Patent · US Active

Microscopy system with auto-focus adjustment by low-coherence interferometry

US9869852B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by

2References

19Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Thorlabs, Inc. · DE

Inventors

Alex Ezra Cable · Newton, US
Jörn Wollenzin · Wulfen, DE
Ross Johnstone · Oak Hill, US
Kirk Gossage · Pacifica, US
Jeffrey S. Brooker · Oak Hill, US
Jason Mills · Austin, US
James Jiang · Hackettstown, US
Dierck Hillmann · Lübeck, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Jan 13, 2016
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Feb 24, 2036

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG02B21/26
WIPO fieldMeasurement
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Disclosed are several technical approaches of using low coherence interferometry techniques to create an autofocus apparatus for optical microscopy. These approaches allow automatic focusing on thin structures that are positioned closely to reflective surfaces and behind refractive material like a cover slip, and automated adjustment of focus position into the sample region without disturbance from reflection off adjacent surfaces. The measurement offset induced by refraction of material that covers the sample is compensated for. Proposed are techniques of an instrument that allows the automatic interchange of imaging objectives in a low coherence interferometry autofocus system, which is of major interest in combination with TDI (time delay integration) imaging, confocal and two-photon fluorescence microscopy.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.