Apparatus and method for suppression of background noise in microscopy imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9007582-B2
Application number	US-201414215521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Apr 14, 2015
Grant date	Apr 14, 2015

Abstract

An apparatus and method for imaging a section of a medium is disclosed. The apparatus or method receives and returns light from the section and from sites adjacent to the section. A microscope using this apparatus or method can be telecentric in pinhole space at the detection end of the system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for imaging a section of a medium which receives and returns light from the section and from sites adjacent to the section, the apparatus comprising:
an optical system for directing light in beams of different polarization in the medium along an optical axis and returning light from the medium, the optical system comprising:
a pinhole lens assembly configured to receive the returned light, the pinhole lens assembly having a focal length, and wherein the focal length is configured such that a first focal point of the pinhole lens assembly is located substantially at a pupil of the optical system such that the pinhole assembly is telecentric; and

a detector configured to receive the returned light from the pinhole lens assembly and produce an electrical signal in response to the received light.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a processor in communication with the detector and configured to generate an image of the section based on the electrical signal of the detector.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrical signal of the detector is configured to correspond to a polarization parameter of the received light.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the polarization parameter is a function of a differential circular dichroism or optical activity of the returned light.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the polarization parameter is a degree of rotation of the polarization of the returned light.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the beams overlap in the medium to reduce a portion of the light returned from the sites adjacent to the section that are spaced generally along the optical axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the beams are incident in the medium at spots spaced from each other along the optical axis.

8. A method of imaging a section of a medium which receives and returns light from the section and from sites adjacent to the section, the method comprising the steps of:
directing light in beams of different polarization to the medium along an optical axis;
directing light returned from the medium to a detector by way of a pinhole assembly;
causing the returned light to be substantially telecentric at the detector;
detecting, at the detector, the returned light; and
generating an image of the section from the detected light, the image generated in response to a polarization parameter of the returned light.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the beams overlap in the medium to reduce a portion of the light returned from the sites adjacent to the section which are spaced generally along the optical axis.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the beams are incident in the medium at spots spaced from each other along the optical axis.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polarization parameter is a degree of rotation of the polarization of the returned light.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein said polarization parameter is a function of a differential circular dichroism or optical activity of the returned light.

Assignees

• Univ Rochester

Inventors

• Glazowski Christopher

Classifications

• G02B21/0032

  Optical details of illumination, e.g. light-sources, pinholes, beam splitters, slits, fibers (G02B21/0036 - G02B21/008; means for illumination of specimens in general G02B21/06) · CPC title

• G02B21/008 Primary

  Details of detection or image processing, including general computer control · CPC title