Reflective Chamber Interferometer for Vibration-Resistant Phase Profiling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional interferometric systems face instability issues due to differential vibrations and air perturbations, leading to measurement errors in tracking dynamic biological samples, particularly in ambient conditions without vibration-isolating optical tables or enclosures.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an interferometric system with a partially reflective sample holder and imaging module that generates a holographic representation of biological samples using a laser illumination beam, where a partially reflective cover produces both a sample beam and a reference beam, allowing for improved stability and accurate phase profiling without the need for complex optical systems or additional alignment processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional Mach-Zehnder or Michelson interferometric setups are used with separate reference and sample arms, then phase measurements can be obtained, but measurement precision deteriorates due to differential vibrations and air perturbations causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the reference beam path and sample beam path into a single common optical path by using a reflective chamber where both beams travel through the same physical space. This eliminates differential vibrations and air perturbations between separate arms, resolving the contradiction between achieving phase measurements and maintaining system stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a reflective chamber as an intermediary component that houses both the reference and sample regions within a single enclosed space. This mediator ensures that both optical paths experience identical environmental conditions, thereby eliminating instability caused by differential environmental factors while still allowing distinct reference and sample beam generation.
2Reliability
If common-path interferometry is implemented using on-axis WFDI geometry, then system stability improves, but device complexity increases due to requiring multiple phase-shifted interferograms
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using on-axis geometry that requires multiple phase-shifted interferograms, the patent inverts the approach by using off-axis geometry with a reflective chamber. This inversion allows a single interferogram to contain sufficient information for phase measurement while maintaining common-path stability, thereby reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from on-axis to off-axis geometry, effectively changing the spatial dimension of beam separation. By separating beams in the angular domain rather than requiring temporal phase shifting, the system achieves common-path stability with simpler optics, resolving the contradiction between stability and complexity.
3Loss of time
If off-axis geometry with diffraction grating is used, then acquisition time is reduced to one interferogram, but device complexity increases due to dedicated optical system design and alignment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the diffraction grating and other complex beam-path elements from the optical system. By using a simple reflective chamber with planar interfaces, the system achieves off-axis geometry without requiring dedicated optical components or complex alignment procedures, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining fast single-interferogram acquisition.
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 significantly reduces measurement errors, achieving excellent temporal stability and accurate spatial-temporal phase profiling of biological samples, even in non-controlled environments, and allows for the differentiation of healthy and diseased red blood cells based on stiffness and morphology.
Implementation Method 1
The partially reflective cover may be oriented at an angle for reflecting a second portion of the illumination beam to produce a reference beam that propagates at a predetermined angle with respect to the optical axis
Implementation Method 2
A detector may intercept the sample and reference beams and may generate a holographic representation of the sample based on the beams
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are interferometric systems having reflective chambers and related methods. According to an aspect, an interferometric system may include a light source for generating an illumination beam that propagates towards a sample. A sample holder may hold the sample and include a partially reflective cover for allowing a first portion of the illumination beam to pass therethrough to interact with the sample to produce a sample beam that propagates substantially along an optical axis. The cover may be oriented at an angle for reflecting a second portion of the illumination beam to produce a reference beam that propagates at a predetermined angle with respect to the optical axis. An imaging module may redirect the reference beam towards the optical axis at a detection plane. A detector may intercept the sample and reference beams and may generate a holographic representation of the sample based on the beams.