Microscope Patents (Class 359/368)
  • Patent number: 11474335
    Abstract: A microscope objective for imaging a specimen using a microscope, the microscope objective being designed as an air objective for microscopy without an immersion medium or as an oil immersion objective for microscopy with an oil-based immersion medium or as a water immersion objective for microscopy with a water-based immersion medium. The front lens of the microscope objective is provided with a coating which repels an immersion medium and is lipophobic and hydrophobic if the objective is an air objective, only lipophobic if the objective is a water immersion objective, and only hydrophobic if the objective is an oil immersion objective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Ohrt, Michael Goegler, Thorsten Kues
  • Patent number: 11467388
    Abstract: An objective optical system (43) includes: a reflection surface (RS1) which reflects light traveling toward a sample (SP); a reflection surface (RS2) which reflects light reflected by the reflection surface (RS1) toward the sample (SP); and a transmission portion (TS) which is disposed on an optical path of light reflected by the reflection surface (RS2), which has a liquid contact surface coming into contact with liquid (WT) interposed between the liquid contact surface and the sample (SP), and of which the liquid contact surface is formed to be substantially orthogonal to the optical path of light reflected by the reflection surface (RS2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Sangu
  • Patent number: 11460682
    Abstract: An observation device includes: an illumination optical system configured to emit illumination light to above a sample from below; and an objective optical system configured to acquire an image of transmitted light below the sample in a path different from a path for the illumination optical system, the transmitted light resulting from the illumination light that has been emitted from the illumination optical system, that has been reflected above the sample, and that has passed through the sample. The objective optical system includes, in the vicinity of a pupil plane, a pupil modulation element that partially decreases transmittance and that modulates the phase of light, and the illumination optical system includes a light source, and an illumination-region restricting section configured to restrict light from the light source to a particular emission region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: EVIDENT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tadashi Hirata
  • Patent number: 11448859
    Abstract: An optical lens system using ultraviolet for imaging includes, in order from a magnified side to a minified side, a first lens group of positive refractive power and a second lens group of positive refractive power. The second lens group includes at least one cemented lens and at least one aspheric lens. The optical lens system satisfies the condition of TE(?=400)>94%, where TE(?=400) denotes an overall transmittance of all of the lenses in the optical lens system measured at a wavelength of 400 nm and is equal to a product of respective internal transmittances of all of the lenses measured at a wavelength of 400 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: YOUNG OPTICS INC.
    Inventors: Hung-You Cheng, Yu-Hung Chou, Ching-Lung Lai, Yi-Hua Lin, Wei-Hao Huang
  • Patent number: 11438493
    Abstract: An optical apparatus includes a lens part including a first imaging portion forming a first image of an object and a second imaging portion forming a second image of the object, and a filter part including a filter arranged on at least one of optical axes of the first and second imaging portions and configured to make properties of light for forming the first image and light for forming second image different from each other. The first and second images correspond to a common field stop. F numbers of the first and second imaging portions are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tsubasa Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11432899
    Abstract: A medical observation device that includes a microscope that images a surgical site, a holding section that holds the microscope, a base section to which the holding section is connected, and an operation section that receives operating input, the operation section being provided at the base section, the holding section being configured as a balance arm provided with a counterweight, when the base section is viewed from an upper side of the medical observation device, the base section having a first area inside a movable range of the counterweight and a second area outside the movable range of the counterweight, the base end of the holding section being connected to the base section at a location in the first area, and the operation section being arranged at another location in the second area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignees: SONY OLYMPUS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS INC., SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Hirose, Hisayoshi Otaki, Hiroki Sato, Shingo Mouri, Katsuhisa Hakoda, Daisuke Iseki
  • Patent number: 11412919
    Abstract: A medical observation system includes: a microscope; a support including a first joint configured to hold the microscope such that the microscope is rotatable about a first axis parallel to an optical axis of the microscope; and a first arm configured to hold the first joint and extend in a direction different from a direction of the optical axis of the microscope; a light guide cable inserted in the support and configured to guide illumination light to the microscope; and a binder configured to bind the light guide cable, wherein at least a part of the light guide cable is arranged along the first axis in a first section, the light guide cable extends in a direction different from the first axis in a second section, and the binder is configured to bind the light guide cable in the second section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: SONY OLYMPUS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Okabe
