System and method for a three-dimensional optical switch display device

1. An apparatus for generating a three-dimensional image, the apparatus comprising:

a medium comprising an acid-sensitive photoinitiator, a photoacid, monomers, donors, and acceptors, wherein the acceptor has a non-fluorescent state and a fluorescent state, wherein at one wavelength of optical excitation an optical molecular switch molecule has a first state, and at a second state the optical molecular switch molecule fluoresces at a second wavelength of excitation; and

at least a first light source and a second light source into the medium, wherein light emitted by the at least first and second light sources are directed to contact the acid-sensitive photoinitiator, wherein a first wavelength activates the photo acid, and the second wavelength triggers polymerization of the monomers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:

(a) the first and the second light source intersect at the acid-sensitive photoinitiator, photoacid, monomers, donors, and acceptors;

(b) the first or the second light source is a pulsed laser thereby to produce an improved voxel to background emission;

(c) the first and the second light source scan across the medium, wherein the acid-sensitive photoinitiator, photoacid, monomers, donors, and acceptors polymerize when light from the first and second wavelengths form an image; or

(d) the light sources are selected to match the acid-sensitive photoinitiator and the acid-sensitive polymerization of the monomers, and the first, the second, or both light sources are a laser, a filtered light, or both.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the acid-sensitive photoinitiator is a photoacid generator, a reversible photoacid generator, a non-reversible photoacid generator, a self-contained photoacid generator, or a photoacid.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the acid-sensitive photoinitiator is selected from at least one of: an ionic photoacid generator (PAG), a non-ionic PAG, an onium PAG, a benzyl ester PAG, an imino ester PAG, a conjugated imino ester PAG, an imino sulphonate PAG, a sulfonium PAG, a fluorine-containing PAG, a bound PAG, or a blend PAG.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the acid-sensitive photoinitiator is at least one of: attached to the medium, and wherein the medium is liquid, solid, a liquigel, organic, inorganic, thixotropic, a crystal, a glass, a gel, a polymer, a gas, a protein, and wherein the optical molecular switch molecule is a green fluorescent protein, cyan fluorescent protein, yellow fluorescent protein, red fluorescent protein, gold fluorescent protein a saturation dye, an acceptor fluorophore, a donor fluorophore, and combinations thereof;

is capable of energy transfer selected from fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), through-bond energy transfer (TBET), or fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) with a molecular-beacon; or

is resuspended in a solvent or a base selected from at least one of dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, water, diisopropyl ethylamine, pyridine, carbonate, or bicarbonate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more optical molecular switch molecules that are selected to provide at least three different colors that provide for color images, the three dimensional image can be viewed without glasses or tricking the brain to appear three-dimensional and/or the three dimensional image is volumetric.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:

each of the first light source or the second light source projects one or more three-dimensional images by rapid scanning of the first or second light source, and the other light source is synchronized with a changing patterned of light to form a three-dimensional image in the medium;

each of the first light source or the second light source displays a three-dimensional image by projecting light into a woven pattern into the medium;

each of the first light source or the second light source displays a three-dimensional image by projecting light into a diagonal pattern into the medium;

an agent is positioned to filter stray light is provided in the medium or a surface of a vessel that contains the medium; or

an angle is formed between the light emitted from the first light source and the light emitted by the second light sources is at an angle other than 90 degrees.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first light source, the second light source, or both, is a Digital Light Processor, is a UV projector with a short pass filter, and the second light source uses a long pass filter before a camera, and optionally the short pass filter is a 395 nm filter, and the long pass filter is at least one of a 515, a 550, or a 590 nm filter.

9. A method of generating a three-dimensional image comprising:

providing an acid-sensitive photoinitiator, a photoacid, monomers, donors, and acceptors in a medium, wherein the acceptor has a non-fluorescent state and a fluorescent state, wherein at one wavelength of optical excitation an optical molecular switch molecule has a first state, and at a second state the optical molecular switch molecule fluoresces at a second wavelength of excitation; and

at least a first light source and a second light source into the medium, wherein light emitted by the at least first and second light sources are directed to contact the acid-sensitive photoinitiator, wherein a first wavelength activates the photo acid, and the second wavelength triggers polymerization of the monomers.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising at least one of:

intersecting the first and the second laser at the optical molecular switch molecule to excite and release light;

pulsing the first or the second laser to produce an improved voxel to background emission in the image;

scanning the first and the second laser scan across the medium, wherein the optical molecular switch molecule excites and emits light in the medium create the three-dimensional image;

attaching the optical molecular switch molecule to the medium;

selecting the optical molecular switch molecule from one or more fluorescent proteins, a green fluorescent protein, cyan fluorescent protein, yellow fluorescent protein, red fluorescent protein, gold fluorescent protein and combinations thereof;

selecting the optical molecular switch molecule from a saturation dye, an acceptor fluorophore, a donor fluorophore, a saturation dye, an acceptor fluorophore, a donor fluorophore, and combinations thereof;

selecting the optical molecular switch molecule to be capable of energy transfer selected from fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), through-bond energy transfer (TBET), or fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) with a molecular-beacon;

resuspending the optical molecular switch molecule in a solvent or a base selected from at least one of dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, water, diisopropyl ethylamine, pyridine, carbonate, or bicarbonate;

selecting the optical molecular switch molecule to provide at least three different colors that provide for color images;

viewing the image in three dimensions without glasses or tricking the brain to appear three-dimensional;

displaying one or more three-dimensional images by rapid scanning of the first or second light source, and the other light source is synchronized with a changing patterned of light to form a three-dimensional image in the medium;

displaying a three-dimensional image by projecting light into a woven pattern into the medium;

displaying a three-dimensional image by projecting light into a diagonal pattern into the medium;

