Light Sheet Microscopy Aberration Correction via Adaptive Optics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current light sheet microscopy techniques struggle to effectively correct aberrations caused by varying refractive indices and slide thicknesses, limiting their ability to maintain diffraction-limited imaging quality for samples with significant refractive index changes.
Innovation Solution
An arrangement for light sheet microscopy that includes adaptive optical correction elements in both illumination and detection objectives, controlled by adjustment devices and a control unit, which adjusts based on current refractive indices and slide positions to minimize aberrations, allowing for a wide range of refractive indices and slide thickness variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If adaptive optical correction elements with adjustment devices are added to the illumination and detection objectives, then the ability to correct aberrations across a broad range of refractive indices is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic correction by making the optical correction elements adjustable during operation. The adjustment devices enable real-time modification of the correction elements' optical properties to compensate for varying refractive indices and slide thicknesses, transforming a static optical system into a dynamic one that adapts to different imaging conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters of the correction elements (such as their position, shape, or optical properties) to adapt to different refractive indices. By adjusting parameters like the curvature or thickness of correction lenses, the system maintains diffraction-limited imaging across a broad range of refractive indices from n=1.33 to n=1.54
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple correction elements are used to compensate for large refractive index changes, then imaging quality is maintained, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the correction function into multiple separate correction elements rather than relying on a single complex element. This segmentation allows each individual correction element to have simpler, more manufacturable designs while collectively providing the necessary aberration correction for large refractive index changes
Solution Approach 2:
The correction elements act as intermediary components between the illumination/detection objectives and the sample. These intermediaries modify the wavefront of light to compensate for aberrations introduced by varying refractive indices and slide thicknesses, enabling high imaging quality without requiring the objectives themselves to be perfectly optimized for all conditions
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 enables diffraction-limited multispectral imaging for numerical apertures ≥0.95 across a broad range of refractive indices, from n=1.33 to 1.54, without the need to change optical elements, effectively compensating for wavefront changes and maintaining high image quality.
Implementation Method 1
aberrations, which arise due to the oblique passage of light to be detected or of light for illuminating the sample (5) through boundary surfaces of a separation layer system that is present
Implementation Method 2
optical correction elements, with whose effect aberrations are largely reduced, are present in each case in the illumination objective and in the detection objective
Data Source
AI summary
An arrangement for light sheet microscopy contains an illumination objective for illuminating a sample located on a slide in a medium with a light sheet, a detection objective, a separation layer system, a first adaptive optical detection correction element, and a further adaptive optical detection correction element and/or a first adaptive optical illumination correction element, and optionally, a further adaptive optical illumination correction element. The arrangement contains an adjustment device for the controlled movement of the first detection correction element and of the further detection correction element and/or of the first illumination correction element and of the further illumination correction element; and a control unit, to generate control commands and to actuate the adjustment devices by means of the control commands such that aberrations are reduced. Corresponding objectives and a corresponding method for reducing aberrations can be used.