US 12,306,388 B2
Method and apparatus for confocal microscopes
Dongkyun Kang, Tucson, AZ (US); and Nachiket Kulkarni, Tucson, AZ (US)
Assigned to Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (US)
Appl. No. 17/292,524
Filed by Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 11, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/060761
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 10, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/097606, PCT Pub. Date May 14, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/758,248, filed on Nov. 9, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0396981 A1, Dec. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. G02B 21/00 (2006.01); G01J 3/02 (2006.01); G01J 3/04 (2006.01); G01J 3/12 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 21/0032 (2013.01) [G01J 3/0208 (2013.01); G01J 3/04 (2013.01); G02B 21/0052 (2013.01); G01J 2003/1208 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A three-dimensional (3D) chromatic confocal microscope system, comprising:
a hyperchromatic objective lens;
collimating optics positioned to receive light from a light source;
a rotatable beam scanner, wherein
the collimating optics is configured to collimate light of different wavelengths from the light source and to deliver the collimated light to the rotatable beam scanner, and
the hyperchromatic objective lens is configured to receive the collimated light from the collimating optics and to focus the light of different wavelengths onto different corresponding focal planes that are separated from one another within a sample object;
focusing optics positioned to receive multi-spectral light reflected from the sample object after passing through the hyperchromatic objective lens and to deliver the received multi-spectral light to the beam scanner;
a detection slit positioned to receive light from the focusing optics and to block at least a portion of light that is incident thereon; and
a grating positioned to receive light after passing through the detection slit and to produce spatially separated light of different wavelengths to enable the detection of the spatially separated light by an imaging sensor, wherein the collimating optics include:
a first collimating lens positioned to direct the collimated light to the rotatable beam scanner,
a focusing lens positioned to receive the collimated light after reflection from the rotatable beam scanner,
an imaging waveguide positioned to receive focused light from the focusing lens at a first end thereof, and
a second collimating lens positioned to receive light from a second end of the imaging waveguide and to direct to the collimated light hyperchromatic objective lens.