Patent ID: 6038041
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: G02B,G03H

Abstract:
An optical scanning holograpy system which requires only a two dimensional scan to record three-dimensional information from a fluorescent specimen, comprising:a laser;a modulator for receiving a beam from said laser and splitting said beam into a first modulated diffracted beam and a second modulated diffracted beam, said second modulated diffracted beam being angularly separated from said first diffracted beam;means for generating a drive signal for driving said modulator, said drive signal causing said first modulated diffracted beam and said second modulated diffracted beam to be separated by a predetermined frequency;a lens which forms a spherical wave with one of said first diffracted beam and said second diffracted beam,a beam splitter for combining said first diffracted beam and said second diffracted beam to form a combined beam having an interference pattern, the interference pattern producing an excitation field at said predetermined frequency, said predetermined frequency being a frequency which will cause said fluorescent specimen to exhibit a fluorescent response;a dichroic beam splitter for passing said combined beam to a fluorescent specimen in a plane substantially perpendicular to the combined beam, the fluorescent specimen fluorescing in response to the excitation field produced by the interference pattern; anda photodetector which detects fluoresced light reflected from said fluorescent specimen and which outputs a current containing three-dimensional information of the fluorescent specimen,wherein said generating means generates said drive signal by mixing a first signal of a first frequency and a second signal of a second frequency, said first frequency and said second frequency lying within an active region of said modulator and being separated by said predetermined frequency.