Infrared spectroscopic imaging microscope with an attenuated total reflection imaging sub-assembly

1. An imaging microscope for spectrally analyzing a sample, the imaging microscope comprising:

a laser source that generates a coherent interrogation beam having a center wavelength that is in the mid-infrared region;

an attenuated total reflection assembly that includes an ATR crystal and a sample holder that holds the sample in intimate contact with the ATR crystal; wherein the attenuated total reflection assembly is positioned to receive the interrogation beam at an incidence angle that exceeds a critical angle of the ATR crystal to generate an evanescent wave that enters the sample; wherein the interrogation beam is reflected by the ATR crystal to create a reflected beam that exits the ATR crystal;

an objective lens assembly that collects the reflected beam and focuses the reflected beam, the objective lens assembly includes at least one refractive element; and

a two dimensional image sensor that receives the focused, reflected beam and captures two dimensional image information that is used to generate an image of the sample, the image sensor being operable in the mid-infrared range.

2. The microscope of claim 1 wherein the objective lens assembly is a compound refractive objective lens assembly.

3. The microscope of claim 1 wherein a working distance between the ATR crystal and the objective lens assembly is less than fifty millimeters.

4. The microscope of claim 1 wherein the objective lens assembly has a numerical aperture of greater than or equal to 0.15.

5. The microscope of claim 1 wherein the objective lens assembly has a numerical aperture of greater than or equal to 0.3.

6. The microscope of claim 1 further comprising a stage, wherein the attenuated total reflection assembly includes an assembly retainer that selectively secures the attenuated total reflection assembly to the stage.

7. The microscope of claim 6 wherein the assembly retainer includes an alignment feature that aligns the attenuated total reflection assembly to the stage.

8. The microscope of claim 1 wherein the sample holder includes an off-axis clamping mechanism that urges the sample against the ATR crystal.

9. The microscope of claim 8 wherein the clamping mechanism includes a pivoting contact that distributes force uniformly across the sample.

10. The microscope of claim 1 wherein the attenuated total reflection assembly includes an assembly housing, a crystal housing that retains the ATR crystal, and crystal retainer that selectively secures the crystal housing to the assembly housing.

11. The microscope of claim 1 further comprising a control system that includes a processor that controls the image sensor to capture two dimensional image information at a rate of approximately thirty frames per second.

12. The microscope of claim 1 further comprising a control system that includes a processor that controls the image sensor to capture two dimensional image information at a rate of approximately sixty frames per second.

13. The microscope of claim 1 further comprising a control system that includes a processor that controls the image sensor to capture two dimensional image information at a rate of approximately one hundred and twenty frames per second.

14. The microscope of claim 1 further comprising a control system that includes a processor that controls the laser source to modulate the center frequency of the interrogation beam about a target wavelength during the capture of the two dimensional image information that is used to generate the image of the sample.

15. The microscope of claim 1 wherein the attenuated total reflection assembly includes a temperature controller for controlling the temperature of the ATR crystal.

16. A method for spectrally analyzing a sample, the method comprising:

generating a coherent interrogation beam having a center wavelength that is in the mid-infrared region with a laser source;

positioning the sample against an attenuated total reflection assembly that includes an ATR crystal and a sample holder that holds the sample in intimate contact with the ATR crystal;

directing the interrogation beam at the ATR crystal at an incidence angle that exceeds a critical angle of the ATR crystal to generate an evanescent wave that enters the sample; wherein the interrogation beam is reflected by the ATR crystal to create a reflected beam that exits the ATR crystal;

collecting the reflected beam and focusing the reflected beam, with an objective lens assembly, the objective lens assembly includes at least one refractive element; and

capturing two dimensional image information with a two dimensional image sensor that receives the focused, reflected beam; the two dimensional image information being used to generate an image of the sample, the image sensor being operable in the mid-infrared range.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the collecting the reflected beam includes the objective lens assembly being a compound refractive objective lens assembly.

18. The method of claim 16 including positioning the objective lens assembly so that a working distance between the ATR crystal and the objective lens assembly is less than fifty millimeters.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the collecting the reflected beam includes the objective lens assembly having a numerical aperture of greater than or equal to 0.15.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing a stage, and selectively securing the attenuated total reflection assembly to the stage with an assembly retainer.