IP Library Granted Patent US 9,426,455
Granted Patent B2
US 9,426,455 · App. 14/448,850 · Granted Aug 23, 2016

Aperture scanning fourier ptychographic imaging

Inventors: Roarke Horstmeyer (San Marino, CA); Guoan Zheng (Vernon, CT); Xiaoze Ou (Pasadena, CA); Changhuei Yang (Alhambra, CA)
Assignee: California Institute of Technology
H04N13/0459G01N23/205G01T1/185G01T3/008
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,426,455
App. No.
14/448,850
Granted
Aug 23, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Certain aspects pertain to aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging devices comprising an aperture scanner that can generate an aperture at different locations at an intermediate plane of an optical arrangement, and a detector that can acquire lower resolution intensity images for different aperture locations, and wherein a higher resolution complex image may be constructed by iteratively updating regions in Fourier space with the acquired lower resolution images.

Claims (44)

1. An aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device, comprising:

a first optical element configured to receive light from a sample;

a second optical element;

an aperture scanner configured to generate an aperture at a plurality of aperture locations in an intermediate plane, the aperture configured to pass incident light at the aperture from the first optical element to the second optical element;

a light detector configured to receive light from the second optical element and to acquire a plurality of intensity images associated with different aperture locations; and

a processor configured to construct a complex image of the sample by iteratively updating regions in Fourier space with the acquired intensity images.

2. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate plane is a Fourier plane associated with a sample plane.

3. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of intensity images acquired by the light detector uniquely corresponds to a different aperture location of the plurality of aperture locations.

4. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the aperture scanner is further configured to generate additional apertures at the intermediate plane to form a plurality of apertures during each acquisition time.

5. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising an aperture overlap between adjacent aperture locations in the plurality of aperture locations.

6. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 5 , wherein the overlap is at least about 70% of an area of the aperture.

7. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 5 , wherein the overlap is at least about 75% of an area of the aperture.

8. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 5 , wherein the overlap is between 20% and 90% of an area of the aperture.

9. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the first optical element and/or the second second optical element is a lens.

10. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the first optical element and second optical element are in a 4f configuration.

11. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 1 ,

wherein the first optical element has a first focal length, and is located the first focal length from the sample plane,

wherein the second optical element has a second focal length, and is located the second focal length from the intermediate plane, and

wherein the intermediate plane is a located a first focal length away from the first optical element an is located the first focal length away from the first optical element.

12. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 11 , wherein the light detector is located at the second focal length from the second optical element.

13. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the aperture scanner is a spatial light modulator configured to display the aperture as a reflective element.

14. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 13 , wherein the spatial light modulator comprises a liquid crystal on silicon display for displaying the reflective element.

15. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the aperture scanner comprises a digital micromirror device.

16. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging device of claim 15 , wherein the aperture comprises one or more micromirrors oriented at a first angle to reflect incident light to the second optical element, wherein an area surrounding the aperture comprises one or more micromirrors oriented at a second angle to reflect incident light away from the second optical element.

17. An aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging method, comprising:

illuminating a sample;

receiving incident light at a first optical element from the sample;

generating an aperture at a plurality of locations at an intermediate plane;

passing incident light at the aperture from the first optical element to a second optical element;

acquiring a plurality of intensity images using a detector receiving light from the second optical element; and

constructing a complex image of the sample by iteratively updating regions in Fourier space with the plurality of intensity images.

18. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging method of claim 17 , wherein the intermediate plane is a Fourier plane corresponding to a sample plane.

19. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging method of claim 17 , further comprising generating additional apertures at the intermediate plane to form a plurality of apertures at the intermediate during each acquisition time.

20. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging method of claim 17 , wherein generating the aperture comprises displaying one or more reflective elements on a display of a spatial light modulator.

21. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging method of claim 17 , wherein generating the aperture comprises orienting one or more micromirrors to reflect incident light to the second optical element.

22. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of intensity images captured by the detector uniquely correspond to different aperture locations of the plurality of aperture locations.

23. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging method of claim 17 , wherein there is an aperture overlap at adjacent aperture locations of the plurality of aperture locations.

24. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging method of claim 17 , wherein the aperture overlap is at least about 70% of an area of the aperture.

25. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging method of claim 17 , further comprising propagating the complex image to one or more planes.

26. The aperture-scanning Fourier ptychographic imaging method of claim 17 , wherein constructing a complex image of the sample by iteratively updating regions in Fourier space with the plurality of intensity images, comprises:

(a) initializing a current higher-resolution image in Fourier space;

(b) filtering an overlapping region of the current higher-resolution image in Fourier space to generate an intensity image for an aperture location of the plurality of aperture locations;

(c) replacing intensity of the intensity image with an intensity measurement; and

(d) updating the overlapping region in Fourier space with the intensity image with measured intensity.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2014
From: HORSTMEYER, ROARKE; ZHENG, GUOAN; OU, XIAOZE; YANG, CHANGHUEI
To: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Reel/Frame 033885/0408 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 61860786 · Jul 31, 2013
Provisional Application 61868967 · Aug 22, 2013
Related Publication 20150036038A1 · Feb 5, 2015