Observation Device Pupil Modulation for High-Contrast Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing observation devices for unlabelled subject observation, such as cells, face challenges in achieving high-contrast imaging without labelling, especially when the sample container's top plate is tilted or deformed, leading to reduced image quality and difficulty in making the sample more prominent than the background.
Innovation Solution
An observation device with an illumination optical system emitting light from below and an objective optical system acquiring transmitted light, featuring a pupil modulation element near the pupil plane that partially decreases transmittance and modulates light phase, along with an illumination-region restricting section and an illumination-position variable mechanism to adjust the emission region, ensuring optimal light interference and image contrast.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a conventional observation device is used for unlabelled subject observation, then the device structure is simple, but the image contrast is low and the sample cannot be made prominent than the background
Solution Approach 1:
A pupil modulation element is introduced as an intermediary component in the objective optical system. This element modulates the phase of light and partially decreases transmittance in the vicinity of the pupil plane, creating interference patterns that enhance image contrast without requiring complex additional subsystems
Solution Approach 2:
The pupil modulation element applies local phase modulation and transmittance reduction only in specific regions of the pupil plane, rather than uniformly across the entire optical path. This localized intervention selectively enhances contrast for transmitted light while maintaining overall system simplicity
2Adaptability or versatility
If the sample container's top plate is tilted or deformed, then the device can accommodate flexible sample containers, but the emission region misalignment reduces image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination region restricting section is designed with adjustable emission regions that can be dynamically repositioned. This allows the system to adapt to tilted or deformed sample containers by realigning the emission regions with the pupil modulation element's modulated light paths, maintaining image quality despite container variations
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-establishes multiple adjustable emission regions in the illumination optical system before observation. When container tilt or deformation occurs, the appropriate emission region can be selected and aligned in advance with the pupil modulation element, ensuring optimal image quality is achieved
3Measurement precision
If phase modulation is applied to enhance sample prominence, then the sample becomes more prominent than the background, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pupil modulation element combines multiple functions into a single component: phase modulation, transmittance control, and contrast enhancement. By merging these functions into one element located in the objective optical system, the patent achieves sample prominence without requiring separate additional subsystems that would increase device size
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-contrast imaging by adjusting the emission region to align with the pupil modulation element, even when the sample container is tilted, making the sample more prominent and allowing for bright, isotropic micro-structure observation without increasing the device size.
Implementation Method 1
a pupil modulation element that partially decreases transmittance and that modulates the phase of light
Implementation Method 2
the objective optical system includes, in the vicinity of a pupil plane, a pupil modulation element that partially decreases transmittance and that modulates the phase of light
Implementation Method 3
the transmitted light resulting from the illumination light that has been emitted from the illumination optical system, that has been reflected above the sample, and that has passed through the sample
Implementation Method 4
the transmitted light resulting from the illumination light that has been emitted from the illumination optical system, that has been reflected above the sample, and that has passed through the sample
Data Source
AI summary
An observation device includes: an illumination optical system configured to emit illumination light to above a sample from below; and an objective optical system configured to acquire an image of transmitted light below the sample in a path different from a path for the illumination optical system, the transmitted light resulting from the illumination light that has been emitted from the illumination optical system, that has been reflected above the sample, and that has passed through the sample. The objective optical system includes, in the vicinity of a pupil plane, a pupil modulation element that partially decreases transmittance and that modulates the phase of light, and the illumination optical system includes a light source, and an illumination-region restricting section configured to restrict light from the light source to a particular emission region.