  • Patent number: 11375899
    Abstract: Provided is a light detecting apparatus comprising a light emitting section that emits light; a light detecting section that detects light from an observation target irradiated with the light emitted by the light emitting section; a mount section attached to a test subject that includes the observation target; and a holding section that holds the light emitting section and the light detecting section and is detachably attached to the mount section. The holding section holds the light emitting section and the light detecting section in a manner to secure a relative positional relationship between the light emitting section and the light detecting section, and a relative positional relationship between the holding section and the mount section is determined by attaching the holding section to the mount section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignees: RIKEN, DCT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuma Kobayashi, Hitoshi Okamoto, Hiroyuki Iino, Kazushige Ooi
  • Patent number: 11372223
    Abstract: A microscope and method for high resolution scanning microscopy of a sample, having an illumination device, an imaging device for the purpose of scanning at least one point or linear spot across the sample and of imaging the point or linear spot into a diffraction-limited, static single image below a reproduction scale in a detection plane. A detector device is used for detecting the single image in the detection plane for various scan positions, with a location accuracy which, taking into account the reproduction scale in at least one dimension/measurement, is at least twice as high as a full width at half maximum of the diffraction-limited single image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Kleppe, Yauheni Novikau, Christoph Nieten, Ralf Netz
  • Patent number: 11360027
    Abstract: A system includes: an objective lens; a first light source to feed first illuminating light through the objective lens and into a flowcell (e.g., with a relatively thin film waveguide) to be installed in the system, the first illuminating light to be fed using a first grating on the flowcell; and a first image sensor to capture imaging light using the objective lens, wherein the first grating is positioned outside a field of view of the first image sensor. Dual-surface imaging can be performed. Flowcells with multiple swaths bounded by gratings can be used. An auto-alignment process can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Illumina, Inc.
    Inventors: Yinghua Sun, Stanley S. Hong, Frederick Erie, Alex Nemiroski, M. Shane Bowen, Danilo Condello, Dietrich Dehlinger, Marco A. Krumbuegel, Anthony Lam, Aaron Liu, Bojan Obradovic, Mark Pratt
  • Patent number: 11353691
    Abstract: A method to capture microscopy images from multiple image sensors and to relay them to one or more central processing units with high frame rates can include preprocessing the image data from the image sensors to reduce the sizes of the captured images, before sending the image data to a central processing station for analysis. Using multiple image sensors and an image reduction process, large image frames of over 20 megapixels and up to 1 gigapixel or more can be obtained at high imaging frame rates of 30 or more to up to hundreds or thousands of frames per second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Ramona Optics Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Harfouche, Jaehee Park, Gregor Horstmeyer, Veton Saliu
  • Patent number: 11344970
    Abstract: An optical device for detecting the drift of a light beam of a laser machining system includes a beam splitter for obtaining a first light beam along a first optical path and a second light beam along a second optical path. The optical device further includes a focal module positioned at least partially along the first optical path to obtain a focused light beam that is directed towards a first light beam matrix detection means positioned in a focusing plane associated with the focal module. The optical device also includes an afocal module positioned at least partially along the second optical path to obtain a collimated light beam that is directed towards a second light beam matrix detection means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: LASER ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS
    Inventors: Sébastien Estival, Paul-Etienne Martin
  • Patent number: 11340059
    Abstract: A sensor head is provided and achieves improved measurement accuracy while reducing measurement time. The sensor head includes: a case including a first case section having a lens therein, a second case section having an objective lens therein, and a third case section providing connection between the first case section and the second case section. Inside the third case section, a mirror member for folding light incident thereon from the lens toward the objective lens is disposed, and a hollow tube providing communication between through holes respectively formed in the mirror member and the objective lens is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventor: Shinya Furukawa
  • Patent number: 11327285
    Abstract: An optical imaging equipment and method. The optical imaging equipment includes an optical microscope, an objective table, a light source module and an objective lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Beijing Yapu Optical Instrument Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong Xiang, Anpei Ye
  • Patent number: 11287625
    Abstract: To acquire an image of a sample. A microscope includes: an illumination optical system that includes a light flux splitter that splits light from a light source into a plurality of light fluxes, and scans a sample in a plurality of directions with interference fringes generated by interference of at least part of the light fluxes split by the light flux splitter; a detection optical system on which light from the sample is incident; a detection device that includes a plurality of detectors that detect the light from the sample via the detection optical system; and an image processor that generates an image using detection results of two or more of the detectors of the detection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yosuke Fujikake, Yuki Terui
