Rapid Optical Tissue Scanner With Focused Light Sheet Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical tissue examination methods, such as confocal and two-photon microscopy, suffer from slow photographing speeds and low image resolution, limiting their ability to provide high-resolution and high-contrast cellular images comparable to pathological tissue examination methods.
Innovation Solution
A rapid optical tissue scanner employing a light source unit, cylindrical lens, tunable focus unit, objective lens, and photographing unit to transform and focus a light sheet onto a sample, allowing for high-resolution and high-contrast imaging by uniformly illuminating the sample with a tightly focused beam sheet and adjusting the light sheet focus axially.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If confocal or two-photon microscopy is used for tissue examination, then image resolution and contrast are improved, but photographing speed deteriorates due to point-by-point scanning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical point-by-point scanning system with an optical light sheet illumination system. Instead of moving the focal point through the sample mechanically, a planar light sheet is projected onto the sample plane, enabling parallel illumination of the entire field of view and achieving high-speed imaging without sacrificing resolution
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional point scanning to two-dimensional planar light sheet illumination. By illuminating the entire sample plane simultaneously with a light sheet, the system achieves area imaging instead of point-by-point scanning, dramatically increasing photographing speed while maintaining image quality
2Productivity
If light sheet microscopy is used to increase imaging area, then scanning speed is improved, but image resolution deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating light intensity at the focal plane where the light sheet intersects the sample. The objective lens focuses the light sheet to create a thin, intense illumination plane, ensuring high resolution at the imaging plane while maintaining fast scanning speed across the entire field of view
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 scanner enables quick scanning and high-contrast imaging by uniformly illuminating the sample with a tightly focused beam sheet, achieving high-resolution cell image quality and identifying all cell nuclei and cytoplasm simultaneously, while maintaining the speed of existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
a cylindrical lens transforming the light source beam into a light sheet shape
Implementation Method 2
an objective lens that is disposed between the cylindrical lens and the sample mounting unit for irradiating the sample with the light source beam transformed into the light sheet shape
Implementation Method 3
a tunable focus unit disposed between the cylindrical lens and the sample mounting unit or between the light source unit and the cylindrical lens
Implementation Method 4
a photographing unit that receives an emission beam generated in the sample from the objective lens and photographs image information of the sample
Data Source
AI summary
A rapid optical tissue scanner includes: a light source unit for irradiating a sample with a light source beam; a cylindrical lens for transforming the light source beam into a light sheet; a sample mounting unit on which the sample is mounted; an objective lens disposed between the cylindrical lens and the sample mounting unit to irradiate the sample with the light source beam transformed into a light sheet; and a photographing unit for receiving an excitation beam, which is obtained by excitation from the sample, from the objective lens and photographing image information of the sample.