Light source modulation for a scanning microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9254083-B2
Application number	US-201314099700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2013
Priority date	Dec 6, 2013
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

Systems, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for imaging an object. The system includes a scanner. The scanner positions a spot of light from a light source on the object along a scanning path. The scanning path includes a plurality of scan lines. The spot moves along the scanning path at a scanning velocity. The scanning velocity is not constant. The intensity of the spot of light is modulated as a function of the scanning velocity. The system includes a detector that is arranged to output data associated with positions along the scanning path. The system includes one or more processors that perform calculations. Pixels are calculated based on the output data. The image is constructed of the object based on the pixels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging system for imaging an object, comprising:
a scanner, wherein the scanner positions a spot of light from a light source on the object along a scanning path, the scanning path includes a plurality of scan lines, wherein the spot moves along the scanning path at a scanning velocity, wherein the scanning velocity is not constant;
a detector arranged to output data associated with positions along the scanning path; and
one or more processors that perform calculations comprising:
calculating pixels based on the output data; and
constructing an image of the object based on the pixels;

wherein, intensity of the spot of light is modulated as a function of the scanning velocity during a first window, and the intensity of the spot of light is substantially zero outside of the first window.

2. The imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising an external modulator for modulating the light source.

3. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the light source is directly modulated.

4. The imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising calculating the pixels by integrating the intensity of the detected light.

5. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the intensity of the spot of light is modulated as a function of the average scanning velocity.

6. The imaging system of claim 5 , wherein the average scanning velocity is averaged over a period equal to the pixel clock time.

7. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the scanner is a resonant scanner that positions the spot of light with sinusoidal motion; and
wherein constructing the image further comprises correcting image distortion caused by the sinusoidal motion by integration.

8. An imaging method for imaging an object, comprising:
scanning a spot of light from a light source on the object along a scanning path, the scanning path includes a plurality of scan lines, wherein the spot moves along the scanning path at a scanning velocity, wherein the scanning velocity is not constant;
modulating intensity of the spot of light as a function of the scanning velocity during a first window, and the intensity of the spot of light is substantially zero outside of the first window;
detecting output data associated with positions along the scanning path;
calculating pixels based on the output data; and
constructing an image of the object based on the pixels.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions for imaging an object, comprising:
sending instructions to a scanner to scan a spot of light from a light source on the object along a scanning path, the scanning path includes a plurality of scan lines, wherein the spot moves along the scanning path at a scanning velocity, wherein the scanning velocity is not constant;
sending instructions to modulate intensity of the spot of light as a function of the scanning velocity during a first window, and the intensity of the spot of light is substantially zero outside of the first window;
receiving output data from a detector, the output data associated with positions along the scanning path;
calculating pixels based on the output data; and
constructing an image of the object based on the pixels.

10. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the first window is a data sampling window used for constructing the image.

11. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the object is a fundus.

12. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the intensity of the spot of light is modulated so that the intensity of the spot of light at an edge of the first window gets less laser power and the intensity of the spot of light at a center of the first window gets more laser power.

13. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the scanner rotates around a predetermined axis.

Assignees

• Canon Kk
• Univ Rochester

Inventors

• Nozato Koji
• Yang Qiang

Classifications

• A61B3/13 Primary

  Ophthalmic microscopes · CPC title

• A61B3/12 Primary

  for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes (A61B3/13 takes precedence) · CPC title