. The SLM includes a refractive layer that is chromatically dispersive and that has a refractive index that is controllable. The refractive index of the refractive layer can be controlled to vary according to a gradient such that light reflected from the SLM is chromatically dispersed and spectrographic information about the target can be captured using the camera. Such a system could be operated confocally, e.g., by incorporating a micromirror device configured to control a spatial pattern of illumination of the target and to modulate the transmission of light from the target to the camera via the SLM according to a corresponding spatial pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a light source; a first camera, wherein the first camera comprises a plurality of light-sensitive elements disposed on a focal surface of the first camera; a spatial light modulator, wherein the spatial light modulator comprises a reflective layer disposed beneath a refractive layer, wherein the refractive layer is configured to have a refractive index that varies spatially across the spatial light modulator according to a controllable gradient, wherein at least the direction and magnitude of the controllable gradient are electronically controllable, and wherein the refractive layer is chromatically dispersive; and an optical system, wherein the optical system is configured to (i) direct light from the light source to a target, (ii) direct light emitted from the target in response to the light from the light source toward the spatial light modulator, and (iii) direct light emitted from the target and reflected from the spatial light modulator to the first camera such that the focal surface of the first camera is conjugate to a focal surface passing through the target.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the refractive layer has a refractive index that varies substantially linearly with wavelength for wavelengths within a specified range of wavelengths.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the target contains a fluorophore, and wherein the beam of illumination contains light at an excitation wavelength of the fluorophore.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical system is configured to collimate the light emitted from the target in response to illumination that is directed toward the spatial light modulator.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a micromirror device, wherein the micromirror device comprises a substantially planar array of actuatable mirrors disposed on a surface, wherein respective angles of the actuatable mirrors relative to the surface are electronically controllable, wherein the optical system is configured to direct the light from the light source to the target via reflection from a first set of one or more of the actuatable mirrors, and wherein the optical system is configured to direct the light emitted from the target in response toward the spatial light modulator via reflection from the first set of one or more actuatable mirrors such that the surface of the micromirror device is conjugate to the focal surface passing through the target, and wherein the one or more actuatable mirrors in the first set have a first angle relative to the surface of the micromirror device.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second camera, wherein the second camera comprises a plurality of light-sensitive elements disposed on a focal surface of the second camera; a micromirror device, wherein the micromirror device comprises a substantially planar array of actuatable mirrors disposed on a surface, wherein respective angles of the actuatable mirrors relative to the surface are electronically controllable, wherein the optical system is configured to direct the light from the light source to the target via reflection from a first set of one or more of the actuatable mirrors, wherein the optical system is configured to direct the light emitted from the target in response toward the second camera via reflection from the first set of one or more actuatable mirrors such that the surface of the micromirror device is conjugate to the focal surface passing through the target and such that the focal surface of the second camera is conjugate to a focal surface passing through the target, and wherein the optical system is configured to direct the light emitted from the target in response toward the spatial light modulator via reflection from a second set of one or more of the actuatable mirrors, and wherein the one or more actuatable mirrors in the first set have a first angle relative to the surface of the micromirror device and the one or more actuatable mirrors in the second set have a second angle relative to the surface of the micromirror device that is different from the first angle.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an actuated stage, wherein the actuated stage is configured to control the location of the target relative to the optical system.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the spatial light modulator comprises an array of cells having respective electronically controllable refractive indexes.

9 . A method comprising:
illuminating, by a light source, a target, via an optical system configured to direct light from the light source to the target; electronically controlling a spatial light modulator during a first period of time such that a refractive layer of the spatial light modulator has a refractive index that varies spatially across the spatial light modulator according to a controllable gradient, wherein the controllable gradient has at least a first specified direction and a first specified magnitude, wherein the spatial light modulator further comprises a reflective layer disposed beneath the refractive layer, and wherein the refractive layer is chromatically disperse; imaging light emitted from the target in response to the light from the light source during the first period of time using a first camera to produce a first image of the target, wherein the first camera comprises a plurality of light-sensitive elements disposed on a focal surface of the first camera, wherein the optical system is further configured to direct light emitted from the target in response to the light from the light source toward the spatial light modulator and direct light emitted from the target and reflected from the spatial light modulator to the first camera such that the focal surface of the first camera is conjugate to a focal surface passing through the target; and determining spectrographic information for a particular region of the target based at least on the first image of the target.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
electronically controlling the spatial light modulator during a plurality of further periods of time such that the refractive index of the refractive layer varies spatially across the spatial light modulator according to respective controllable gradients having at least respective specified directions and respective specified magnitudes; and imaging light emitted from the target in response to the light from the light source during the plurality of further periods of time using the first camera to produce respective further images of the target, wherein determining spectrographic information for a particular region of the target comprises determining spectrographic information based on the first image and the plurality of further images of the target.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
controlling a spectral resolution of the spectrographic information for the particular region of the target by controlling the first specified magnitude of the controllable gradient.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the target contains a fluorophore, wherein a property of an emission spectrum of the fluorophore is related to a property of the target, wherein controlling a spectral resolution of the spectrographic information comprises controlling the spectrographic resolution to be sufficiently high to determine the property of the target based on determined spectrographic information for the particular region of the target.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the target contains two fluorophores, wherein the two fluorophores have respective different emission spectra, wherein controlling a spectral resolution

Assignees

• Verily Life Sciences Llc

Inventors

• Acosta Victor Marcel
• Backer Adam
• Perreault John D
• Piponi Daniele Paolo

Classifications

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• G02B6/2931

  Diffractive element operating in reflection · CPC title

• G01J3/0237

  Adjustable, e.g. focussing · CPC title

• G01N21/27

  using photo-electric detection (G01N21/31 takes precedence){; circuits for computing concentration (logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J)} · CPC title

• G06T2207/10024

  Color image · CPC title