FAST Spectroscopy Confocality via Structured Illumination

The patent divides the illumination field into multiple discrete regions using an array of illuminated spots rather than uniform widefield illumination. This segmentation allows selective illumination of specific sample regions while maintaining high acquisition speed through parallel detection across multiple fibers, thereby reducing secondary scattering from illuminated areas while preserving productivity.

The patent implements spatially selective illumination where different regions of the sample receive illumination only when their corresponding fiber is actively detecting. This local quality approach ensures that illumination is confined to the immediate detection region, improving confocality by minimizing secondary scattering from other areas while maintaining rapid data acquisition through the parallel fiber array architecture.

The patent segments the sample field into multiple discrete detection zones corresponding to individual fibers or fiber groups in the array. This segmentation enables parallel acquisition of spectral data from multiple spatial locations simultaneously, achieving high spatial resolution through the distributed fiber array while maintaining short experiment duration by capturing all regions in parallel rather than sequentially scanning.

The patent transitions from one-dimensional point scanning to two-dimensional parallel detection using the fiber array geometry. By arranging fibers in a two-dimensional array that maps to the sample plane, the system achieves spatial resolution in both x and y dimensions simultaneously, eliminating the time penalty of sequential scanning while maintaining measurement precision through the spatially resolved detection capability.

The patent segments the total spectral data acquisition into multiple parallel channels, each corresponding to a specific fiber or fiber group detecting from a localized sample region. This segmentation maintains high confocality by limiting each detection channel to a small illuminated area while preserving the total quantity of spectral data through the cumulative output of all parallel detection channels working simultaneously.

The patent merges the spectral information from multiple localized detection regions into a comprehensive spectral data set. By combining the signals from multiple fibers that each detect from small confocal regions, the system achieves both high confocality at the individual fiber level and complete spectral coverage across the entire sample field through the aggregated data from all fibers.