High-resolution Microscope Using Optical Amplification
- Technology Benefits
- Enhances resolution and exceeds the Abbe diffraction limit along all three (x, y, and z) dimensions. Enhances and increases contrast while increasing resolution. Applies to any fluorescence microscope, confocal or nonconfocal, at a negligible cost. Eliminates the need for expensive and difficult optical/spatial alignment, multiple laser. optics, and temporal synchronization, typically required for existing schemes. Enables the use of quantum dots and fluorescence dyes.
- Technology Application
- Laser scanning fluorescence microscopes. Fluorescence confocal microscopes. Two-photon fluorescence microscopes. Microscopic photoluminescence imaging systems. Other imaging systems utilizing fluorophores such as fluorescent dyes or quantum dots.
- Detailed Technology Description
- The novel method uses optical amplification to enhance the resolution of far-field imaging instruments, overcoming the Abbe diffraction limit. The method can be implemented on an existing microscope as an enhanced function. It works for fluorescence microscopes using CW lasers and does not require the use of expensive ultrafast pulsed lasers. Implementation costs are negligible compared to the cost of the microscope, enabling significant resolution enhancement at practically no additional cost overhead to the instruments. Further, the novel method is straightforward and does not require any complicated alignment, synchronization, or other implementation difficulties.
- Supplementary Information
- Patent Number: US8421035B2
Application Number: US2009376853A
Inventor: Liu, Jia-Ming | Stefani, Enrico
Priority Date: 11 Aug 2006
Priority Number: US8421035B2
Application Date: 25 May 2010
Publication Date: 16 Apr 2013
IPC Current: G01N002164
US Class: 2504591
Assignee Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
Title: High-resolution microscope using optical amplification
Usefulness: High-resolution microscope using optical amplification
Summary: Method for enhancing resolution of fluorescence microscope e.g. fluorescence confocal microscope, fluorescence 4pi microscope, fluorescence non-focal microscope (all claimed). Uses include but are not limited to laser scanning fluorescence microscope, two-photon fluorescence microscope, microscopic photoluminescence imaging system.
Novelty: Resolution enhancing method for fluorescence microscope e.g. confocal microscope involves illuminating fluorophore at different wavelength from different directions so that optical gain of fluorescent emission is enhanced
- Industry
- Optics
- Sub Category
- Laser
- Application No.
- 8421035
- Others
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State of Development
The technique has been reduced to practice and demonstrated in laboratory experimentation.
Background
Far-field optical microscopes, laser scanning confocal microscopes, and 4Pi confocal microscopes can image 3D structures. These microscopes are limited in resolution by the Abbe diffraction limit, especially in the axial z direction. Nonlinear techniques, such as stimulated emission depletion (STED), can break the diffraction limit. Combining STED with 4Pi microscopy has lead to resolution improvements, but this comes at the cost of great expense, alignment difficulty, and the need for multiple different ultrashort laser pulses that require precise temporal synchronization and spatial overlap.
Additional Technologies by these Inventors
Tech ID/UC Case
20133/2006-697-0
Related Cases
2006-697-0
- *Abstract
-
UCLA Researchers in the Electrical Engineering Department and the Anesthesiology and Physiology Department have developed a novel method to significantly enhance the resolution of imaging instruments in all three spatial dimensions.
- *IP Issue Date
- Apr 16, 2013
- *Principal Investigator
-
Name: Jia-Ming Liu
Department:
Name: Enrico Stefani
Department:
- Country/Region
- USA
