US 11,880,028 B2
Apparatus and method to reduce vignetting in microscopic imaging
Matthew C. Putman, Brooklyn, NY (US); John B. Putman, Celebration, FL (US); Dylan Fashbaugh, Monmouth Junction, NJ (US); and Roarke Horstmeyer, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Assigned to Nanotronics Imaging, Inc., Cuyahoga Falls, OH (US)
Filed by Nanotronics Imaging, Inc., Cuyahoga Falls, OH (US)
Filed on Nov. 11, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/679,433.
Application 16/679,433 is a continuation of application No. 15/752,778, granted, now 10,502,944, previously published as PCT/US2017/054701, filed on Oct. 2, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0073108 A1, Mar. 5, 2020
Int. Cl. G02B 21/36 (2006.01); G02B 21/06 (2006.01); G02B 21/26 (2006.01); H04N 25/61 (2023.01)
CPC G02B 21/361 (2013.01) [G02B 21/06 (2013.01); G02B 21/26 (2013.01); H04N 25/61 (2023.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for correcting an intensity of light across a field of view of an image sensor in a microscope apparatus to correct for vignetting of light from a light source of the microscope apparatus, the microscope apparatus including the image sensor having pixels, and a specimen stage, wherein light from the light source travels along a light path to the specimen stage and then to the image sensor the method comprising:
interposing a programmable spatial light modulator, pSLM, in the light path between the light source and the image sensor, the pSLM comprising a plurality of pixels; and
modulating the intensity of light passing through one or more pixels of the plurality of pixels of the pSLM to produce an altered illumination landscape at the field of view of the image sensor that reduces effects of vignetting of light that would otherwise be produced at the image sensor by controlling an intensity of light passing through the one or more pixels of the pSLM by applying electrical signals to the one or more pixels.