Wayne State University

Pao-Kuang Kuo

Robert L Thomas

Lawrence D Favro

Li Chen

Hui J Jin

A direct-view stereoscopic confocal microscope including a light source, an aperture plate, image collector, and first and second vibrators. The light source is used for illuminating a portion of a specimen and the aperture plate is used for passing a portion of the light emanating from the light source onto a portion of the specimen. The image collector is optically coupled to the illuminated portion of the specimen and acts to separate the image created by the illuminated portion of the specimen from the light illuminating the specimen. A first vibrator is coupled to the specimen for vibrating the specimen along a first axis and the second vibrator is coupled to the image collector, and synchronized with said first vibrator, for vibrating the collecting means along a second axis.

Direct-view stereoscopic confocal microscope

The assembly (10, 10') is a real time imaging device for detecting radiation from an object field (12) which is periodic in time. A video camera (14) detects emitted and reflected radiation from the object field (12) and produces a video signal of the image and a timing signal. A processor (16) synchronously averages successive video signals and stores same in an image buffer (26) to obtain an image from which has been eliminated unsynchronous noise. Alternatively, the elimination of unsynchronous or ambient noise may be performed partially or wholly within the camera (14) prior to processing.

Synchronous imaging system

A method for constructing a Nipkow disk using a zone plate disk, comprises the steps of constructing a zone plate disk, including the substep of disposing a plurality of focusing means a long a disk, wherein the plurality of focusing means have a common focal distance; placing a photographic plate at the focal distance of the plurality of focusing means; illuminating the plurality of focusing means with a light source such that the illumination is passed through the plurality of focusing means and focused onto the photographic plate thereby creating an image of a plurality of points of focused illumination; and capturing the image created on the photographic plate and using it to construct the Nipkow disk.

Method of constructing confocal microscope components

The assembly (10) utilizes real-time imaging for detecting radiation from an object field (12) which has a component which is periodic in time. A video camera (14) detects emitted and reflected radiation from the object field (12) and produces a video signal comprising a series of pixels representing a frame of the image. A dynamically averaged offset derived from the original video signal is subtracted from the video signal leaving only information from the time-varying component of the video object field. The resulting signal is digitized by a digitizer (18) contained in a processor (16). The processor (16) averages the successive frames as synchronous images based on the periodicity of the object field (12) to eliminate unsynchronous noise from the image and to display an image synchronous with the periodicity of the object field (12). Because the final video image is a digitization of the amplified difference, the dynamic range of the corrected image is greatly increased.

Dynamic offset to increase the range of digitization of video images

A confocal microscope comprises a focusing lens for focusing a light source onto a pin hole. The use of the lens for this purpose, when used within a confocal microscope apparatus, greatly reduces image artifacts and creates an increased transfer efficiently between the light source and the sample.

Confocal microscope

A single beam interferometer (10) comprises an intensity modulated laser beam (16) having a focus area for heating a test area (18) on the surface of a sample (12) producing a thermal bump (20). An unfocused probe laser beam (30) is directed toward the solid at an angle and has a beam area greater than the focus area of the heating beam (16). The sample (12) has a reflective surface for reflecting the probe beam (30). The reflected beam (31) comprises an AC beam portion (32) refracted by the thermal bump (20) and a DC beam portion (34) reflected off the unheated surface of the sample (12). The interference pattern (36) produced by the reflected beam (31) is detected and processed to obtain optical, elastic and thermal parameters of the sample (12).

Single beam AC interferometer

The assembly (10) is a real-time imaging device for detecting radiation from an object field which is periodic in time. A video camera (14) detects emitted and reflected radiation from the object field (12) and produces a video signal comprising a series of pixels representing a frame of the image. The video signal is digitized (18) and received by a processor (16). The processor (16) averages the successive frames as in-phase images and quadrature images based on the periodicity of the object field to eliminate unsynchronous noise from the image and to display an image synchronous with the periodicity.

Vector lock-in imaging system

A thermal wave imaging apparatus generates a real time image of the surface and subsurface of an opaque solid object. A.C. electrical signals indicative of the configuration of the surface and subsurface of the object which are generated during a thermal wave scan of the object by a first heating beam which generates a localized temperature gradient on the object and a deflectable second probe beam heating beam, which deflection is detected by a detection device mounted adjacent to the object, are stored in an image memory under the control of a central processor. A refresh counter generates sequential, incremental signals used to control the X and Y axis deflection of a display monitor. Such signals also address the image memory and generate output data controlling the intensity of the display point at each generated X and Y axis deflection point. A modulation and intensity regulation circuit generates an optical beam having a constant amplitude in spite of any fluctuations in the output of the heating laser.

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Pao-Kuang Kuo