Patent Description:
Single Plane Illumination (SPI) or Light Sheet (LS) is a technique where a thin sheet of light is used to illuminate a plane at a right angle to an imaging system, such that the field that is imaged is illuminated by the plane. This provides an optical sectioning system that has many advantages, particularly in the low illumination light dose relative to other optical sectioning techniques such as confocal or multi-photon.

In other optical sectioning techniques where the illumination light is parallel to the imaging light path, shadows caused by something in the sample which blocks the illumination light will cause a small dark spot on the image. In contrast, right angle illumination as in SPI has shadows that stretch across the entire field resulting in a dark line. This makes shadows much more disruptive to the image in SPI than in other techniques.

A typical method to reduce the shadow effect in SPI images is to have multiple illumination sheets that are in the same plane but have different angles relative to each other. Thus, even if something in the sample blocks light from one sheet from reaching an area, the light from other sheets can reach that area. This greatly reduces the effect of shadows.

Many advanced techniques of SPI require beam shaping. The primary goal of these beam shaping techniques is to increase the size and decrease the thickness of the illumination sheet. Some examples of these techniques are Bessel-beams, Airy beams, tiling, and Lattice. One common method for beam shaping that allows many techniques and flexibility is to use a spatial light modulator (SLM). The SLM can be placed in the real or Fourier plane of the optical system and can be used for multiple manipulations of the illumination beam.

<NPL> discloses a method in which a relatively small light sheet is tiled quickly to multiple positions within the image plane by defocusing the excitation beam used to create the light sheet and one additional image is taken at each position, so that a large field of view can be imaged by repeating this process and stichting all images together.

<CIT> relates to video-rate volumetric functional imaging of the brain at synaptic resolution in which a scanning microscope includes a light source for generating a light beam and beam-forming optics configured for receiving the light beam and generating a quasi-Bessel excitation beam that is directed into a sample.

<CIT> relates to methods and systems for generating non-diffracting light sheets for multicolor fluorescence microscopy.

<CIT> relates to a method and an apparatus for tiling light sheet selective plane illumination microscopy with real-time light sheet optimization.

<NPL> discloses integrating a phase-only spatial light modulator into the illumination arm of a cylindrical-lens-based selective plane illumination microscope.

<NPL> relates to multidirectional selective plane illumination microscopy, in which rotation of the light sheet is used to mitigate shadowing artifacts, utilizing an elliptical Gaussian beam with increased angular diversity in the imaging plane.

Object of the present invention is to improve known techniques.

This object is achieved by an optical device according to claim <NUM>, a method according to claim <NUM>, or by a computer program product according to claim <NUM>. Advantageous embodiments are subject of the dependent claims.

One exemplary non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure is an SLM-based optical device, which adds the capability of multiple sheets at different angles as is required to reduce shadows. This requires a change to the pattern presented on the SLM to create the multiple beams. In some embodiments, the multiple beams may be presented simultaneously. The change in illumination may not greatly change the total light dosage on the sample.

Furthermore, to change the angle of light coming out of an objective, the system needs to translate the beam on a back aperture of the objective. Since the SLM is conjugate to the back aperture of the objective, the system only needs to translate the beam shaping pattern on the SLM. Any translation of the pattern, in such a configuration will result in a translation at the back aperture and a change in angle of the beam at the sample. The amount of translation depends on the relay magnification between the SLM and the back aperture. The maximum amount of translation preferably is such that the translated pattern reaches the edge of the back aperture.

In some applications, such as the simple case of a scanned Gaussian sheet, the SLM may act as the aperture. The aperture may then be translated on the SLM to change the angle of the beam at the sample. To make multiple beams at different angles simultaneously, the system copies the beam shaping pattern and places copies translated with respect to each other on a SLM pattern. For example, if the beam shaping pattern is a circular aperture, the SLM pattern can be modified such that several copies of the circular aperture are placed side-by-side to provide several beams at different angles. Optimum shadow reduction may be obtained by maximizing the extent of the different angles of the several beams. This means that it is optimum to place the beam shaping patterns on the SLM such that the relayed patterns fall on the edges of the back aperture of the illumination objective.

