Microscope Fringe Illumination Super-Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current scanning type microscopes face limitations in achieving high-resolution imaging of fluorescent specimens due to the inherent limitations of traditional illumination and detection systems, which result in suboptimal resolution and signal-to-noise ratios.
Innovation Solution
The microscope employs a fringe-shaped illumination system with a phase modulation element to generate multiple phase states of interference fringes, coupled with a detection system that uses multiple detectors to capture and process fluorescence images, correcting for positional and phase deviations to generate a super-resolution image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional illumination and detection systems are used in scanning type microscopes, then the system structure is simple, but the resolution and signal-to-noise ratio are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The detection device is divided into multiple detectors arranged in specific positions. Each detector captures light from specific regions of the specimen, enabling parallel detection of multiple spatial frequencies. This segmentation allows the system to achieve super-resolution by combining information from multiple detectors while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dimensional transformation by using multiple detectors positioned at different locations to capture light from different angular directions. This spatial arrangement in multiple dimensions enables the system to recover high-frequency information that would be lost in conventional single-detector systems, thereby achieving super-resolution without significantly complicating the basic microscope structure.
2Reliability
If fringe-shaped illumination with phase modulation is used, then the signal-to-noise ratio is improved, but the complexity of illumination control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system uses periodic fringe patterns with specific spatial frequencies to illuminate the specimen. By modulating the phase of these periodic fringes and capturing images at different phase states, the system enhances the signal-to-noise ratio through coherent addition of periodic signals while suppressing random noise. This periodic action is implemented using standard optical components like phase modulators and interferometric setups.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback mechanisms where the detection results from multiple detectors are used to reconstruct the specimen image with enhanced signal-to-noise ratio. The image processor analyzes the periodic fringe patterns and uses phase information from multiple detectors to iteratively refine the reconstructed image, effectively suppressing noise while maintaining system control.
3Measurement precision
If multiple detectors are used to capture images at different phase states, then the resolution is enhanced, but the amount of data processing required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary phase modulation of the illumination light before detection, creating known phase states that encode spatial frequency information. By pre-establishing the phase relationships and using detectors positioned at specific locations, the system prepares the data in a form that facilitates efficient reconstruction algorithms, reducing the computational burden compared to capturing raw images without phase encoding.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the phase states of the fringe illumination and selectively uses detection results from specific detectors based on the required spatial frequency information. This dynamic selection and combination of data from multiple detectors allows the system to process only the necessary information for achieving super-resolution, optimizing the data processing requirements.
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 approach enhances the resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of the output images, providing improved imaging capabilities compared to conventional fluorescence microscopes by effectively correcting for the positional deviations and phase shifts of the interference fringes.
Implementation Method 1
an illumination optical system that is configured to irradiate a specimen disposed at a specimen plane with light and that is configured to form fringe illumination which is fringe-shaped illumination
Implementation Method 2
a phase modulation element that is configured to set the fringe illumination to a plurality of phase states
Implementation Method 3
a detection device that includes a plurality of detectors detecting the light from the specimen via the detection optical system
Data Source
AI summary
A microscope includes: illumination optical system irradiating specimen with light and forming fringe illumination; scanning part performing scanning with relative movement between fringe illumination and specimen; phase modulation element setting fringe illumination to a plurality of phase states; a plurality of detectors detecting light from specimen; and image processor generating output image with detection results of predetermined two or more detectors, wherein image processor uses detection results of each of predetermined two or more detectors to generate at least first image, which is detected when fringe illumination is in first phase state, and second image, which is detected when fringe illumination is in second phase state, for each detector, generates intermediate image for each detector by correcting first image and second image based on position of corresponding detector, period of fringe illumination, first phase, and second phase, and generates output image from the plurality of intermediate images.