  • Patent number: 11269171
    Abstract: A scanning microscope and method of operation has a scan filter with a repeat pattern of a plurality of rows that is repeated at least across an active area of an entire surface of an area detector. Each row is covered by a bandpass filter or an emission filter for a specific fluorophore or filters of a particular colour for each row. The scanning microscope can be used to obtain one or more of hyperspectral images, multispectral images, RGB images, RGBW images, W images and Single Field Of View images of a specimen using Moving Specimen Image Averaging. A method of obtaining one or more of the images is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Inventor: Arthur Edward Dixon
  • Patent number: 11262568
    Abstract: A microscopic imaging system and a microscopic imaging method. The system includes: an illumination module configured to generate a laser illumination, an LCOS device located in a Fourier plane of the laser illumination and configured to modulate a phase of the laser illumination, a 4-F system configured to adjust a size of a light beam of the laser illumination, an excitation lens group configured to generate a point illumination focused in a sample plane, a detecting lens group configured to capture an image of a PSF of the point illumination, a camera sensor, and a controller configured to synchronously control a change in a phase pattern of the LCOS device and an image capture of the camera sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Qionghai Dai, You Zhou, Jiamin Wu, Guoxun Zhang
  • Patent number: 11262569
    Abstract: A high content imaging system and a method of operating the high content imaging system are disclosed. A microscope has a first objective lens and a second objective lens, and an objective lens database has first and second transformation values associated with the first and the second objective lenses, respectively. A microscope controller operates the microscope with the first objective lens to develop first values of acquisition parameters. A configuration module automatically determines second values of the acquisition parameters using the first values of the acquisition parameters, first transformation values associated with the first objective lens, and second transformation values associated with the second objective lens. The microscope controller operates the microscope using the second objective lens and the second values of the acquisition parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Molecular Devices, LLC
    Inventor: Loren A Stauffer
  • Patent number: 11237370
    Abstract: A dual inclined beam line-scanning confocal microscope apparatus, associated method, and applications thereof. An embodied dual-inclined beam line-scanning confocal microscope (2iLS) utilizes dual, parallel excitation beams each having a focused line shape that are scanned over a fluorescent sample. The emitted fluorescence from the sample is spatially filtered and detected by an array detector. 2iLS microscopy provides high resolution, ultrasensitivity, and deep optical sectioning capability. A reduced excitation intensity lowers photobleaching and photodamage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventors: Kyu Young Han, Jialei Tang
  • Patent number: 11236957
    Abstract: An additively manufactured component is provided. The additively manufactured component includes an additively manufactured first part defining a first trench, an additively manufactured second part defining a second trench and a fiber optic sensor. The additively manufactured first and second parts are additively manufactured together with the first and second trenches corresponding in position such that the additively manufactured first and second parts form an assembled part with a fiber channel cooperatively defined by the first and second trenches. The fiber optic sensor includes a first sensor part embedded in the fiber channel and a second sensor part operably coupled to the first sensor part and extendible at an exterior of the assembled part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: William E. Rhoden, John W. Kowalski
  • Patent number: 11226233
    Abstract: A confocal measuring apparatus (1) includes a light source (10), an optical system (30) configured to receive reflected light from a measurement surface, a light guide part (20) into which a plurality of cores including a first core (26) and a second core (28) is built and configured to propagate the reflected light by the plurality of cores, a displacement amount measurement part (40) including a spectroscope (42) configured to separate the reflected light propagated by the first core into each wavelength components and a detector (44) having a plurality of light receiving elements arranged to correspond to a spectral direction by the spectroscope, and a peripheral image measurement part (60) configured to form an image of the reflected light propagated by the second core on the plurality of image pickup elements and to generate a peripheral image with respect to a measurement position of the measurement surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Furukawa, Takahiro Suga, Hiroaki Takimasa
  • Patent number: 11226476
    Abstract: An observation apparatus including: a top plate on which a container in which a specimen is accommodated can be placed, and through which illumination light can pass; a light source that emits the illumination light upward from below the specimen; an objective lens that focuses, below the specimen and the top plate, transmitted light which is the illumination light that has passed through the specimen from thereabove and that has passed through the top plate; and a camera that captures the transmitted light, wherein the light source emits the illumination light toward an area above the specimen from outside the objective lens in a radial direction, and the top plate is provided with a mark that specifies a viewing-field area of the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mochizuki, Shintaro Takahashi, Akira Matsushita, Yohei Tanikawa, Masaru Mizunaka, Shinichi Takimoto
