Abstract: The invention relates to an optical coherence microscopy system for fast, phase resolved imaging by means of optical coherence microscopy with decoupled illumination and detection apertures, producing a dark-field effect with an enhanced optical contrast. The setup uses a light source with an appropriate temporal coherence, an interferometer and an array detector combined with a spectrometer. The dark-field effect is produced by optical filter means in the illumination and detection paths, positioned in conjugated planes of the sample microscope objective. These optical means comprise for example refractive or diffractive elements, amplitude or phase masks, or programmable spatial light modulators. The object is scanned via a scanning unit allowing a point scan of the object.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system (100) and method for identifying and authenticating a tag defined by at least a spatial pattern and the spectral signature of luminescent particles. The system comprises a reading module (110), a processing module (120) and a database (130) containing the stored tag identities. The spatial pattern and spectral signature are acquired by an imaging unit (111) and a spectral unit (112) respectively in a sequential manner, the acquisition being synchronized with different excitation light pulses. The validation of the tag comprises the use of background and signal acquired by both the imaging unit (111) and the spectral unit (112).

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical coherence microscopy system for fast, phase resolved imaging by means of optical coherence microscopy with decoupled illumination and detection apertures, producing a dark-field effect with an enhanced optical contrast. The setup uses a light source with an appropriate temporal coherence, an interferometer and an array detector combined with a spectrometer. The dark-field effect is produced by optical filter means in the illumination and detection paths, positioned in conjugated planes of the sample microscope objective. These optical means comprise for example refractive or diffractive elements, amplitude or phase masks, or programmable spatial light modulators. The object is scanned via a scanning unit allowing a point scan of the object.