Active Lens Imaging for Living Tissue Depth-of-Field
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high-resolution microscopes used for imaging cells on living tissue surfaces have a low depth-of-field, making it difficult to capture an in-focus image of the entire surface in a single photograph, especially on non-flat or inclined tissue surfaces.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that utilize an active lens, such as a deformable mirror or electrically tunable lens, to dynamically change the focal position on the living tissue stained with moxifloxacin, allowing for the acquisition of in-focus data over the entire area during a single photographing session.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a high-resolution microscope is used to photograph cells on living tissue, then image resolution is improved, but depth-of-field becomes too shallow to capture the entire non-flat tissue surface in focus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by introducing an active lens that can dynamically change its focal length during the photographing process. The active lens transitions from an initial focal length to a different focal length, enabling the system to capture images at multiple focal planes. This dynamic adjustment allows the microscope to maintain high resolution while extending the effective depth-of-field to cover the entire non-flat tissue surface.
2Length of stationary object
If the depth-of-field is extended using conventional techniques, then more of the tissue surface is in focus, but the photographing time increases beyond a single exposure period
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by rapidly oscillating the active lens between different focal lengths during a single exposure period. The lens alternates between an initial focal length and a different focal length in a periodic manner, capturing light from different depths of the tissue surface. This rapid periodic adjustment allows the system to accumulate in-focus information from the entire tissue surface within a single photographing time, avoiding the need for multiple sequential exposures.
3Area of stationary object
If the focal position is changed during photographing, then in-focus data from the entire tissue area can be obtained, but the image processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by using the periodic focal length changes of the active lens to encode depth information into the captured image. The image generator receives the captured image and uses knowledge of the focal length oscillation pattern to separate and reconstruct in-focus data from different tissue depths. This feedback-based approach allows the system to manage the complexity of variable focal positioning through structured, predictable lens behavior that can be computationally reversed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution extends the depth-of-field to several hundred microns, enabling efficient imaging of cells on slanted or uneven surfaces and allowing for rapid acquisition of two-dimensional images over broad areas, which is beneficial for diagnosing eye lesions like dry eye syndrome.
Implementation Method 1
the living tissue stained with moxifloxacin as a fluoroquinolone antibiotic agent and subjected to single photon excitation for fluorescence photographing
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for imaging examination of cells on a surface of living tissue using moxifloxacin. includes: a light source emitting light towards living tissue stained with moxifloxacin; a photographing unit photographing the living tissue subjected to fluorescence excitation by the light emitted from the light source; a lens unit controlling the light emitted from the light source or a fluorescence path of moxifloxacin excited by the light; an objective lens controlling a focus of the photographing unit; an active lens disposed between the objective lens and the photographing unit and changing a focal position on the living tissue; and an image generator performing image processing of a cell image of the living tissue photographed by the photographing unit to generate an in-focus image, in which the entirety of the cell image is in focus.