Use of a focusing vortex lens as the objective in spiral phase contrast microscopy
US7864415B2 · kind B2 · utility
2Cited by
9References
17Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 17, 2007 |
| Grant date | Jan 4, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 11, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG21K2207/005
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and objective apparatus are provided for implementing an enhanced phase contrast microscope. A focusing vortex lens, defined by a diffractive spiral zone plate (SZP) lens, is used for the objective for the phase contrast microscope. The SZP lens focuses and imparts a helical phase to incident illumination to image the specimen with spiral phase contrast. The spiral phase contrast microscope is sensitive to phase gradients in all sample axes. Replacing the objective of a microscope with the diffractive SZP lens of the invention immediately provides existing instruments with spiral phase contrast capability.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.