catalyzing a reaction at the three-dimensional image;

selecting the medium from a liquid, solid, a liquigel, organic, inorganic, thixotropic, a crystal, a glass, a gel, a polymer, a gas, and combinations thereof; or

selecting the lasers to match the wavelength of excitation of the optical molecular switch molecule.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the acid-sensitive photoinitiator is a photoacid generator, a reversible photoacid generator, a non-reversible photoacid generator, a self-contained photoacid generator, or a photoacid.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the acid-sensitive photoinitiator is selected from at least one of: an ionic photoacid generator (PAG), a non-ionic PAG, an onium PAG, a benzyl ester PAG, an imino ester PAG, a conjugated imino ester PAG, an imino sulphonate PAG, a sulfonium PAG, a fluorine-containing PAG, a bound PAG, a blended PAG.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the acid-sensitive photoinitiator is at least one of: attached to the medium, and wherein the medium is liquid, solid, a liquigel, organic, inorganic, thixotropic, a crystal, a glass, a gel, a polymer, a gas, a protein, and wherein the optical molecular switch molecule is a green fluorescent protein, cyan fluorescent protein, yellow fluorescent protein, red fluorescent protein, gold fluorescent protein a saturation dye, an acceptor fluorophore, a donor fluorophore, and combinations thereof;

is capable of energy transfer selected from fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), through-bond energy transfer (TBET), or fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) with a molecular-beacon; or

is resuspended in a solvent or a base selected from at least one of dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, water, diisopropyl ethylamine, pyridine, carbonate, or bicarbonate.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising one or more optical molecular switch molecules that are selected to provide at least three different colors that provide for color images, the three-dimensional image can be viewed without glasses or tricking the brain to appear three-dimensional and/or the three-dimensional image is volumetric.

15. A system for printing in three dimensions comprising:

an imaging system comprising:

a medium comprising an acid-sensitive photoinitiator, a photoacid, monomers, donors, and acceptors, wherein the acceptor has a non-fluorescent state and a fluorescent state, wherein at one wavelength of optical excitation an optical molecular switch molecule has a first state, and at a second state the optical molecular switch molecule fluoresces at a second wavelength of excitation; and

at least a first light source and a second light source into the medium, wherein light emitted by the at least first and second light sources are directed to contact the acid-sensitive photoinitiator, wherein a first wavelength activates the photo acid, and the second wavelength triggers polymerization of the monomers;

a memory, configured to store a representation of the three-dimensional image; and

a processor, operably coupled to the memory and the first light source and the second light source, wherein the processor is configured to direct the first and the second light source into the medium to convert the acid-sensitive photoinitiator into a fluorescent “on state” by irradiation from the first light source, and when the second light source irradiates the optical molecular switch molecule in the “on state” the acid-sensitive photoinitiator emits light at the specific location in the medium.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of:

(a) the first and the second light source intersect at the acid-sensitive photoinitiator, photoacid, monomers, donors, and acceptors;

(b) the first or the second light source is a pulsed laser thereby to produce an improved voxel to background emission;

(c) the first and the second light source scan across the medium, wherein the acid-sensitive photoinitiator, photoacid, monomers, donors, and acceptors polymerize when light from the first and second wavelengths form an image; or

(d) the light sources are selected to match the acid-sensitive photoinitiator and the acid-sensitive polymerization of the monomers, and the first, the second, or both light sources are a laser, a filtered light, or both.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the acid-sensitive photoinitiator is a photoacid generator, a reversible photoacid generator, a non-reversible photoacid generator, a self-contained photoacid generator, or a photoacid.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the acid-sensitive photoinitiator is selected from at least one of: an ionic photoacid generator (PAG), a non-ionic PAG, an onium PAG, a benzyl ester PAG, an imino ester PAG, a conjugated imino ester PAG, an imino sulphonate PAG, a sulfonium PAG, a fluorine-containing PAG, a bound PAG, or a blended PAG.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the acid-sensitive photoinitiator is at least one of: attached to the medium, and wherein the medium is liquid, solid, a liquigel, organic, inorganic, thixotropic, a crystal, a glass, a gel, a polymer, a gas, a protein, and wherein the optical molecular switch molecule is a green fluorescent protein, cyan fluorescent protein, yellow fluorescent protein, red fluorescent protein, gold fluorescent protein a saturation dye, an acceptor fluorophore, a donor fluorophore, and combinations thereof;

is capable of energy transfer selected from fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), through-bond energy transfer (TBET), or fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) with a molecular-beacon; or

is resuspended in a solvent or a base selected from at least one of dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, water, diisopropyl ethylamine, pyridine, carbonate, or bicarbonate.

20. The system of claim 15 , further comprising one or more optical molecular switch molecules that are selected to provide at least three different colors that provide for color images, the three-dimensional image can be viewed without glasses or tricking the brain to appear three-dimensional and/or the three-dimensional image is volumetric.

21. The system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of:

each of the first light source or the second light source projects a three-dimensional images by rapid scanning of the first or second light source, and the other light source is synchronized with a changing patterned of light to form a three dimensional image in the medium;

each of the first light source or the second light source displays a three-dimensional image by projecting light into a woven pattern into the medium;

each of the first light source or the second light source displays a three-dimensional image by projecting light into a diagonal pattern into the medium;

an agent is positioned to filter stray light is provided in the medium or a surface of a vessel that contains the medium; or

an angle is formed between the light emitted from the first light source and the light emitted by the second light sources is at an angle other than 90 degrees.

22. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first light source, the second light source, or both, is a Digital Light Processor, is a UV projector with a short pass filter, and the second light source uses a long pass filter before a camera, and optionally the short pass filter is a 395 nm filter, and the long pass filter is at least one of a 515, a 550, or a 590 nm filter.