Patents by Inventor Hilmar Gugel

Hilmar Gugel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20070025662
    Abstract: The invention relates to a light source comprising a microstructured optical element (11) that receives and spectrally spreads the light from a primary light source (3). The inventive light source is characterised in that the spectrally spread light penetrates at least one other microstructured optical element (15, 19, 21). Said light source can be efficiently used in scanning microscopy and especially in STED microscopy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2004
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Inventor: Hilmar Gugel
  • Publication number: 20060291043
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an interference microscope and a method for operating an interference microscope, in particular a 4? microscope, standing wave field microscope, or I2M, I3M, or I5M microscope, at least one specimen support unit associated with the specimen being provided. For determination of the phase position of the interfering light in the specimen region, on the basis of which the interference microscope can be aligned, the interference microscope is characterized in that for determination of the illumination state in the specimen region of the interference microscope, at least one planar area of the specimen support unit is configured to be detectable by light microscopy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: Leica Microsystems Heidelberg GmbH
    Inventors: Joerg Bewersdorf, Hilmar Gugel
  • Patent number: 7054062
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a double confocal scanning microscope (1) having an illuminating beam path (2) of at least one light source (3), and a detected beam path (4) of at least one detector (5), and in order to achieve almost the theoretically possible resolution capability, in particular in the context of multi-color fluorescence applications, is characterized in that the optical properties in particular of the components (6, 10, 13, 14) arranged in the beam path are coordinated with one another in such a way that the accumulated aberrations, with respect to the optical axis (33) and/or at least one surface (18, 19, 20) in the specimen region, are at least of the order of magnitude of the theoretically achievable resolution capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems Heidelberg GmbH
    Inventors: Johann Engelhardt, Jörg Bewersdorf, Hilmar Gugel, Juergen Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20060007535
    Abstract: An optical device exhibits a focusing optic that focuses a light beam in a focal plane. A means is envisaged to form the focus of the light beam, whereby the means to form the focus brings about a phase shift between a first part of the light beam and a second part of the light beam. The optical device is characterized in that the means to form the focus exhibits a first interface and a second interface, wherein the first interface reflects the first part of the light beam, and the second interface reflects the second part of the light beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Applicant: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
    Inventor: Hilmar Gugel
  • Patent number: 6891670
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a double confocal scanning microscope having an illuminating beam path (1) of a light source (2) and a detection beam path (3) of a detector (4), and in order to eliminate at their cause the problems of reconstruction methods. To do so, at least one optical component (24, 25) acting on the illuminating and/or detection beam path (1, 3) is provided, and is configured in such a way that it influences the amplitude and/or phase and/or polarization of the light; and the characteristics of the double confocal illumination and/or detection are thereby modifiable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems Heidelberg GmbH
    Inventors: Hilmar Gugel, Joerg Bewersdorf, Stefan W. Hell
  • Publication number: 20050078363
    Abstract: In a scanning microscope that impinges upon a sample with a first light pulse and a second light pulse, a dispersive medium that modifies the time offset between the first and the second light pulse is provided in the beam path of at least one of the light pulses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Applicant: Leica Microsystems Heidelberg GmbH
    Inventor: Hilmar Gugel
  • Publication number: 20050078361
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a microscope, in particular a confocal or double confocal scanning microscope, as well as a method for operating a microscope, at least one specimen support unit associated with the specimen being provided, at least one reference specimen of known configuration being provided, and the reference specimen being detectable by light microscopy for calibration, alignment or adjustment of the microscope. With the microscope according to the present invention and the method according to the invention for operating a microscope, drift-related changes can be detected and compensated for. Auxiliary means with which a specimen can easily and reliably be focused are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Applicant: Leica Microsystems Heidelberg GmbH
    Inventors: Joerg Bewersdorf, Hilmar Gugel
  • Patent number: 6801359
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical arrangement provided for a spectral fanning out of a light beam (1), preferably the detection beam path of a confocal microscope, especially for the subsequent splitting of the fanned out beam (2) out of the dispersion plane thereof. The optical arrangment is also provided for detecting the fanned out spectral regions (4), whereby the incoming light beam (1) is focused on a pinhole (7). The invention is characterized in that the pinhole (7) has a polygonal passageway (8) in order to realize a high dynamic response when the light beam is split into spectral regions (4) or into spectral colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems Heidelberg GmbH
    Inventors: Johann Engelhardt, Heinrich Ulrich, Hilmar Gugel
  • Patent number: 6798569
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a microscope, in particular a confocal or double confocal scanning microscope, as well as a method for operating a microscope, at least one specimen support unit associated with the specimen being provided, at least one reference specimen of known configuration being provided, and the reference specimen being detectable by light microscopy for calibration, alignment or adjustment of the microscope. With the microscope according to the present invention and the method according to the invention for operating a microscope, drift-related changes can be detected and compensated for. Auxiliary means with which a specimen can easily and reliably be focused are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems Heidelberg GmbH
