Patent ID: 8553209
Filing Date: 2013-10-08
Classification: G01B

Abstract:
1. A three-dimensional optical coherence tomography (3D OCT) confocal image apparatus for producing microscopic images of a sample at different depths thereof, comprising a light source module, a reference source module, a pickup module, a beam splitter, an optical filter, and a sensor module; the light source module including a pumping laser source, a focusing lens, a broadband gain medium, a collimator, and a pinhole; the pumping laser source being adapted to emit laser light, the focusing lens being adapted to focus the laser light on the broadband gain medium; broadband gain medium being adapted to convert the focused laser light into light rays of different frequencies; the light rays with different frequencies and the laser light together forming an illumination beam, which is collimated by the collimator to provide a collimated illumination beam; the collimated illumination beam passing through the pinhole to produce a confocal illumination beam, which enters the beam splitter before entering the pickup module and the reference source module; the reference source module including a reference objective lens, a minor and a piezoelectric actuator; the reference objective lens being adapted to focus the confocal illumination beam on the minor; the mirror being connected to the piezoelectric actuator; the piezoelectric actuator, when being actuated, being adapted to provide a scanning reference beam from the confocal illumination beam; the pickup module including a pickup objective lens and a dual-axis linear stage; the pickup objective lens being adapted to adjust a focal point of an image of the sample to produce an image beam when the confocal illumination beam illuminates the sample disposed on a first side of the dual-axis linear stage; and the dual-axis linear stage being adapted to move the sample laterally; after passing the beam splitter, the image beam and the reference beam together producing an interference image beam; the interference image beam being filtered by the optical filter to remove undesired frequencies therefrom before entering the sensor module; the sensor module including at least one photosensor for converting the interference image beam into a coherence confocal image electric signal for transmitting outward; and a coupled confocal fluorescence microscopic imaging module arranged at a second side of the dual-axis linear stage for generating a coupled confocal fluorescence image electric signal, wherein the first side of the dual-axis linear stage is opposite to the second side of the dual-axis linear stage; whereby when the pickup module has picked up the images of the sample laterally and in depth, the correspondingly generated coherence confocal image electric signals can together produce a 3D microscopic image of the sample.