One non-limiting benefit of shadow reduction using features disclosed herein is that various beam shaping methods may still be used with the multiple beams for shadow reduction. For example, tiling is a method where the focus location of the beam waist is shifted along the illumination sheet direction of light travel. Tiling allows multiple beam waists to be used to create a thinner, longer sheet. Tiling may be implemented by adding a Fresnel lens pattern to the SLM. The pattern may then be replicated in copies on the SLM to provide both tiling and shadow reduction. Similarly, the method of shadow reduction may be implemented using Bessel, lattice, and/or other beam shaping techniques.

Another non-limiting benefit of implementing the technique discussed above is that more light illuminating the SLM may be used to form the illumination sheet. This improves the efficiency of the illumination lightsheet use within the system. For instance, in using a flat illuminated SLM, the efficiency scales with the number of copies on the SLM.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in connection with lightsheets, imaging systems, and related components.

<FIG> illustrates an optical imaging system <NUM> in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. An excitation beam (not shown) is modified by a spatial light modulator (SLM) <NUM>. The image from the SLM <NUM> is relayed using lenses <NUM> and <NUM> to a galvanometer <NUM>. The galvanometer <NUM> is then used to sweep the beam in one direction which forms a sheet. The images on the galvanometer <NUM> are then relayed though lenses <NUM> and <NUM> to the back aperture of objective <NUM>. This forms a beam waist at a sample <NUM>. The sample <NUM> may then be imaged with another objective <NUM>. The pattern on the SLM <NUM> is -bemodified to form multiple beams at the sample <NUM>. According to the claimed invention, the SLM <NUM> is conjugate to the back pupil plane of the objective <NUM>, and as such several beams generated on the SLM <NUM> have several angles on the sample <NUM>.

<FIG> demonstrates images taken with a single plane illumination (SPI) microscope. <FIG> illustrates an image taken using a traditional Gaussian beam to form the illumination sheet. A dark horizontal stripe <NUM> is caused by a shadowing artifact in the sample. <FIG> illustrates an image taken with shadow correction implemented. In <FIG>, three beams are used simultaneously at three different angles. An improved horizontal stripe <NUM> shows that the shadow artifact in the image is greatly reduced. Since three beams were used for shadow reduction, the depth of the shadow is reduced by approximately <NUM>% of the original.

<FIG> shows an exemplary pattern profile for a binary spatial light modulator that includes the several copies that are used to generate the beams for shadow reduction. The original center pattern which sets the aperture, the angular offset, and the beam waist location is copied to generate the same beam at different angles.

The exemplary techniques illustrated herein are not limited to the specifically illustrated embodiments, but can also be utilized with other exemplary embodiments. Furthermore, each described feature is individually and separately claimable.

The exemplary systems and methods of this disclosure have been described in relation to lightsheets, imaging systems, and associated components. However, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure, the preceding description omits a number of known structures and devices. This omission is not to be construed as a limitation of the scope of the claimed disclosure. Specific details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present disclosure. It should, however, be appreciated that the present disclosure may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific detail set forth herein.

A number of variations and modifications of the disclosure can be used. It would be possible to provide for some features of the disclosure without providing others.

In yet another embodiment, the systems and methods of this disclosure can be implemented in conjunction with a special purpose computer, a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit element(s), an ASIC or other integrated circuit, a digital signal processor, a hard-wired electronic or logic circuit such as discrete element circuit, a programmable logic device or gate array such as PLD, PLA, FPGA, PAL, special purpose computer, any comparable means, or the like. In general, any device(s) or means capable of implementing the methodology illustrated herein can be used to implement the various aspects of this disclosure. Exemplary hardware that can be used for the present disclosure includes computers, handheld devices, telephones (e.g., cellular, Internet enabled, digital, analog, hybrids, and others), and other hardware known in the art. Some of these devices include processors (e.g., a single or multiple microprocessors), memory, nonvolatile storage, input devices, and output devices. Furthermore, alternative software implementations including, but not limited to, distributed processing or component/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the methods described herein.

In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be readily implemented in conjunction with software using object or object-oriented software development environments that provide portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer or workstation platforms. Alternatively, the disclosed system may be implemented partially or fully in hardware using standard logic circuits or VLSI design. Whether software or hardware is used to implement the systems in accordance with this disclosure is dependent on the speed and/or efficiency requirements of the system, the particular function, and the particular software or hardware systems or microprocessor or microcomputer systems being utilized.