  • Patent number: 11221474
    Abstract: A protective device for protecting microscope components from contact with a liquid comprises at least one objective protection ring for arrangement around an objective, wherein the objective protection ring comprises an annular contact area for contacting the objective; and a stand protector with a drainage channel for draining a liquid. The objective protection ring comprises a lower ring area located below the contact area and protruding further outwards radially than the contact area in order to form a free space in the inward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Fahlbusch, Peter Schnüll, Johannes Knoblich
  • Patent number: 11194145
    Abstract: An image reproducing device includes one or more processors. The processor acquires image group data including a plurality of images and tag information on at least one tag. The images relate to a biological sample along time series. The tag information relates to an operation on the biological sample and is associated with at least part of the images. The processor selects from the plurality of images using the tag information, images to be reproduced along the time series as reproduction selected images. The processor outputs to a display, data relating to the images for the reproduction selected images to be reproduced along time series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yohei Tanikawa, Shinichi Takimoto, Masakazu Fujii, Taiji Mine, Takayuki Nakatomi
  • Patent number: 11194148
    Abstract: An objective-changer apparatus for a microscope system comprising an objective-transfer element with at least one objective holder for holding an objective that has been provided with an adapter, wherein the objective-transfer element moves a selected active objective into position in a transfer position in controlled fashion and an objective axis of the active objective does not coincide with the optical axis of the microscope system in the transfer position. A receiving apparatus is adjustable in the direction of the optical axis of the microscope system and can be brought into contact with the adapter. The receiving apparatus transports the active objective along a transport path in a transport direction orthogonal to the microscope system's optical axis between the transfer position and a work position in line with the microscope system's optical axis. The transport path is shorter than the extent of the objective holder in the transport direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Saskia Pergande, Ingo Fahlbusch, Peter Schacht, Daniel Stegmann
  • Patent number: 11187882
    Abstract: A method of preparing a stage for use in a slide imaging apparatus including positioning a stage in relation to a flat surface so that the flat surface is positioned in front of the top surfaces of slide support pin bases on the top surface of the stage. The method also includes injecting a fluid pin surfacing material configured to solidify into the hole of each slide support pin base so that at least some of the fluid pin surfacing material exits the hole at the top surface of the slide support pin bases and pushes up against the flat surface. The method also includes removing the flat surface so that a tip of solid pin surfacing material is formed on the top surface of each slide support pin base, thereby providing the stage with a plurality of slide support pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: VENTANA MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Martin Philip Gouch, Jagdish Pankhania
  • Patent number: 11175488
    Abstract: A microscope assembly can be used during microbiological processes. The microscope assembly includes a lens assembly for magnified imaging of an object range in an imaging plane along an optical path; a sample receiving unit for a sample arranged in the object range; and a camera receiving unit for receiving a camera in a range of the imaging plane the camera adapted to generate a digital image of the sample; where the lens assembly is a ball lens, a halved ball lens, or a lens in the form of a rotational spheroid; and the camera receiving unit is adapted to receive a customary mobile end device equipped with a camera or a camera cooperating with a mobile end device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: OCULYZE GMBH
    Inventor: Katja Schulze
  • Patent number: 11163147
    Abstract: An arrangement for microscopy, having an illumination optical unit with an illumination objective for illuminating a specimen on a specimen carrier. An optical axis of the illumination objective lies in a plane which includes an illumination angle that differs from zero with the normal of a specimen plane and the illumination is implemented in the plane. A detection optical unit with a detection objective is located in a detection beam path. The optical axis of the detection objective includes a detection angle that differs from zero with the normal of the specimen plane. The illumination objective and/or the detection objective has an illumination correction element. A meniscus lens is located between the specimen carrier and the illumination and detection objectives being arranged both in the illumination beam path and in the detection beam path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Siebenmorgen, Helmut Lippert, Thomas Kalkbrenner, Ingo Kleppe, Ralf Wolleschensky, Artur Degen, Matthias Wald, Lars-Christian Wittig, Michael Gölles, Wolfgang Singer
  • Patent number: 11150456
