Window plate and microscopic imaging system

Abstract

The invention discloses a window plate and a microscopic imaging system. The window sheet comprises a transparent slide and an immersion medium, the immersion medium is arranged on one side, far away from a sample to be observed, of the transparent slide, and the immersion medium is made of silica gel. The window sheet is arranged in the microscopic imaging system provided by the invention, and the silica gel which is matched with the refractive index of the biological tissue and is in a non-fluid state is adopted as an immersion medium in the window sheet, so that the window sheet can be suitable for in-vivo examination, and a very good in-vivo imaging effect and product use experience are obtained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of optical imaging, and in particular to a window sheet and a microscopic imaging system provided with the window sheet. Background Art

[0002] Microscope objective (hereinafter referred to as objective) is one of the core components of the microscopic imaging system. Among them, numerical aperture (NA) is one of the key indicators of the objective, which describes the ability of the objective to converge and collect light. Its mathematical expression is:

[0003] NA=n×sinα

[0004] Where n is the refractive index of the object-side immersion medium and α is the object-side aperture angle.

[0005] Common immersion media include fluid media such as air (n=1.00), water (n=1.33~1.34), and oil (n=1.5~1.6). The higher the refractive index of the immersion medium, the larger the numerical aperture. Correspondingly, the theoretical resolution of the objective lens is higher and the ability to collect light is stronger. However, there are various aberrations in actual imaging systems. Especially for the use of high-NA objectives and the need for volume imaging, refractive index mismatch will cause significant spherical aberration. Therefore, simply increasing the refractive index of the immersion medium does not always lead to improved imaging effects. Maintaining refractive index matching during the focusing process is crucial to maintaining imaging quality. Therefore, in order to achieve the best imaging effect, it is necessary to select the immersion medium of the objective lens according to the actual refractive index of the sample to be observed.

[0006] For biological imaging, the sample to be observed is biological tissue. The main components of biological tissue are water, protein, lipid, etc. It is a complex complex composed of different components with anisotropic microstructure. Its refractive index is usually described by a statistical average. The larger the proportion of a certain component, the closer the refractive index is to that component. The average refractive index of biological tissue composed of a large number of living cells is usually around 1.40. For example, when the wavelength is in the visible to near-infrared band, the refractive index of the skin epidermis is 1.39-1.43. Therefore, a water objective (an objective lens with water as the immersion medium) or an oil objective (an objective lens with ordinary mineral oil as the immersion medium) is not the best imaging medium solution.

[0007] On the other hand, in vivo microscopy technology mainly images various parts of living bodies. Since the objective lens is not always pointing vertically downward during living body imaging, but may be in any posture, if liquid substances are used as immersion media, the fluidity of the liquid may limit the application scenarios and even affect the imaging quality. Summary of the invention

[0008] In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide a window and a microscopic imaging system provided with the window. The window adopts silicone gel in a non-fluid state as an immersion medium, which matches the refractive index of biological tissue and can be suitable for in vivo examination to obtain very good imaging effects and product usage experience.

[0009] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0010] A window comprises a transparent glass slide and an immersion medium, wherein:

[0011] The immersion medium is arranged on a side of the transparent glass slide away from the sample to be observed;

[0012] The material of the immersion medium includes silicone gel.

[0013] Optionally, in the above window sheet, the immersion medium is bonded to the transparent glass sheet.

[0014] Optionally, in the above window sheet, the thickness of the immersion medium gradually decreases from the central area to the periphery.

[0015] Optionally, in the above window sheet, an outer contour of the immersion medium in a cross section perpendicular to the transparent glass sheet is a curve.

[0016] Optionally, in the above-mentioned window piece, the material of the transparent glass piece includes any one of glass, quartz, sapphire and organic glass.

[0017] Optionally, the above-mentioned window piece further includes a bracket for mounting the transparent glass piece.

[0018] Optionally, in the above window sheet, the bracket is provided with a light-transmitting hole:

[0019] The transparent glass slide is located in the light-transmitting hole and is fixedly connected to the bracket, and the outer side of the transparent glass slide can contact the sample to be observed;

[0020] The immersion medium is located on the inner side of the transparent glass slide.

