Patents Assigned to Carl Zeiss Microimaging GmbH
  • Publication number: 20110255075
    Abstract: The invention relates to a spectrometric assembly and method for determining a temperature value for a detector of a spectrometer. It is conventional to record the detector temperature in an optoelectronic detector using a thermal temperature sensor in order to compensate for temperature fluctuations. Due to the finite distance between the detector and the temperature sensor, the accuracy of the temperature detection is limited. According to the invention, the detector temperature should be recordable at high accuracy and with little effort. In addition to means for spectral division of incident tight and an optical detector for spectrally resolved detection of a spectral range of the divided light, a second optical detector is provided for detection of a partial range of this spectral range as a reference detector, wherein sensitivity of the reference detector is substantially temperature-independent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: CARL ZEISS MICROIMAGING GMBH
    Inventors: Felix Kerstan, Nico Correns
  • Patent number: 8040598
    Abstract: A microscope for observing an object selectably using the bright-field transmitted light contrast procedure or the incident-light fluorescence contrast procedure. During the bright-field transmitted light contrast procedure, an illumination beam path is directed from a bright-field light source to the object and an imaging beam path is directed from the object through the microscope objective into the microscope tube, which includes a fluorescence unit that includes a fluorescence excitation light source, an illumination optical system, a filter set having at least one excitation filter and at least one emission filter, as well as a beamsplitter. The fluorescence unit is mounted movably, so that in a first end position of movement the beamsplitter and the emission filter are out of the imaging beam path of the microscope and in a second end position of movement they are in the imaging beam path between the microscope objective and the microscope tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Nolte, Thomas Bocher, Ingo Fahlbusch
  • Patent number: 8036868
    Abstract: A method for creating a virtual slide is provided. A virtual slide is a digital representation of an area of interest of a microscopic slide. One method is to use a motorized microscope that can move a specimen with respect to a microscopic objective. With such a system, one can capture one or more images through a microscopic objective, such that a region of interest is imaged. Each image is then joined together to form a composite or “virtual image.” In one embodiment, after a virtual slide is created, a user may fully utilize the full capabilities of the remote microscope. Among these capabilities is a set of “optical objectives” and “virtual objectives.” Optical objectives are images created by digitizing an image through a microscopic objective in real time. Virtual objectives are digitally created magnifications created by utilizing the existing virtual slide data to digitally create a field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Jack A. Zeineh, Usman Rashid, Rui-Tao Dong
  • Publication number: 20110226965
    Abstract: Method for spatially high-resolution luminescence microscopy in which label molecules in a sample are activated to emit luminescence radiation comprising activating only a subset of the label molecules in the sample, wherein activated label molecules have a distance to the closest activated molecules that is greater or equal to a length which results from a predetermined optical resolution, detecting the luminescence radiation, generating a frame from the luminescence radiation, identifying the geometric locations of the label molecules with a spatial resolution increased above the predetermined optical resolution, repeating the steps and forming a combined image, and controlling the acquisition of the several frames by evaluating at least one of the frames or a group of the frames and modifying at least one variable for subsequent repetitions of the steps of generating frames for combining into an image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2009
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: CARL ZEISS MICROIMAGING GMBH
    Inventors: Ralf Wolleschensky, Ingo Kleppe, Gerhard Krampert, Michael Kempe
  • Patent number: 8013288
    Abstract: In a method for correcting a control of an optical scanner (14) which has a beam deflecting element (31) for deflecting a beam of optical radiation and a drive unit (30, 30?) for moving the beam deflecting element (31), said drive unit deflecting a beam of optical radiation directed at the beam deflecting element (31) according to a predetermined target movement using at least one parameter and/or a transfer function, preferably optical, said parameter or transfer function being used to control or regulate the system. In a determination step at least one current value of a drive unit transfer function that reproduces the response of the drive unit (30, 30?) to a predetermined target movement or a change in a target movement is ascertained for at least one frequency, and in a correction step at least one parameter and/or the transfer function is corrected as a function of the current value of the drive unit transfer function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Joerg Steinert, Joerg Engel
