Patent ID: 8699033
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: G02B,G03H

Abstract:
1. Method for detecting a three dimensional object by a holographic microscope, said three dimensional object being smaller than the optical resolution of the holographic microscope, the method comprising the steps of: providing a light source producing a first light beam, said light source being at least partially coherent; splitting said first light beam into an object beam and a reference beam by a first beam splitter; producing an image of the light source in a light source image plane by a first microscope objective, in the optical path of the object beam; positioning the three dimensional object to be detected in an object cell in the optical path of the object beam, between said first beam splitter and said first microscope objective; recombining object beam and said reference beam into a recombined beam by optical means; placing an optical stop in said light source image plane of said microscope objective on the optical axis of said microscope objective; focusing said recombined beam onto recording means with focusing means, thereby forming an image of an object plane to be detected; recording interferometric signals produced by the interaction between the reference beam and the object beam with the recording means; and reconstructing a three dimensional picture of the three dimensional object to be detected from said interferometric signal, and detecting said three dimensional object.