    Abstract: An observation apparatus includes: a stage on which a container accommodating a specimen is mounted; a light source generating illumination light emitted in an upward direction from below the specimen on a specimen placement surface; a light-collecting lens disposed parallel to the surface and collecting the light; a diffusion plate disposed between the lens and the surface, parallel to the surface, and diffusing the light collected by the lens; an objective optical system disposed below the stage and collecting light passing through the stage from thereabove; and an image-capturing optical system capturing, below the specimen, transmitted light, which is the light emitted from the source, reflected above the specimen, transmitted through the specimen, and collected by the objective optical system, wherein the source is positioned so that an optical axis thereof is shifted from an optical axis of the lens in a direction away from the image-capturing optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tadashi Hirata
  • Patent number: 11150454
    Abstract: With the aim of shortening the entire length and configuring an entire upright microscope compactly even if coded aperture technology and light field technology are applied thereto, a microscope pupil relay optical system is disposed on an image side of a microscope image-forming optical system including an objective lens, and includes, in the following order from an object side, a first lens group that has a positive refractive power and to which a convergent light flux is introduced from the object side; and a second lens group that has a positive refractive power. A lens located closest to the object-side end of the first lens group is disposed on the object side than a primary image-forming plane on which the microscope image-forming optical system forms an object image, and an exit pupil of the objective lens is re-formed at a position optically conjugate with the exit pupil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kanto Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 11112952
    Abstract: A user interface for display of multiview image sets captured by slide scanning digital microscopes, including a graphical user interface (GUI) for the display of one or more of multi-level, multi-angle, and multi-region images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Microscopes International, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan C. Ward, Richard K. Rainbolt
  • Patent number: 11106044
    Abstract: An alignment system for a HUD is provided and includes a mirror, a mirror actuator, first and second light sources, an optic assembly, and a control module. The mirror actuator adjusts mirror orientation. The first light source generates a first light beam. The mirror directs the first light beam from the HUD to a combiner to generate a virtual image. The second light source generates a second light beam. The optic assembly directs the second light beam to the combiner to generate a fiducial. The control module: performs an alignment process including, based on received inputs, controlling the mirror actuator to adjust mirror orientation to adjust a position of the virtual image and align a portion of the virtual image, the fiducial and an eye of a viewer; determines a height of the eye based on a mirror angle; and displays another virtual image based on the height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Thomas A. Seder, Kai-Han Chang, Leslie G. Ferris, Omer Tsimhoni
  • Patent number: 11106178
    Abstract: In a microscopic observation unit (10), hologram data is acquired at each measurement position on a cell culture plate (13) while a light-source section (11) and other related sections are gradually moved by a moving section (15). Every time a set of data for one measurement position is acquired, a measurement monitoring image creator (24) creates a thumbnail image by reducing the size of a hologram image which is based on original data (two-dimensional distribution of light intensity). A display processor (25) pastes the create thumbnail image to progressively complete the hologram image of the entire plate to be displayed on a display unit (27). A measurement operator watches the hologram image during the execution of the measurement. When it has been concluded that the ongoing measurement is inappropriate, the operator presses a measurement stop button to immediately discontinue the measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Momoyo Yamakawa, Shuhei Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11079582
    Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a broadband hyperspectral imaging spectrophotometer configured to analyze an object and includes an illumination assembly having a source for emitting a light beam and configured so that the light beam scans line by line the object to be analyzed, a focusing mirror, a first mirror folding, and a planar scanning mirror movable in rotation. The illumination assembly, the focusing mirror, the first folding mirror and the planar mirror are arranged to bring the light beam to the object along a line which will be displaced on the object via the scanning mirror. The imaging spectrophotometer further includes two measuring sensors by a distance between the object and the scanning mirror. The focusing mirror is movable in translation to adapt the imager to the measured distance by the measuring sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignees: Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, SORBONNE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Frédéric Bourcier, Philippe Walter
  • Patent number: 11067781
    Abstract: A microscope includes illumination optics for fluorescence excitation of point light sources of a sample, detection optics and a camera having a sensor. A density of the point light sources is kept low so as to minimize a crossover of point light sources that are behind or close to one another in each image captured by the camera. A means for subdividing a detection aperture into individual sub-apertures is provided in a beam path of the detection optics such that images generated by the individual sub-apertures on the sensor of the camera depict an object volume from different spatial directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS CMS GMBH
    Inventors: Florian Fahrbach, Frank Sieckmann, Christian Schumann, Oliver Schlicker
  • Patent number: 11045089
