Patent ID: 7755832
Filing Date: 2010-07-13
Classification: G02B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A microscope that provides a uniform intensity of illumination light to a sample, the microscope comprising a spatial light modulator comprising an illumination array of individual light transmission pixels and disposed in an illumination light path at a conjugate image plane of the sample, to provide an upstream spatial light modulator, and a light detector comprising a detection array of individual detection pixels and disposed downstream from the upstream spatial light modulator at a conjugate image plane of the sample and that receives light directly from the upstream spatial light modulator, wherein the spatial light modulator and the light detector are operably connected to at least one controller containing computer-implemented programming that controls transmissive characteristics of the upstream spatial light modulator and that compiles the light intensity detection data provided by the light detector, wherein the at least one controller selectively varies the on/off status of individual light transmission pixels of the spatial light modulator to compensate for non-uniform light intensities detected by the light detector, thereby providing a uniform intensity of illumination light that is transmitted to the sample, wherein the microscope further comprises a second spatial light modulator that is disposed in the detection light path, located at a downstream conjugate image plane of a sample and operably connected to a second modulator controller containing computer-implemented programming that controls transmissive characteristics of the second spatial light modulator, wherein the microscope is a confocal microscope, wherein the detection array of individual detection pixels corresponds to and is aligned with the illumination array of individual light transmission pixels in the upstream spatial light modulator and the at least one controller contains computer-implemented programming that controls transmissive characteristics of the upstream spatial light modulator to provide at least one illumination spot to the sample by causing at least one individual light transmission pixel of the upstream spatial light modulator to be on while adjacent pixels are off and the detection array selectively detects the illumination spot, wherein the at least one controller causes the upstream spatial light modulator to simultaneously form a plurality of the illumination spots and to provide sequential complementary patterns of the spots, and wherein the at least one controller causes the light detector to detect light impinging on a central detection pixel aligned with an individual light transmission pixel of the upstream spatial light modulator that is on and to detect light impinging on at least one detection pixel adjacent to the central detection pixel, and the controller contains computer-implemented programming that compiles the data provided by the at least one adjacent detection pixel and combines it with the data provided by the central detection pixel.