  • Patent number: 8004757
    Abstract: A laser radiation-guiding device including: a laser including a control unit; ports for connection of one module each, it being possible that laser radiation may exit at the ports. The device further can include joining part sensors respectively assigned to a port and whose electrical condition depends on whether a predetermined joining part is spaced apart from the respective port by less than a maximum distance in a predetermined orientation relative to the respective port, and an evaluating unit connected to the joining part sensors via a signal link that detects the electrical conditions of the joining part sensors and, depending on the detected conditions, emits a control signal to the control unit of the laser or to a laser radiation-blocking unit, by which emission of eye-damaging laser radiation to the ports of the device can be prevented inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microimaging GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Nolte, Hubert Wahl, Klaus Becker
  • Patent number: 7999238
    Abstract: An arrangement for signal processing at the output of a multichannel detector in the spectrally resolved acquisition of time-variable fluorescence phenomena in a microscope, particularly lifetime measurements, is characterized in that an FPGA (free programmable gate array) is arranged downstream of the output of the multichannel detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Wolleschensky, Mirko Liedtke
  • Patent number: 8000511
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to focusing in automated microscope systems. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes obtaining an image of at least a portion of a scan region, analyzing the image to find an area in the image representing a sample, determining a nature of the sample at a selected focus point location in the area in the image, selecting an automated focusing process for use at the selected focus point location based on the determined nature of the sample at the selected focus point location, and focusing the selected automated focusing process. The selecting can include selecting different automated focusing processes for different focus point locations based on different tissue characteristics at the locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microimaging GmbH
    Inventor: Cynthia B. Perz
  • Publication number: 20110187846
    Abstract: A method for creating a virtual slide is provided. A virtual slide is a digital representation of an area of interest of a microscope slide. One method is to use a motorized microscope that can move a specimen with respect to a microscope objective. With such a system, one can capture one or more images through a microscope objective, such that a region of interest is imaged. Each image is then joined together to form a composite or “virtual image.” In one embodiment, after a virtual slide is created, a user may fully utilize the full capabilities of the remote microscope. Among these capabilities is a set of “optical objectives” and “virtual objectives.” Optical objectives are images created by digitizing an image through a microscope objective in real time. Virtual objectives are digitally created magnifications created by utilizing the existing virtual slide data to digitally create a field of view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Jack A. Zeineh, Usman Rashid, Rui-Tao Dong
  • Publication number: 20110149388
    Abstract: A operating circuit and control method for protecting a PMT having a photocathode, a plurality of dynodes and an anode against overloading with a shorter reaction time, and to allow it to be switched on again rapidly. For this purpose, a switch is provided for electrically short circuiting the photocathode with the first dynode, or a switch is provided for reversing the polarity of the voltage between the photocathode and the first dynode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: CARL ZEISS MICROIMAGING GMBH
    Inventors: Mirko LIEDTKE, Johannes WEBER
  • Publication number: 20110122491
    Abstract: A TIRF illumination having a high axial resolution at low complexity. A TIRF illumination device is designed as a module and comprises an optical fiber and a collimating optic, wherein the collimating optic is mounted in front of a light discharge opening of the optical fiber, such that it collimates light exiting divergently from the optical fiber into a parallel light bundle, such that the excitation light can be applied to a sample outside of the detection beam path. The numerical aperture of the excitation is thus decoupled from the numerical aperture of detection, such that a standard microscope objective is sufficient for detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: CARL ZEISS MICROIMAGING GMBH
    Inventor: Ralf WOLLESCHENSKY
  • Publication number: 20110119034
    Abstract: A method for recording pulse signals which allows the reconstruction of a time reference. The time of every pulse signal event can be determined by counting sampling result bits preceding the respective sampling result bit using the known sampling frequency. For this purpose, every period of the sampling frequency is associated with a bit representing the respective sampling result and the sampling result bits are stored one by one and per channel in data blocks. The sampling frequency is preferably higher than a pixel clock, a sampling result bit associated with a flank of the pixel clock being marked. The pixel clock can thus be synchronized with the individual events exactly per sampling period. The invention further relates to the field of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy using confocal microscopes or laser scanning microscopes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: CARL ZEISS MICROIMAGING GMBH