[0021] Optionally, in the above window sheet, the bracket can be sleeved on the outer side of the bottom end of the objective lens, and has a gap distance greater than zero between the bracket and the side wall of the bottom end of the objective lens.

[0022] A microscopic imaging system is provided with the window sheet mentioned above.

[0023] Optionally, in the above microscopic imaging system, it also includes:

[0024] A shell, the transparent glass slide is connected to the shell; the shell is a closed shell, or the shell is an open shell;

[0025] The objective lens is relatively movably arranged in the housing, or the objective lens is fixedly installed in the housing.

[0026] It can be seen from the above technical scheme that the microscopic imaging system and the window thereof provided by the present invention use silicone gel in a non-fluid state as the immersion medium. Compared with the scheme using a gaseous immersion medium (air) and a liquid immersion medium (water, oil, silicone oil), the present invention uses silicone gel as the immersion medium, which has the advantages of non-volatility, non-flow, chemical inertness, wide operating temperature range, and long service life. Moreover, since silicone gel is a solid silica gel that is colorless, transparent, highly elastic, highly viscous, and has self-healing properties in the near-ultraviolet to near-infrared band, and its refractive index is 1.407 in the 780nm band, the window and the microscopic imaging system using silicone gel as the immersion medium provided by the present invention also have the advantages that not only the immersion medium is in the form of a non-fluid, but also the refractive index of the immersion medium (1.39-1.4) matches the refractive index of biological tissue (for example, the refractive index of the skin epidermis is 1.39-1.43), which can be applied to live examinations to obtain very good imaging effects and product usage experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0028] Figure 1 A half-section view of a window provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the objective lens body provided by an embodiment of the present invention when it gradually approaches the window;

[0030] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the objective lens body provided by an embodiment of the present invention when it is just in contact with the silicone gel;

[0031] Figure 4 and Figure 5 All of them are structural schematic diagrams of the objective lens body provided by the embodiments of the present invention when the silicone gel is squeezed;

[0032] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of a microscopic imaging device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] in:

[0034] 1- bracket, 2- transparent glass slide, 3- immersion medium, 4- sample to be observed, 5- objective lens, 6- housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The present invention discloses a window sheet and a microscopic imaging system provided with the window sheet. The window sheet adopts silicone gel in a non-fluid state as an immersion medium, which matches the refractive index of biological tissue (such as human skin tissue), can be suitable for living body examination, and obtains very good imaging effect and product use experience.

[0036] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] See also Figure 1 The window provided by the embodiment of the present invention comprises a transparent glass slide 2 and an immersion medium 3, wherein: the immersion medium 3 is arranged on the side of the transparent glass slide 2 away from the sample 4 to be observed, and the material of the immersion medium 3 comprises silicone gel, which is fixed on the surface of the transparent glass slide 2 and is a solid transparent state with elasticity, non-fluidity, and maintenance-free, and has a specific volume and shape in the natural state. Specifically, the silicone gel as the immersion medium 3 is a solid with no fluidity but good elasticity, similar to rubber, and has self-recovery characteristics.

[0038] Compared with the scheme using fluid media such as gaseous immersion medium (air), liquid immersion medium (water, oil, silicone oil), etc., the window piece using silicone gel as the immersion medium 3 provided by the embodiment of the present invention has the advantages of non-volatility, non-flow, chemical inertness, wide operating temperature range, long service life, etc. Moreover, since silicone gel is a solid silica gel that is colorless, transparent, highly elastic, highly viscous, and has self-healing properties in the near-ultraviolet to near-infrared band, and its refractive index is 1.407 in the 780nm band, the window piece using silicone gel as the immersion medium 3 provided by the embodiment of the present invention also has the advantages that not only the immersion medium 3 is in the form of non-fluid, but also the refractive index of the immersion medium (1.39-1.4) matches the refractive index of biological tissue (for example, the refractive index of the skin epidermis is 1.39-1.43), and can be applied to microscopic imaging systems with live examination requirements to obtain very good imaging effects and product use experience.