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for automatically controlling a lens to cornea standoff. Automatic lens to cornea standoff control can include an ophthalmic microscope with a lens arrangement configured for viewing images of an eye, a front lens assembly with a high diopter lens for resolving an image of a posterior portion of the eye, and a sensor to monitor a distance between the high diopter lens and a surface of the eye. Automatic lens to cornea standoff control can also include a control system for receiving distance information and an actuator for the front lens assembly back to the threshold standoff distance, past the threshold standoff distance, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Patent number: 11042015
    Abstract: The invention relates to a microscope in which a layer of the sample is illuminated by a plurality of thin strips of light (11) passed through a grid (34) and the sample is viewed (5) perpendicular to the plane of the strips of light. To record the image, the object (4) is displaced through the strips of light (11). At least three different images of the objects (4) are made at different phase angles. The images can be combined to form a single combined image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: European Molecular Biology Laboratory
    Inventor: Ernst H. K. Stelzer
  • Patent number: 11042016
    Abstract: A Multi-Z confocal microscopy system can simultaneously record from multiple Z-sections, and thus performs high speed volumetric imaging. An illumination line can be formed by under-filling the illumination beam in the aperture of the microscope objective. The illumination line extends in the Z dimension into the target sample to be imaged and an X-Y scanning mechanism can be used to scan the illumination line over the sample. The detection signal emanating from the scanned sample can be collected through the full numerical aperture of the microscope objective and directed to a detector subsystem. The detector subsystem includes an array of reflecting pinhole detectors and each reflecting pinhole detector is configured to image a volume at a different depth in the sample. This configuration enables reflecting pinhole detector array to image more than one depth volume at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jerome Mertz, Amaury Badon, Timothy Weber, Sheng Xiao, Jean-Marc Tsang Min Ching
  • Patent number: 11041807
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a multi-photon microscopy system that uses sequential excitation of a sample through three or more objective lenses oriented at different axes intersecting the sample are disclosed. Each objective lens is capable of focused sequential excitation of the sample that elicits fluorescence emissions from the excited sample, which is then simultaneously detected by each respective objective lens along a respective longitudinal axis every time the sample is illuminated through only a single objective lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Hari Shroff, Yicong Wu
  • Patent number: 11036037
    Abstract: A pulsed beam of NIR excitation light is projected into a sample (345) at an oblique angle and scanned by a scanning element through a volume in the sample. 2-photon excitation excites fluorescence within the sample. The fluorescence is imaged onto an intermediate image plane that remains stationary regardless of the orientation of the scanning element. The image is captured by a linear array of light detecting elements (392) or a linear portion of a rectangular array. At any given position of the scanning element, the linear array (or portion) images all depths simultaneously. A plurality of images are captured for each of a plurality of different orientations of the scanning element. The orientation of the scanning element is controlled to move in a two dimensional pattern, which causes the beam of excitation light to sweep out a three dimensional volume within the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventor: Elizabeth M. C. Hillman
  • Patent number: 10989903
    Abstract: A modular confocal microscope includes a beam steering means arranged to direct the source of electromagnetic radiation non-collinearly with the optical axis of a focusing lens. The focused non-collinearly directed source of electromagnetic radiation is used for an imaging basis of targeted one or more sites of a specimen. An arrayed detector is configured along a beam path in a conjugate confocal plane to the targeted one or more sites of the specimen. The arrayed detector is also configured to provide autocorrection information to maintain focus and image quality of the targeted one or more sites using the imaging basis. The arrayed detector provides high-throughput configured synthetic apertures in a pixel range array of N=2×2 up to an array of N=21×21.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Washington State University
    Inventor: Matthew Douglas McCluskey
  • Patent number: 10989661
    Abstract: Light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) affords highly parallelized 3D imaging with optical sectioning capability and minimal light exposure. However, using Gaussian beams for light-sheet generation results in a trade-off between beam waist thickness and the area over which the beam can approximate a light-sheet. Novel techniques for LSFM are disclosed that uses extended focusing and/or laser line focuses to produce divergence free light-sheets with near diffraction-limited resolution and uniform intensity distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
    Inventors: Reto P. Fiolka, Kevin M. Dean
  • Patent number: 10966612
    Abstract: A refractive component includes at least one reflection surface and at least one diffractive optical element. The refractive component is configured to receive a light beam and the light beam expands within the refractive component and is reflected by the at least one reflection surface. The diffractive optical element is configured to receive the light beam reflected from the at least one reflection surface, collimate the light beam, and redirect the light beam out of the refractive component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Open Water Internet Inc.