    Inventors: Mirko LIEDTKE, Frank KLEMM, Manfred LOTH
  • Patent number: 7933083
    Abstract: A diaphragm device with which individual wavelengths or ranges of wavelengths in the path of a beam of spectrally dispersed light can be suppressed. Such a diaphragm device comprises at least one array of diaphragms, wherein the individual diaphragms of the array are arranged in a definite relation to each other and may be coupled in the path of the beam and each diaphragm of the array in the coupled state is arranged in a given relation to an individual wavelength or a range of wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Steinert, Thomas Mehner, Volker Gerstner
  • Patent number: 7929824
    Abstract: An optical image recordation and image evaluation system has an imaging beam path and at least two digital cameras and a beam splitter. The beam splitter splits the light of the imaging beam path and conducts the same to respective digital cameras. The start time points for image recordation by the digital cameras are synchronized with respect to each other and the beam splitter is a dichroic beam splitter. The synchronization of the start time points preferably has an accuracy which is equal to or less than 1/1000th of the shortest exposure time of the digital cameras so that simultaneous images are recorded in different spectral ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventor: Dan Davidovici
  • Patent number: 7923679
    Abstract: In relation with a laser-induced transport process of an object from a carrier to a collecting device, the invention provides a collecting medium in the collecting device in a liquid state. Prior to the laser-induced transport process, the object is separated from a mass on the carrier by laser irradiation. After the laser-induced transport process, the object, thus selected and separated, is transferred together with the collecting medium to a destination, for example, a container, for further treatment. To this end, a manipulation system for liquids is provided, the system permitting manipulation of the collecting medium with the object contained therein with a high degree of reliability and a high throughput.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Sägmüller, Yilmaz Niyaz, Thomas Staltmeier
  • Patent number: 7923672
    Abstract: A device for optically sensing a specimen with a large depth of field has a lighting module which illuminates a zone of the specimen during a predetermined measurement period with a pattern whose phase is modified in time during the measurement period, generating a specimen light to which a corresponding time-variable phase is imparted. The device also includes a detection module having a space-resolving detection zone which records the specimen zone and has multiple recording pixels, two analysis channels which can be connected to the recording pixels, and an analysis unit is connected to both analysis channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microimaging GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Wolleschensky
  • Publication number: 20110082590
    Abstract: A controller for microscope lenses for correcting spherical aberration and for adjusting particularly difficult to access microscope lenses to an optimum of imaging quality, enabling automatic adjustment of the different actuators of a microscope lens, to effect a simple, cost-effective, user-friendly, and precise balance, particularly of cover slip deviations and different base thicknesses of Petri dishes for the purposes of increasing imaging quality. At least two movable elements of a microscope objective supporting lenses or lens groups, are provided in a movable manner in the axial direction along the optical axis of the microscope objective relative to the housing of the microscope lens in a motor-actuated manner by way of respective adjusting rings. A controller externally controlled and disposed in the microscope lens is provided for storing different characteristic curves for paths of motion of the movable elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: CARL ZEISS MICROIMAGING GMBH
    Inventors: Ingo Fahlbusch, Georg Herbst
  • Patent number: 7916916
    Abstract: A method of providing remote navigation of a specimen includes receiving a command to remotely control a microscope and a camera coupled with the microscope to view a portion of a specimen disposed on the microscope, capturing a digital image of the portion with the camera in response to the command, representing the digital image as a plurality of digital image components, each of the digital image components providing a different level of detail of the image, and transmitting the components in sequential order of increasing level of detail from least detailed to most detailed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventor: Jack A. Zeineh
  • Patent number: 7916913
    Abstract: A system and method for reconstructing a diagnostic trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventor: Jack A. Zeineh
  • Patent number: D639324
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Stohr, Michael Winterot, Ilka Schlesiger