Lens-less Microscope LED Array for Portable Bio-imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical microscopes are not suitable for observing biological samples due to photo-toxicity and lack of portability, requiring a compact, portable, and robust lens-less microscope with high image resolution and controllable illumination.
Innovation Solution
A solid-state microscope device using a readout integrated circuit (ROIC) with a light emitting diode (LED) array, featuring nanowire-based or planar LEDs with a multi-quantum-well (MQW) active region, allowing for individually addressable light emitters that can operate in emit, detect, or off states, providing high image resolution and adjustable illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional optical microscopes use strong illumination to observe samples, then image quality is improved, but biological samples are irreversibly degraded due to photo-toxicity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the illumination parameter from strong continuous light to weak pulsed light from LEDs. The illumination power is reduced to minimize photo-toxicity while pulsed operation maintains sufficient signal for imaging. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between image quality and sample safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pulsed illumination instead of continuous illumination. LEDs are activated in periodic pulses to illuminate the sample only when needed for detection, reducing cumulative photo-damage to biological samples while maintaining adequate image quality through synchronized detection.
2Measurement precision
If conventional optical microscopes are designed for high performance, then imaging capability is improved, but device size and weight increase, reducing portability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the optical lens system from conventional microscopes. By using a lens-less approach with close-proximity LED arrays for both illumination and detection, the heavy lens components are removed, dramatically reducing device weight and size while maintaining imaging capability through near-field optical detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs LEDs that serve multiple functions: they act as both illumination sources and detection photodetectors. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate illumination and detection optical paths with their associated lenses and optics, reducing overall device complexity and weight while maintaining imaging performance.
3Measurement precision
If conventional optical microscopes include multiple optical components, then imaging performance is improved, but device complexity and number of moving parts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the lens system and other complex optical conditioning components from conventional microscope designs. By operating in the near-field regime at very close proximity to the sample, the system achieves adequate imaging performance without requiring lenses, mirrors, or complex optical trains, thereby simplifying the device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the illumination and detection functions into a single integrated LED array structure. Each LED element serves dual purposes as both light source and photodetector, eliminating the need for separate illumination and detection optical paths and their associated components, thus reducing overall device complexity.
4Device complexity
If conventional optical microscopes use fixed illumination, then system simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to different imaging conditions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of LED illumination parameters including intensity, pulse duration, and timing. The illumination system can be adjusted in real-time to match different imaging conditions, sample types, and detection requirements, providing high adaptability while maintaining relatively simple hardware through software-controlled parameter modulation.
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 device achieves high image resolution, is lightweight and portable, and can be used in various environments, including chemical aggressive conditions and in-vivo observations, with reduced photo-toxicity and improved illumination control.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting diode (LED) structure disposed on the ROIC. The LED structure can include a plurality of LED core-shell structures with each LED core-shell structure including a layered shell enveloping a nanowire core. The layered shell can include a multi-quantum-well (MQW) active region.
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary embodiments provide microscope devices and methods for forming and using the microscope devices. The microscope device can include a light emitter array with each light emitter individually addressable to either emit or detect light signals. Magnified images of a sample object can be generated by a reflection mechanism and/or a transmission mechanism using one or more microscope devices in an imaging system. Real-time computer control of which microscope pixels are viewed can allow the user to digitally replicate the “fovea” function of human vision. Viewing an object from both sides in the double-sided microscope system and from multiple pixel positions can allow the microscope to reconstruct pseudo-3D images of the object.