Granted Patent B2

US 12,558,845 · App. 17/088,213 · Granted Feb 24, 2026

Inventors: Alexander R. Lippert (Dallas, TX); Maha Aljowni (Dallas, TX); Bo Li (Dallas, TX); Uroob Haris (Irving, TX); Cecilia O'Brien (Dallas, TX)

Assignee: Southern Methodist University

B29C64/273B29C64/286B29C64/393B33Y70/00C09D11/101H04N13/388

Abstract

Claims (38)

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

a medium comprising an optical molecular switch molecule, wherein the optical molecular switch molecule has a non-fluorescent state and a fluorescent state, wherein at one wavelength of optical excitation the 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 the first light source is a UV projector and the second light source uses a long pass filter before a camera, and wherein light emitted by the at least first and second light sources are directed to contact the optical molecular switch molecule;

wherein the optical molecular switch molecule in an “off-state” is chemically converted by irradiation with a first wavelength of light from the first light source into a fluorescent “on state”, and when the second light source irradiates the chemically converted optical molecular switch molecule at a second wavelength of light and the chemically converted optical molecular switch molecule in the “on state” emits light.

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

(a) the first and the second light source intersect the optical molecular switch molecule excites and releases light;

(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 optical molecular switch molecule that excite and emit light in the medium create the three dimensional image; or

(d) the light sources are selected to match the wavelength of excitation of the optical molecular switch molecule, and/or the first, the second or both light sources are lasers.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the molecule is selected from at least one of an acridine, an anthracene, an arylmethine, a cyanin, a coumarin, an oxacine, an oxadiazole, a naphthalene, a pyrene, a squaraine, a tetrapyrrole, a xanthene, a spirhodamine, or a spirolactam rhodamine.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least three optical molecular switch molecules 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.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , 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.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a 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.

7 . A method of generating a three dimensional image comprising:

providing a medium comprising an optical molecular switch molecule, wherein the optical molecular switch molecule has a non-fluorescent state and a fluorescent state, wherein at one wavelength of optical excitation the molecule is photochemically converted from a first state to a second state and at a second state the molecule can be optically excited at a second wavelength of excitation and then emit light through a fluorescent process; and

directing at least a first laser and a second laser into the medium, wherein the first laser has a short pass filter and the second laser uses a long pass filter before a camera, and wherein light emitted by the at least first and second lasers are directed to contact the optical molecular switch molecule in the medium;

wherein the optical molecular switch molecule in an “off-state” is chemically converted by irradiation with a first wavelength of light from the first light source into a fluorescent “on state”, and when the second light source irradiates the chemically converted optical molecular switch molecule at a second wavelength of light the chemically converted optical molecular switch molecule in the “on state” emits light.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of selecting from at least one of an acridine, an anthracene, an arylmethine, a cyanin, a coumarin, an oxacine, an oxadiazole, a naphthalene, a pyrene, a squaraine, a spirhodamine, a spirolactam rhodamine, a tetrapyrrole, a xanthene, or other fluorescent, phosphorescent, long-lifetime luminescent, or chemiluminescent scaffolds, or derivatives thereof.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein an agent that filters stray light is provided in the medium or a surface of a vessel that contains the medium.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein an angle 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.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein a 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.

12 . A system displaying images in three dimensions comprising:

an imaging system comprising:

a medium comprising an optical molecular switch molecule, wherein the optical molecular switch molecule has a non-fluorescent state and a fluorescent state, wherein at one wavelength of optical excitation the molecule has a first state and at a second state the molecule fluoresces a second wavelength of excitation;

at least a first light source and a second light source in optical communication with the medium, wherein the first light source is a UV projector and the second light source uses a long pass filter before a camera, and wherein light emitted by the at least first and second light sources are directed to contact the optical molecular switch molecule at a specific location in the medium;

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 chemically convert the optical molecular switch molecule into a fluorescent “on state” by irradiation from the first light source at a first wavelength of light, and when the second light source irradiates with a second wavelength of light the chemically converted optical molecular switch molecule in the “on state” the chemically converted optical molecular switch molecule emits light at the specific location in the medium.

13 . A non-transitory computer program product, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

obtain from a memory a position in a first and a second dimension an image stored in the memory; and

direct a first and a second light source into a medium based on the first and the second dimensions of the image stored in the memory, wherein the medium comprises an optical molecular switch molecule, wherein the optical molecular switch molecule has a non-fluorescent state and a fluorescent state, wherein at a first wavelength the optical molecular switch molecule chemically converts from an “off-state” into an “on-state” and upon excitation with a second wavelength of light the chemically converted optical molecular switch molecule in the “on-state” emits light, and

wherein the first and the second light source are directed into the medium,

wherein irradiation with the first and second wavelengths of light chemically converts the optical molecular switch molecule from the off-state into that “on-state” and to emit light at a specific location in the medium.

14 . The system for displaying images of claim 12 , wherein the optical molecular switch molecule is selected from at least one of:

Assignments (1)

Continuity (6)

References Cited (28)