Multispectral Microscopy via Beam Splitting and Dispersion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current imaging technologies are limited in capturing rapid three-dimensional multispectral information, which is essential for applications like multi-fluorescence-marked dynamic processes and material analysis, as they often require two-dimensional imaging and lack the capability for simultaneous three-dimensional and spectral data acquisition.
Innovation Solution
A rapid three-dimensional multispectral microscopic imaging system is developed, incorporating a microscope, a field diaphragm, a one-dimensional beam-splitting grating, a phase modulation component, a blazed grating, a micro lens array, and an image sensor, configured through 4f systems to duplicate and modulate beams, allowing for the acquisition of three-dimensional multispectral images by mapping spectral information onto one-dimensional vision and reconstructing hyperspectral data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional two-dimensional imaging is used, then the imaging system is simple, but it cannot capture three-dimensional and spectral information simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends traditional 2D imaging to 5D imaging by adding spectral dimension (wavelength) and axial depth dimension. The beam-splitting grating creates multiple beams at different angles corresponding to different axial depths, while the blazed grating disperses light into spectral bands, achieving simultaneous capture of 3D spatial and spectral information
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the imaging process into multiple parallel pathways using beam-splitting gratings that divide the incoming light into multiple beams. Each beam corresponds to a different axial layer, allowing parallel acquisition of multiple depth planes simultaneously, thereby capturing 3D information in a single shot
2Loss of time
If sequential imaging methods are used to acquire multi-dimensional information, then the device complexity is reduced, but the acquisition time increases and fluorescence bleaching occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous simultaneous acquisition of multiple dimensions (x, y, z, wavelength, time) in a single camera exposure. All spectral bands and axial layers are captured concurrently without sequential scanning, eliminating time delays and preventing fluorescence bleaching by minimizing exposure duration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple imaging functions (spatial imaging, spectral analysis, depth sectioning) into a single integrated system. Multiple beams from the beam-splitting grating and spectral dispersion from the blazed grating are combined and captured simultaneously by one camera, achieving 5D imaging in a single shot
3Measurement precision
If beam duplication is increased to capture more axial layers, then the three-dimensional imaging capability is improved, but the device complexity and alignment difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a phase modulation component as an intermediary element that performs different phase modulations on beams with different angles. This component, positioned at the Fourier plane, enables precise control and differentiation of multiple beams without requiring complex mechanical alignment, simplifying the system while maintaining high axial resolution
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 enables the simultaneous acquisition of three-dimensional and multispectral information at high resolution and speed, reducing acquisition time and avoiding issues like fluorescence bleaching, with the potential for five-dimensional imaging, suitable for both fluorescence and bright field imaging.
Implementation Method 1
a one-dimensional beam-splitting grating, coupled to the field diaphragm through a first 4f system, and disposed at a back focal plane of the first 4f system and configured to duplicate a beam after passing through the first 4f system into beams with different angles
Implementation Method 2
a blazed grating, coupled to the one-dimensional beam-splitting grating through a second 4f system, disposed at a back focal plane of the second 4f system, and configured to perform dispersion to the beams with different angles passing through the phase modulation component at a dimension orthogonal to the beam-splitting grating so as to map spectral information of the sample to one-dimensional vision
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging system is provided, which includes: a microscope; a field diaphragm; a one-dimensional beam-splitting grating, configured to duplicate a beam after passing through the first 4f system into beams with different angles; a phase modulation component, configured to perform different phase modulations to the beams with different angles respectively; a blazed grating, configured to perform dispersion to the beams with different angles passing through the phase modulation component at a dimension orthogonal to the beam-splitting grating; a micro lens array, configured to make the beams with different angles passing through the blazed grating to map to different locations on a back focal plane of the micro lens array; an image sensor, configured to image the back focal plane of the micro lens array. The system may recover three-dimensional information and multispectral information of the sample simultaneously from a single image.