Structured Illumination Microscopy Beam Collector
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing structured illumination microscopes face challenges in achieving high intensity of illumination radiation due to the limitations of microlenses and beam splitter alignment, leading to reduced transillumination and detection beam intensity, especially in confocal observation, which restricts the field of view and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a beam collector with a reflective surface and chamber to redirect and focus illumination beams that do not pass through the mask openings back onto the mask device, increasing the intensity and quantity of illumination beams, and uses a beam splitter to separate detection beams from illumination, allowing for improved alignment and larger entrance windows for relaxed alignment tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If microlenses are used to bundle illumination beams toward mask openings, then illumination intensity at the specimen is improved, but alignment precision between microlenses and mask openings becomes critical and difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the microlenses from the moving mask device and places them in a fixed position in the illumination path. This separation allows the microlenses to remain stationary while the mask device moves independently, eliminating the alignment maintenance problems that occur when microlenses must move in synchrony with the mask device.
Solution Approach 2:
The microlenses are positioned upstream of the mask device in the illumination path, performing the beam bundling function before the light reaches the mask openings. This preliminary action allows the microlenses to be fixed in position while still achieving the desired beam concentration at the specimen plane.
2Loss of energy
If microlenses are positioned close to the mask device to maintain alignment, then beam bundling efficiency is improved, but the field of view is limited by the narrow space available for the beam splitter
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the microlenses from the mask device along the optical path, utilizing the longitudinal dimension rather than confining components to a narrow transverse space. This allows adequate spacing for a larger beam splitter while maintaining effective beam bundling through proper optical positioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the mask device is made movable (e.g., rotating Nipkow disk) to scan the illumination pattern, then observation of transport processes is enabled, but precise alignment between microlenses and mask openings becomes difficult to maintain during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The microlenses are extracted from the moving mask device and placed in a fixed position upstream in the illumination path. This allows the mask device to move freely for scanning applications while the microlenses remain stationary, eliminating alignment maintenance issues during movement.
4Measurement precision
If a beam splitter is positioned between microlenses and mask device to capture detection beams, then confocal observation is achieved, but the size of the beam splitter and field of view are limited by the distance between microlenses and mask device
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes the longitudinal optical path dimension to position the beam splitter at an appropriate distance from the mask device, rather than being constrained by narrow transverse spacing. This allows a larger beam splitter to be accommodated, increasing the field of view while maintaining confocal observation capability.
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 significantly enhances the intensity and quantity of illumination beams reaching the specimen, improving the information obtained during examination while reducing alignment complexities and costs by eliminating the need for precise microlens alignment and larger microlens arrays.
Implementation Method 1
a beam collector with a reflective surface and chamber to redirect and focus illumination beams
Implementation Method 2
uses a beam splitter to separate detection beams from illumination
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An apparatus for structured illumination of a specimen (32) comprises an illumination device (10) for generating illumination beams (12). The illumination beams (12) are incident on a mask device (26), wherein openings (24) provided in the mask device (26) serve for generating a mask image. The mask image is imaged within the specimen (32) with the aid of an objective (30). Detection beams (38) generated by the specimen are captured by a detection device (42). For increasing the intensity of the observation beams entering the specimen (32), those beams which do not pass through the openings (24), are collected with the aid of a beam collector (20) and guided back to the mask device (26).