    Inventors: Joerg Bewersdorf, Hilmar Gugel
  • Patent number: 6570705
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical arrangement for illuminating objects (1), in particular fluorescent objects, preferably in conjunction with a confocal or a double-confocal scanning microscope, having an illuminating beam path (2) of a light source (3), a detection beam path (4) of a detector (5), and a component (6) which unifies the detection beam path (4). For the purpose of at least largely loss-free union of the light coming from the object (1) into a propagation direction (19), the optical arrangement according to the invention is characterized in that with reference to the beam cross section active for the detector, light of the fist and second partial detection beam can be united at least largely in an overlapping fashion into one propagation direction (19) at the component (6) thereby providing an unified the detection beam path (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems Heidelberg GmbH
    Inventors: Joerg Bewersdorf, Hilmar Gugel, Juergen Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20020109913
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a double confocal scanning microscope having an illuminating beam path (1) of a light source (2) and a detection beam path (3) of a detector (4), and in order to eliminate at their cause the problems of reconstruction methods. To do so, at least one optical component (24, 25) acting on the illuminating and/or detection beam path (1, 3) is provided, and is configured in such a way that it influences the amplitude and/or phase and/or polarization of the light; and the characteristics of the double confocal illumination and/or detection are thereby modifiable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2002
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Inventors: Hilmar Gugel, Joerg Bewersdorf, Stefan W. Hell
  • Publication number: 20020105723
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a microscope, in particular a confocal or double confocal scanning microscope, as well as a method for operating a microscope, at least one specimen support unit associated with the specimen being provided, at least one reference specimen of known configuration being provided, and the reference specimen being detectable by light microscopy for calibration, alignment or adjustment of the microscope. With the microscope according to the present invention and the method according to the invention for operating a microscope, drift-related changes can be detected and compensated for. Auxiliary means with which a specimen can easily and reliably be focused are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Publication date: August 8, 2002
    Inventors: Joerg Bewersdorf, Hilmar Gugel
  • Publication number: 20020105722
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an interference microscope and a method for operating an interference microscope, in particular a 4&pgr; microscope, standing wave field microscope, or I2M, I3M, or I5M microscope, at least one specimen support unit associated with the specimen being provided. For determination of the phase position of the interfering light in the specimen region, on the basis of which the interference microscope can be aligned, the interference microscope is characterized in that for determination of the illumination state in the specimen region of the interference microscope, at least one planar area of the specimen support unit is configured to be detectable by light microscopy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Publication date: August 8, 2002
    Inventors: Joerg Bewersdorf, Hilmar Gugel
  • Publication number: 20020034002
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical arrangement for illuminating objects (1), in particular fluorescent objects, preferably in conjunction with a confocal or a double-confocal scanning microscope, having an illuminating beam path (2) of a light source (3), a detection beam path (4) of a detector (5), and a component (6) which unifies the detection beam path (4). For the purpose of at least largely loss-free union of the light coming from the object (1) into a propagation direction (19), the optical arrangement according to the invention is characterized in that with reference to the beam cross section active for the detector, light of the fist and second partial detection beam can be united at least largely in an overlapping fashion into one propagation direction (19) at the component (6) thereby providing an unified the detection beam path (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Applicant: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS HEIDELBERG GmbH
    Inventors: Joerg Bewersdorf, Hilmar Gugel, Juergen Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20020030886
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a microscope having an illuminating beam path (1) of a light source (2), a detected beam path (3) of a detector (4), a component (5) combining the detected beam path (3), and at least two microscope objectives (7, 8) directed onto the specimen (6). In order to achieve enhanced detection efficiency, the present invention is characterized in that an optical component (14) arranged in the beam path (1, 3) has the property of acting on a portion of the illuminating and/or detected beam cross section in such a way that the combined detected light (15, 16) is guided in largely lossless fashion to the detector (4). Alternatively thereto, the microscope according to the present invention is characterized in that a polarizing beam splitter (19), arranged in the beam path (1, 3) and acting on the entirety of the illuminating and/or detected beam cross section, is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Applicant: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS HEIDELBERG GmbH.
    Inventors: Joerg Bewersdorf, Hilmar Gugel
  • Publication number: 20010030803
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a double confocal scanning microscope (1) having an illuminating beam path (2) of at least one light source (3), and a detected beam path (4) of at least one detector (5), and in order to achieve almost the theoretically possible resolution capability, in particular in the context of multi-color fluorescence applications, is characterized in that the optical properties in particular of the components (6, 10, 13, 14) arranged in the beam path are coordinated with one another in such a way that the accumulated aberrations, with respect to the optical axis (33) and/or at least one surface (18, 19, 20) in the specimen region, are at least of the order of magnitude of the theoretically achievable resolution capability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2001
    Publication date: October 18, 2001
    Applicant: Leica Microsystems Heidelberg GmbH
    Inventors: Johann Engelhardt, Jorg Bewersdorf, Hilmar Gugel, Juergen Hoffmann