[0039] When implementing it, Figures 2 to 5As shown, the window is located between the objective lens 5 of the microscopic imaging system and the sample 4 to be observed, and the sample 4 is close to the lower surface of the transparent glass slide 2. When the microscopic imaging system and the above window are used to observe the sample: first, the objective lens 5 is gradually brought close to the window (see Figure 2 ); the bottom end of the objective lens 5 is in contact with the immersion medium 3, and the imaging focal plane is located inside the immersion medium 3 or the transparent glass slide 2 (see Figure 3 ); the objective lens 5 continues to move toward the position of the sample 4, and the imaging focal plane reaches the interface between the transparent glass slide 2 and the sample 4. During this process, the immersion medium 3 is squeezed and deformed (see Figure 4 ); As the objective lens 5 continues to move, the immersion medium 3 reaches the maximum designed deformation and can no longer be squeezed, and the imaging focal plane reaches the maximum designed imaging depth (see Figure 5 ).

[0040] In the above process, under the pressure of the objective lens 5, the immersion medium 3 gradually deforms, thereby changing the relative position between the focal plane and the window and the sample. As the immersion medium 3 is gradually compressed, its thickness decreases, its cross-sectional diameter increases, and its total volume remains substantially unchanged. During the observation process, when the objective lens 5 performs a small range of three-axis translation relative to the window, the immersion medium 3, by virtue of its inherent viscosity and elasticity, can fill the gap between the transparent glass slide 2 and the objective lens 5 from beginning to end.

[0041] Specifically, the transparent glass slide 2 is a biological imaging cover glass made of any material such as glass, quartz, sapphire, organic glass, etc. The immersion medium 3 is bonded to one side of the transparent glass slide 2 by its own viscosity, or, in other specific embodiments, the immersion medium 3 can also be fixed on the transparent glass slide 2 by other adhesives or other methods.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , in a natural state, the immersion medium 3 is fixed on the surface of the transparent glass slide 2 to form a smooth convex shape, and its thickness gradually decreases from the central area to the periphery (i.e. Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, h1>h2>h3), and the outer contour of the immersion medium 3 in the cross section perpendicular to the transparent glass slide 2 is generally a curve, similar to a Gaussian line shape. However, it is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the outer shape of the immersion medium 3 may also be set to a regular frustum structure, a trapezoidal block structure, a hemispherical structure or other structures. The present invention does not make any specific limitation on this.

[0043] Furthermore, a bracket 1 is also provided in the above-mentioned window sheet, and the function of the bracket 1 is mainly to install the transparent glass sheet 2, so as to fix the transparent glass sheet 2 at the observation position below the objective lens 5 of the imaging system, and play the role of positioning and fixing the connection. Figure 6As shown in the figure, the transparent glass slide 2 is fixed to the bottom of the housing 6 by the bracket 1; the imaging system and the objective lens 5 at the bottom thereof are both located in the housing 6, and can be axially translated or three-axis translated in the housing 6 to adjust the imaging position. It should be noted here that the transparent glass slide 2 is fixed to the bottom of the housing 6 by the bracket 1, which means that the transparent glass slide 2 can be fixed to the bottom of the housing 6 by the bracket 1 without moving. If the window needs to be adjusted, maintained or replaced, the transparent glass slide 2 can be removed from the bracket 1, or the bracket 1 can be removed from the housing 6, or the distance between the transparent glass slide 2 and the housing 6 can also be adjusted by the bracket 1.

[0044] Specifically, the support 1 is provided with a light-transmitting hole, the immersion medium 3 and the transparent glass slide 2 are both located on the axis of the light-transmitting hole, and the transparent glass slide 2 is fixedly connected to the support 1. Figure 1 As shown in , a mounting groove adapted to the transparent glass slide 2 is provided at the bottom opening of the light-transmitting hole of the bracket 1, and the transparent glass slide 2 is fixed in the mounting groove by bonding, crimping or other means.

[0045] Specifically, Figures 2 to 6 As shown in the figure, the transparent glass slide 2 is installed in the central area of ​​the bottom plate of the bracket 1, and the annular side wall of the bracket 1 is sleeved on the outside of the bottom end of the objective lens 5. The objective lens 5 can be raised, lowered, translated, etc. in the bracket 1 according to observation requirements to adjust the observation position.

