iSCAT Confocal Microscope Spinning Disk Polarization Beam Splitter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing iSCAT microscopy techniques face challenges in achieving high axial resolution and effectively interpreting complex scattering signals from samples like biological cells, due to poor axial resolution and superposition of scattering signals along the optical axis.
Innovation Solution
A scanning device for iSCAT confocal microscope observation is developed, comprising a lens, a spinning disk with pinholes, and a polarization beam splitter. This configuration spatially filters the return iSCAT signal for confocal-based detection and enhances signal collection efficiency, allowing for high-speed imaging with improved axial resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wide-field imaging is used in iSCAT microscopy, then the imaging speed and sensitivity are improved, but the axial resolution deteriorates and scattering signals from various sources superpose
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a spinning disk with multiple pinholes to segment the wide-field illumination into multiple focal points. This allows parallel scanning of multiple locations simultaneously, maintaining high imaging speed while achieving confocal optical sectioning to improve axial resolution and eliminate out-of-focus signal superposition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a beam splitter as an intermediary component to separate the illumination path from the detection path. This allows the incident light to pass through the spinning disk pinholes to illuminate the sample, while the returning iSCAT signal is directed to the detector, enabling confocal detection without sacrificing imaging speed.
2Measurement precision
If confocal detection is implemented to improve axial resolution, then the signal filtering capability is improved, but the imaging speed deteriorates due to point-by-point scanning
Solution Approach 1:
The spinning disk contains multiple pinholes arranged in a pattern that allows simultaneous illumination of multiple focal points across the field of view. By rotating the disk, these multiple points are scanned across the sample in parallel, achieving confocal optical sectioning while maintaining high imaging speed through multi-point simultaneous detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The spinning disk rotates periodically to scan multiple focal points across the sample. This periodic rotation enables systematic coverage of the entire field of view while maintaining continuous high-speed imaging, as multiple points are scanned in each rotation cycle rather than requiring sequential point-by-point scanning.
3Measurement precision
If a spinning disk with pinholes is used for confocal detection, then the axial resolution and signal filtering are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spinning disk component serves multiple functions: it acts as both the illumination modulator (creating multiple focal points) and the scanning mechanism (rotating to scan across the field of view). The beam splitter also serves dual purposes by separating illumination and detection paths while maintaining a common-path interferometry configuration for the iSCAT signal. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
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
The iSCAT confocal microscope system achieves high sensitivity and speed, enabling the detection of individual 10 nm gold nanoparticles and the visualization of nanoscopic cell dynamics with enhanced axial resolution and reduced background noise.
Implementation Method 1
a lens for receiving an incident light; a spinning disk having pinholes; and a polarization beam splitter between the lens and the spinning disk. The lens, the polarization beam splitter and the spinning disk are configured to cause the incident light to be through the lens, the polarization beam splitter and the spinning disk for sample illumination
Implementation Method 2
a polarization beam splitter between the lens and the spinning disk. The lens, the polarization beam splitter and the spinning disk are configured to cause the incident light to be through the lens, the polarization beam splitter and the spinning disk for sample illumination. The polarization beam splitter is configured to direct the return iSCAT signal to a light path for image observation
Implementation Method 3
a quarter-wave plate is configured to transform the incident light from linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light and to transform the return iSCAT signal from circularly polarized light into linearly polarized light
Implementation Method 4
The pinholes are configured to spatially filter the return iSCAT signal for confocal-based detection
Implementation Method 5
Interferometric scattering (iSCAT) microscopy is a sensitive imaging method that measures the linear scattering light of a sample through interference. The iSCAT microscopy uses common-path interferometry to detect the linear scattering fields associated with samples
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure provides a scanning device for iSCAT confocal microscope observation is disclosed comprising: a lens for receiving an incident light; a spinning disk having pinholes; and a polarization beam splitter between the lens and the spinning disk. The lens, the polarization beam splitter and the spinning disk are configured to cause the incident light to be through the lens, the polarization beam splitter and the spinning disk for sample illumination. The spinning disk and the polarization beam splitter are configured to cause a return iSCAT signal to be through the spinning disk to the polarization beam splitter. The pinholes are configured to spatially filter the return iSCAT signal for confocal-based detection. The polarization beam splitter is configured to direct the return iSCAT signal to a light path for image observation.