PARS imaging methods

1. A method for visualizing details in a sample, the method comprising:

generating pressure, temperature, and fluorescence signals in the sample at an excitation location using an excitation beam, the excitation beam being focused on the sample;

interrogating the sample with an interrogation beam directed toward the excitation location of the sample, the interrogation beam being focused on the sample;

detecting at least a portion of the interrogation beam returning from the sample, the returned portion of the interrogation beam being indicative of the generated pressure and temperature signals;

detecting fluorescence signals from the excitation location of the sample, simultaneously with detecting the generated pressure and temperature signals;

detecting a combined signal indicative of the returned portion of the interrogation beam and the fluorescence signals; and

decomposing the combined signal to extract (1) a magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the returned portion of the interrogation beam, and (2) a magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the fluorescence signals.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating the returned portion of the interrogation beam from the fluorescence signals using a beam splitter.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising directing the fluorescence signals toward a first detector, and directing the returned portion of the interrogation beam toward a second detector.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes generating the pressure, temperature, and fluorescence signals in the sample using exactly one excitation beam at exactly one wavelength.

5. The method of claim 4 , further including preparing visualizations of both nuclear and non-nuclear structures at the excitation location using the exactly one wavelength for the excitation beam.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating one or more images of the sample based on both the returned portion of the interrogation beam and the fluorescence signals.

7. The method of claim 1 , further including using exactly one detector for both 1) detecting the returned portion of the interrogation beam indicative of the generated pressure and temperature signals, and 2) the fluorescence signals.

8. The method of claim 7 , further including decomposing a combined signal to create 1) a first signal representing the returned portion of the interrogation beam indicative of the generated pressure and temperature signals, and 2) a second signal representing the fluorescence signals.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising co-focusing and co-aligning the interrogation beam and the excitation beam toward the excitation location.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising combining the excitation beam and the interrogation beam using a beam combiner;

filtering a reflected beam to separate the returned portion of the interrogation beam from the fluorescence signals;

directing the fluorescence signals along a first detection pathway; and

directing the returned portion of the interrogation beam along a second detection pathway.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first detection pathway includes one or more secondary beam splitters to further separate one more wavelengths in the fluorescence signals.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

directing a reflected beam to one or more detectors to detect the returned portion of the interrogation beam and the fluorescence signals.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating, interrogating, and detecting steps are performed without an ultrasound coupling medium.

14. A method for visualizing details in a sample, the method comprising:

generating pressure, temperature, and fluorescence signals in the sample at an excitation location using an excitation beam, the excitation beam being focused on the sample;

interrogating the sample with an interrogation beam directed toward the excitation location of the sample, the interrogation beam being focused on the sample;

detecting at least a portion of the interrogation beam returning from the sample, the returned portion of the interrogation beam being indicative of the generated pressure and temperature signals;

detecting fluorescence signals from the excitation location of the sample, wherein the generating, interrogating, and detecting steps are performed without contacting the sample; and

determining (1) a magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the returned portion of the interrogation beam, and (2) a magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the fluorescence signals.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the generating, interrogating, and detecting steps are performed without an ultrasound coupling medium.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

combining the excitation beam and the interrogation beam using a beam combiner;

filtering a reflected beam to separate the returned portion of the interrogation beam from the fluorescence signals;

directing the fluorescence signals along a first detection pathway;

directing the returned portion of the interrogation beam along a second detection pathway;

directing a reflected beam to one or more detectors to detect the returned portion of the interrogation beam and the fluorescence signals; and

detecting a combined signal indicative of the returned portion of the interrogation beam and the fluorescence signals, wherein determining (1) the magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the returned portion of the interrogation beam, and (2) the magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the fluorescence signals includes:

decomposing the combined signal to extract (1) the magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the returned portion of the interrogation beam, and (2) the magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the fluorescence signals.

17. A method for visualizing details in a sample, the method comprising:

generating pressure, temperature, and fluorescence signals in the sample at an excitation location using exactly one excitation beam, the excitation beam being focused on the sample;

interrogating the sample with an interrogation beam directed toward the excitation location of the sample, the interrogation beam being focused on the sample;

detecting at least a portion of the interrogation beam returning from the sample, the returned portion of the interrogation beam being indicative of the generated pressure and temperature signals;

detecting fluorescence signals from the excitation location of the sample; and

determining a magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the fluorescence signals.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining a visualization, wherein the visualization includes nuclear structures in the sample based on the detected heat and pressure signals, and non-nuclear structures in the sample based on the detected fluorescence signals.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining a magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the returned portion of the interrogation beam.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

combining the excitation beam and the interrogation beam using a beam combiner;

filtering a reflected beam to separate the returned portion of the interrogation beam from the fluorescence signals;

directing the fluorescence signals along a first detection pathway;

directing the returned portion of the interrogation beam along a second detection pathway;

directing a reflected beam to one or more detectors to detect the returned portion of the interrogation beam and the fluorescence signals; and

detecting a combined signal indicative of the returned portion of the interrogation beam and the fluorescence signals, wherein determining (1) the magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the returned portion of the interrogation beam, and (2) the magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the fluorescence signals includes:

decomposing the combined signal to extract (1) the magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the returned portion of the interrogation beam, and (2) the magnitude and characteristic lifetime of the fluorescence signals.