In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be partially implemented in software that can be stored on a storage medium, executed on programmed general-purpose computer with the cooperation of a controller and memory, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, or the like. In these instances, the systems and methods of this disclosure can be implemented as a program embedded on a personal computer such as an applet, JAVA® or CGI script, as a resource residing on a server or computer workstation, as a routine embedded in a dedicated measurement system, system component, or the like. The system can also be implemented by physically incorporating the system and/or method into a software and/or hardware system.

Although the present disclosure describes components and functions implemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standards and protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards and protocols. Other similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein are in existence and are considered to be included in the present disclosure. Moreover, the standards and protocols mentioned herein and other similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein are periodically superseded by faster or more effective equivalents having essentially the same functions. Such replacement standards and protocols having the same functions are considered equivalents included in the present disclosure.

The present disclosure, in various embodiments, configurations, and aspects, includes components, methods, processes, systems and/or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, including various embodiments, subcombinations, and subsets thereof. Those of skill in the art will understand how to make and use the systems and methods disclosed herein after understanding the present disclosure. The present disclosure, in various embodiments, configurations, and aspects, includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and/or described herein or in various embodiments, configurations, or aspects hereof, including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g., for improving performance, achieving ease, and/or reducing cost of implementation.

The foregoing discussion of the disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the disclosure are grouped together in one or more embodiments, configurations, or aspects for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The features of the embodiments, configurations, or aspects of the disclosure may be combined in alternate embodiments, configurations, or aspects other than those discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment, configuration, or aspect.

Moreover, though the description of the disclosure has included description of one or more embodiments, configurations, or aspects and certain variations and modifications, other variations, combinations, and modifications are within the scope of the disclosure, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure.

The phrases "at least one," "one or more," "or," and "and/or" are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions "at least one of A, B and C," "at least one of A, B, or C," "one or more of A, B, and C," "one or more of A, B, or C," "A, B, and/or C," and "A, B, or C" means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together.

As such, the terms "a" (or "an"), "one or more," and "at least one" can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," and "having" can be used interchangeably.

The term "automatic" and variations thereof, as used herein, refers to any process or operation, which is typically continuous or semi-continuous, done without material human input when the process or operation is performed. However, a process or operation can be automatic, even though performance of the process or operation uses material or immaterial human input, if the input is received before performance of the process or operation. Human input is deemed to be material if such input influences how the process or operation will be performed. Human input that consents to the performance of the process or operation is not deemed to be "material.

The terms "determine," "calculate," "compute," and variations thereof, as used herein, are used interchangeably and include any type of methodology, process, mathematical operation or technique.

The "scanner" of the optical device is realized by the galvanometer <NUM>.

The "scanned light sheet" is a "light sheet" which the galvanometer <NUM> generates.

The "spatial light modulator" defines or modifies a pattern of one or more excitation beams. The galvanometer <NUM> generates the light sheet, based on the excitation beam(s) and with the lenses <NUM>, <NUM> and the objective <NUM>.

In particular, a light sheet device and/or the optical device and/or optical imaging system preferably is a light sheet microscope / selective plane microscope or part of or for light sheet / selective plane microscope as described in the references indicated or relates to it.

Claim 1:
An optical device for forming a light sheet in a sample (<NUM>), said optical device comprising:
a spatial light modulator (<NUM>);
a galvanometer (<NUM>) that is configured to sweep an excitation beam in one direction, and
an objective (<NUM>) configured to form a beam waist of the scanned excitation beam to form a light sheet at the sample (<NUM>),
wherein the spatial light modulator (<NUM>) is configured to output an image that is relayed by one ore more lenses to the galvanometer (<NUM>), and wherein
the image that is received by the galvanometer (<NUM>) is relayed through one or more lenses to a back adapture of the objective, such that a plane of the spatial light modulator (<NUM>) is conjugate to a back pupil plane of the objective (<NUM>), wherein
the beam waist is shifted along the light sheet direction of light travel, providing multiple beam waists to create a thinner, longer light sheet,
characterized in that
the spatial light modulator (<NUM>) is configured to output an image that comprises multiple copies of a beam shaping pattern in the direction of the scanned light sheet, thereby simultaneously generating several beams that propagate through the sample (<NUM>) at several angles to reduce shadowing effects.