    Inventor: Craig Newswanger
  • Patent number: 10959712
    Abstract: Apparatus and method can be provided for obtaining at least one anatomical sample. For example, it is possible to provide and insert a housing into a body or provided on a hydrated anatomical structure. Further, with a source, it is possible to emit an electromagnetic radiation which causes at least the anatomical sample(s) to attach to at least one portion of the housing. A compound can be provided on a surface of the housing, and the source provides the radiation to the compound and changes properties thereof to be adhesive. The source can provide the radiation to the housing, and can change properties of a surface thereof to be adhesive. A component can be provided on a surface of the anatomical structure, and the source provides the radiation to the compound and changes properties thereof to be adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Guillermo J. Tearney, Joseph Gardecki, Chia-Pin Liang
  • Patent number: 10955649
    Abstract: A method for optical microscopy, including using a first laser beam to excite dye particles in a sample region with light having a first wavelength. A second laser beam with a second wavelength based on the emission spectrum of the excited particles is used to de-excite the excited particles. The first and second beams have first and second respective intensity distributions which are spatially different when co-aligned; the second profile has a minimum where the first has a maximum. The region is once concurrently illuminated with the first and second beams, and an emission signal is detected. For each scanning point, the region is illuminated also with a pulse of the second laser beam or continuously prior to or after illuminating the region of the sample concurrently with both lasers. The illumination with only the second laser beam defines a background signal that is subtracted from the emission signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Universitaetsklinikum Jena
    Inventor: Michael Boersch
  • Patent number: 10957071
    Abstract: A method and system for measuring the alignment between a substrate and a platform upon which it is disposed by using image processing algorithms are described herein. These algorithms automate the detection of edges of a microscope slide and the platform in a digital image. A reference line pattern in an image of the platform can be used to detect platform edges based on a computed location of the reference line pattern in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Anindya Sarkar, Chibuya Siame
  • Patent number: 10957040
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for methods and systems for preparing chromosomal spread for a selected cell so that chromosomal spreads and/or translocations can be correlated with the selected cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Tanmay P. Lele, Wallace Gregory Sawyer
  • Patent number: 10944896
    Abstract: An imaging method is provided that includes: (i) providing a microscope having a lens and an autofocusing camera positioned adjacent to the microscope; (ii) positioning an illumination source adjacent to the microscope; (iii) moving a sample to a predefined offset position and illuminating the sample; (iv) acquiring an image of the illuminated sample via the autofocusing camera; and (v) utilizing a convolution neural network to identify an in-focus position of the sample. The convolution neural network may further include an input layer, output layer, and at least one hidden layer situated between the input and output layers. The hidden layer(s) may be selected from a group consisting of a convolution layer, pooling layer, normalization layer, fully connected layer, and a combination thereof. The convolution neural network may be trained to accurately define the weight to be applied to the layer(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: University of Connecticut
    Inventor: Guoan Zheng
  • Patent number: 10934513
    Abstract: The invention provides a full-automatic cell culture system, at least comprising: a control module, a control platform, a dark field microscope for on-line observation of cell culture, a cell incubator shaker and a cell culture bag. The control platform is connected to the dark field microscope for on-line observation of cell culture and the cell incubator shaker respectively, and the control module is connected to the control platform. The invention also provides a culture bag support frame for a continuous cell incubator shaker, the continuous cell incubator shaker, a non-contact sensor connector, the cell culture bag and the dark field microscope for on-line observation of cell culture which are related to the full-automatic cell culture system, thereby realizing continuous culture and observation of cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: SHANGHAI GENBASE BIOTECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xuejun Yu
  • Patent number: 10908405
    Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods for multi-color imaging using a microscope system. The microscope system can have a relatively small size compared to an average microscope system. The microscope system can comprise various components configured to reduce or eliminate image artifacts such as chromatic aberrations and/or noise from stray light that can occur during multi-color imaging. The components can be configured to reduce or eliminate the image artifacts, and/or noise without substantially changing the size of the microscope system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: INSCOPIX, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Trulson, Koen Visscher, Kevin E. Newman