Abstract: A method and apparatus for correcting optical aberrations in an optical device using a deformable mirror. An actuator is provided which applies a deforming force to the deformable mirror. By selecting particular thickness profiles of the deformable mirror and force configurations of the actuator, the optical device can be configured to correct for different optical aberrations. The actuator may be configured to apply the deforming force peripherally, centrally, non-centrally or homogenously across the surface of the deformable mirror. The deformable mirror may be a flat disk mirror, a convex mirror, or a concave mirror, and may include a membrane having a variable flexibility. The optical device may be a wide-field microscope, an optical read/write device, laser tweezers, or any other optical device in which correction of optical aberrations is desirable.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for correcting optical aberrations in an optical device using a deformable mirror. An actuator is provided which applies a deforming force to the deformable mirror. By selecting particular thickness profiles of the deformable mirror and force configurations of the actuator, the optical device can be configured to correct for different optical aberrations. The actuator may be configured to apply the deforming force peripherally, centrally, non-centrally or homogenously across the surface of the deformable mirror. The deformable mirror may be a flat disk mirror, a convex mirror, or a concave mirror, and may include a membrane having a variable flexibility. The optical device may be a wide-field microscope, an optical read/write device, laser tweezers, or any other optical device in which correction of optical aberrations is desirable.

Abstract: A system and method for correcting optical aberrations in optical devices, such as wide-field microscopes, optical tweezers and optical media devices, such as DVD drives. The system uses adaptive optics to correct optical aberrations, such as spherical and space-variant aberrations. Spherical aberrations can be corrected using one adaptive optical elements and space-variant aberrations can be corrected using numerous adaptive optical elements in tandem. The adaptive optical elements may be of several types, such as a liquid lenses, deformable membrane mirrors or various liquid crystal phase and amplitude modulators. Adaptive optics can also be used to simultaneously shift the focus of the optical device and correct optical aberrations.

Abstract: A 3D wavelet-based filter for visualizing and locating structural features of a user-specified linear size in 2D or 3D image data. The only input parameter is a characteristic linear size of the feature of interest, and the filter output contains only those regions that are correlated with the characteristic size, thus denoising the image.

Abstract: A system and method for correcting optical aberrations in optical devices, such as wide-field microscopes, optical tweezers and optical media devices, such as DVD drives. The system uses adaptive optics to correct optical aberrations, such as spherical and space-variant aberrations. Spherical aberrations can be corrected using one adaptive optical elements and space-variant aberrations can be corrected using numerous adaptive optical elements in tandem. The adaptive optical elements may be of several types, such as a liquid lenses, deformable membrane mirrors or various liquid crystal phase and amplitude modulators. Adaptive optics can also be used to simultaneously shift the focus of the optical device and correct optical aberrations.

Abstract: Apparatus for computational adaptive imaging comprises the following: an image information acquirer, which provides information relating to the refractive characteristics in a three-dimensional imaged volume; a ray tracer, which uses the information relating to the refractive characteristics to trace a multiplicity of rays from a multiplicity of locations in the three-dimensional imaged volume through the three-dimensional imaged volume, thereby providing a location dependent point spread function, and a deconvolver, which uses the location dependent point spread function, to provide an output image corrected for distortions due to variations in the refractive characteristics in the three-dimensional imaged volume.

Abstract: Apparatus for computational adaptive imaging comprises the following: an image information acquirer, which provides information relating to the refractive characteristics in a three-dimensional imaged volume; a ray tracer, which uses the information relating to the refractive characteristics to trace a multiplicity of rays from a multiplicity of locations in the three-dimensional imaged volume through the three-dimensional imaged volume, thereby providing a location dependent point spread function; and a deconvolver, which uses the location dependent point spread function, to provide an output image corrected for distortions due to variations in the refractive characteristics in the three-dimensional imaged volume.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for three dimensional optical microscopy is disclosed which employs dual opposing objective lenses about a sample and extended incoherent illumination to provide enhanced depth or Z direction resolution. In a first embodiment, observed light from both objective lenses are brought into coincidence on an image detector and caused to interfere thereon by optical path length adjustment. In a second embodiment, illuminating light from an extended incoherent light source is detected to the sample though both objective lenses and caused to interfere with a section of the sample by adjusting optical path lengths. Observed light from one objective lens is then recorded. In a third embodiment, which combines the first two embodiments, illuminating light from an extended incoherent light source is detected to the sample through both objective lenses and caused to interfere with a section of the sample by adjusting optical path lengths.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for three dimensional optical microscopy is disclosed which employs dual opposing objective lenses about a sample and extended incoherent illumination to provide enhanced depth or Z-direction resolution. In a first embodiment, observed light from both objective lenses are brought into coincidence on an image detector and caused to interfere thereon by optical path length adjustment. In a second embodiment, illuminating light from an extended incoherent light source is detected to the sample through both objective lenses and caused to interfere with a section of the sample by adjusting optical path lengths. Observed light from one objective lens is then recorded. In a third embodiment, which combines the first two embodiments, illuminating light from an extended incoherent light source is directed to the sample through both objective lenses and caused to interfere within a section of the sample by adjusting optical path lengths.