Lattice Light Field Microscopy for Super-Resolution 3D Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current optical microscopy is limited by the diffraction limit, and existing 3D imaging techniques like light field microscopy sacrifice spatial resolution for angle resolution, making it challenging to achieve high-resolution 3D imaging of biological samples efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A super-resolution lattice light field microscopic imaging system and method that combines structured illumination microscopy (SIM) with a 2D scanning galvo and microlens array to modulate light beams, allowing for high-resolution 3D imaging beyond the diffraction limit by shifting sub-pixels and generating SIM pattern illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If light field microscopy is used to achieve fast 3D imaging, then imaging speed is improved, but spatial resolution deteriorates due to sacrificing spatial resolution for angle resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the optical frequency domain into multiple discrete channels using a microlens array, where each microlens captures light from a specific angular range. This segmentation allows simultaneous capture of multiple spatial frequencies, enabling fast 3D imaging while maintaining spatial resolution through computational reconstruction of the segmented frequency information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from 2D spatial imaging to 4D light field imaging by capturing both spatial position and angular information simultaneously. The microlens array encodes angular information in the spatial domain, creating a 4D light field dataset that can be reconstructed into 3D images at multiple focal planes, thus achieving fast volumetric imaging without sacrificing spatial resolution.
2Measurement precision
If conventional fluorescence microscopy is used to maintain spatial resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but imaging speed deteriorates due to sequential scanning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the advantages of confocal microscopy (optical sectioning and spatial resolution) with light field microscopy (parallel 3D imaging) by placing a microlens array at the confocal plane. This combination allows simultaneous capture of multiple focal planes through the microlens array while maintaining the optical sectioning capability, achieving fast volumetric imaging with high spatial resolution in a single shot.
Solution Approach 2:
The microlens array acts as an intermediary element that couples the confocal detection path with the light field imaging path. It modulates the light field while preserving the confocal spatial resolution, enabling the system to capture 3D light field information with diffraction-limited spatial resolution simultaneously, thus bridging the gap between high-resolution sequential imaging and fast parallel imaging.
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 system achieves super-resolution imaging with fast imaging speed and excellent quality, suitable for observing dynamic biological samples, by reconstructing 3D structures from modulated images and overcoming the limitations of traditional light field microscopy.
Implementation Method 1
the microlens array is configured to modulate a light beam with a preset angle to a target spatial position at a back focal plane of the microlens array
Implementation Method 2
a 2D scanning galvo, disposed in a frequency domain plane of the first relay lens, and configured to rotate an angle of a light path in the frequency domain plane
Implementation Method 3
A resolution of an optical microscopy is limited to a diffraction limit resolution, which depends on a wavelength
Implementation Method 4
a microscope, including an objective and a tube lens, and configured to magnify a sample and image the sample onto a first image plane of the microscope
Data Source
AI summary
A super-resolution lattice light field microscopic imaging system includes: a microscope configured to magnify a sample and image the sample onto a first image plane of the microscope; a first relay lens configured to match a numerical aperture of an objective with that of a microlens array; a 2D scanning galvo configured to rotate an angle of a light path in the frequency domain plane; an illuminating system configured to provide uniform illumination on the microlens array to generate SIM pattern illumination; the microlens array, configured to modulate a light beam with a preset angle to a target spatial position at a back focal plane of the microlens array to obtain a modulated image; an image sensor configured to record the modulated image; and a reconstruction module configured to reconstruct a 3D structure of the sample based on the modulated image.