[0046] In specific implementation, there is a gap distance greater than zero between the bracket 1 and the side wall of the bottom end of the objective lens 5, that is, the inner diameter of the connection end of the bracket 1 is greater than the outer diameter of the bottom end of the objective lens 5. The objective lens 5 together with the rest of the microscopic imaging system is connected to the housing 6 through a translation stage, or directly connected to the housing 6 after adjusting the observation position, or, in other specific embodiments, the bracket 1 and the housing 6 can also be connected by other means, such as sliding connection, or riveting, or snap connection, or other detachable connection, so as to facilitate the bracket 1 to be removed from the housing 6 for replacement, and facilitate the timely replacement of the immersion medium 3 and the transparent glass slide 2.

[0047] In addition, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a microscopic imaging system, which includes conventional parts such as an objective lens 5 and the window sheet described above.

[0048] The microscopic imaging system can be used for in vivo examinations. Since the immersion medium is in the form of non-fluid silicone gel and the refractive index of the immersion medium (1.39-1.4) matches the refractive index of the sample to be observed (for example, the refractive index of the skin epidermis in biological tissue is 1.39-1.43), a very good imaging effect and product usage experience can be obtained.

[0049] Specifically, the microscopic imaging system can be various types of microscopes, such as wide-field microscopes, fluorescence microscopes, laser scanning microscopes (including but not limited to multiphoton microscopes, confocal microscopes, etc.), structured light microscopes, light sheet microscopes, super-resolution microscopes, etc.

[0050] In a specific implementation, the microscopic imaging system is further provided with a housing 6, and the transparent glass slide 2 is fixedly connected to the housing 6. Figure 1 As shown in FIG, the transparent glass slide 2 is fixedly connected to the housing 6 via the bracket 1.

[0051] Specifically, see Figure 6 The housing 6 may be a frame structure; the transparent glass slide 2 is fixedly mounted on the outer side of the housing 6 through the bracket 1; the objective lens 5 is relatively movably arranged in the housing 6 through the translation stage. Alternatively, in other specific embodiments, the objective lens 5 may be fixedly mounted in the housing 6. For example, in a possible embodiment, after the objective lens 5 and the transparent glass slide 2 of the window are adjusted to a suitable relative position, the relative position may not be changed, but the function of changing the focal plane is achieved by changing the optical focal length of the light beam incident on the objective lens 5.

[0052] In specific implementation, the microscopic imaging system provided by the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a handheld probe or a desktop microscope. When the microscopic imaging system is applied to a handheld probe, its housing 6 is generally a closed housing; when the microscopic imaging system is applied to a desktop microscope, its housing 6 can be an open housing.

[0053] Finally, it should be noted that in this article, the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or apparatus that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or apparatus.

[0054] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A window sheet, characterized in that: It comprises a transparent glass slide (2) and an immersion medium (3), wherein: The immersion medium (3) is arranged on a side of the transparent glass slide (2) away from the sample to be observed (4); The material of the immersion medium (3) includes silicone gel.

2. The window sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The immersion medium (3) is bonded to the transparent glass slide (2).

3. The window sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the immersion medium (3) gradually decreases from the central area to the periphery.

4. The window sheet according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer contour of the immersion medium (3) in a cross section perpendicular to the transparent glass slide (2) is a curve.

5. The window sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the transparent glass slide (2) includes any one of glass, quartz, sapphire and organic glass.

6. The window sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: It also comprises a support (1) for mounting the transparent glass slide (2).

7. The window sheet according to claim 6, characterized in that: The bracket (1) is provided with a light-transmitting hole: The transparent glass slide (2) is located in the light-transmitting hole and is fixedly connected to the support (1); the outer side surface of the transparent glass slide (2) is capable of contacting the sample to be observed (4); The immersion medium (3) is located on the inner side of the transparent glass slide (2).

8. The window sheet according to claim 6, characterized in that: The bracket (1) can be sleeved on the outside of the bottom end of the objective lens (5), and has a gap distance greater than zero between the bracket and the side wall of the bottom end of the objective lens (5).

9. A microscopic imaging system, characterized in that: A window sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is provided.

10. The microscopic imaging system according to claim 9, characterized in that: Also includes: A shell (6), the transparent glass slide (2) being connected to the shell (6); the shell (6) is a closed shell, or the shell is an open shell; An objective lens (5), wherein the objective lens (5) is relatively movably arranged in the housing (6), or the objective lens (5) is fixedly installed in the housing (6).

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