• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    The invention describes an extensive sample flat laser beam microscope (1) comprising a cuvette (2), a laser emitter, and an optical assembly (5) that receives the fluorescence emission from the sample (M). The optical assembly comprises: a lens matrix (51) located adjacent one face of the cuvette (2); a tube lens (52) encompassing several lenses (51a) of the lens matrix (51): a set (53) of galvanometric mirrors that transmits to a focusing unit (54) a sub-image of the sample (M) received from the tube lens (52); and the focusing unit (54) that focuses the sub-image on a camera sensor (55). Thus, by successively selecting several lenses (51a), and scanning the sample (M) for each of said lenses (51a), a complete 3D image of the sample (M) is constructed. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)
    公开号:ES2749742A1
    申请号:ES201830912
    申请日:2018-09-21
    公开日:2020-03-23
    发明作者:Lorenzo Jorge Ripoll
    申请人:Universidad Carlos III de Madrid；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    [0001]
    [0002] Microscope and plane laser beam procedure for large samples
    [0003]
    [0004] OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
    [0005]
    [0006] The present invention belongs to the field of microscopy, and more particularly to plane laser beam illumination microscopy used for imaging various transparent or semi-transparent samples such as embryos, tissues and other biological samples.
    [0007]
    [0008] A first object of the present invention is a new flat laser beam microscope particularly designed to allow obtaining 3D images of large samples without the need to move the sample.
    [0009]
    [0010] A second object of the present invention is an operating procedure of the aforementioned new flat laser beam microscope.
    [0011]
    [0012] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
    [0013]
    [0014] Studies of embryos and similar biological samples through light microscopy present, unlike what happens with individual cells, particular problems related to light absorption and loss of resolution due to light scattering. To solve these problems, significant improvements have been made in recent years over flatbed laser microscopes, whose invention dates back to 1903.
    [0015]
    [0016] A flat laser beam microscope is primarily made up of a camera attached to a high numerical aperture objective and arranged in a direction called "detection direction", and an illumination means capable of emitting a thin sheet of light in a direction called " lighting direction ” which is perpendicular to the detection direction, following the original Siedentopf and Zsigmondy configuration coupled to a detection camera. With this configuration, the camera can obtain a 2D fluorescence image of the part of the sample illuminated by the illumination sheet or plane. If the sample is also displaced in the direction of the detection axis and several 2D images are taken in different positions, a set or stack of 2D images is generated where each of the 2D images corresponds to a position in the plane of illumination with respect to the sample. This stack of 2D images contains information on the z position (depth of the sample according to the detection direction) obtained when moving the sample, and the x and y positions present in each 2D image. The 2D image stack can then be fused to generate a 3D image of the sample, as described in US 7,554,725 to Stelzer et al. Subsequently, it was proposed to rotate the sample around its own axis, normally vertical, to capture several stacks of 2D images (commonly called "angular measurements") and merge them later, allowing anisotropy and image quality to be improved (S Preibisch et al, Nature Methods 7 (2010)).
    [0017]
    [0018] Since 2015, the inventors of the present application have filed several patent applications directed to various improvements in this type of microscope. These patent applications are as follows:
    [0019]
    [0020] PCT / ES2015 / 070455 entitled “Microscope and procedure for generating 3D images from a collection of samples”, which describes a new microscope that combines the SPIM (Selective Plane Illumination Microscope) type flat laser beam technique with the tomography technique. Optical Projection Tomography (OPT).
    [0021]
    [0022] PCT / ES2016 / 070714, entitled "Multiple Loading Device for Flat Laser Beam Microscope " which describes a multiple loading device for feeding a continuous and sequential flow of samples to a flat laser beam microscope.
    [0023]
    [0024] PCT / ES2017 / 070028, entitled “Automatic Target Shifting Device for Flat Laser Beam Microscope ”, which describes a device that automatically changes the image acquisition target of a flat laser beam microscope based on magnification desired at any time.
    [0025]
    [0026] PCT / ES2017 / 070028, entitled " Rotary objective change device for a flat laser beam microscope ", which describes a device where the change of objective is made through rotations of the cuvette itself.
    [0027]
    [0028] PCT / ES2017 / 070184 entitled “Microscope Sample Holding Device”, which describes a device for mounting and measuring samples in a flat laser beam equipment.
    [0029]
    [0030] For a clearer understanding of this technique, Figs. 1a and 1b showing a first example of a flat laser beam microscope (100). Sample (107) is arranged on a support (101) inside a cuvette (102) filled with a liquid. A Gaussian, Bessel, Airy or similar linear illumination beam (103) hits a cylindrical lens (104) that focuses it thanks to an illumination objective (105) to generate the vertical flat illumination sheet (106). This sheet (106) of vertical flat illumination falls on the sample (107) according to the direction of illumination (DI), and the fluorescent light (108) emitted by that particular plane of the sample (107) is collected by a target (109 ) detection oriented according to the detection direction (DD), which is perpendicular to the illumination direction (DI). The support (101) can rotate around its vertical axis to allow the taking of various angular measurements according to the technique proposed by Preibisch.
    [0031]
    [0032] In 2013, the article by FO Farbach et al entitled “Rapid 3D light-sheet microscopy with a tunable lens”, Optics Express, Vol. 21, Issue 18, pp. 21020-21026 describes an improvement of this technique consisting of the introduction of a tuneable lens in order to avoid the need to move the sample or the objective to focus the 2D image obtained as the laser beam moves along the detection direction.
    [0033]
    [0034] For a more precise understanding of this configuration, Fig. 2 shows a second example of a prior art flat laser beam microscope (200) equipped with a tunable lens (212) where similar reference numbers have been assigned to parts equivalent to those shown in Figs. 1a and 1b. In Fig. 2, the cuvette assembly (202) and flat laser beam (206) have been drawn schematically, although it should be assumed that it includes all the elements shown in Figs. 1a and 1b. The objective (209) has an Electrically Tuneable Lens (ETL) that receives the light emitted by the sample (207) along the detection direction (DD) and transmits it along a set of lenses designed to focus the image of the sample (207) on the sensor (214) of a camera. Specifically, first and second lenses (210, 211) transmit the image of the sample (207) to the tunable lens (212). The tunable lens (212) has the characteristic of allowing the modification of its focal length, in such a way that the image of the sample (207) can be properly focused independently of the specific position of the flat laser beam (206) at any time. A third lens (213) retransmits the already focused image to the camera sensor (214), where finally the image is captured
    [0035] However, despite these and other improvements, the need to physically move the cuvette (202) when its size is greater than the field of view (FOV) of the present ETL lens remains a drawback. on target (209). In the example shown in Fig. 2, if we assume that the sample has a size in the plane perpendicular to the detection direction (DD) of 1 cm x 1 cm and a 10x objective (209) with a field of view is used 1 mm x 1 mm, it would be necessary to move the cuvette (202) with the sample (207) 100 times. Since each movement involves at least 2 seconds, the large amount of time required to obtain the 3D image of a sample of this size is appreciated.
    [0036]
    [0037] DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
    [0038]
    [0039] The present invention solves the previous problem thanks to the replacement of the single lens used up to now by an array of lenses capable of covering the entire sample. A selection mechanism based on the use of galvanometric mirrors allows the sub-image obtained by an individual lens from among the plurality of lenses in the matrix to be transmitted to the optical system that constructs the sample image. In this way, it is possible to carry out a laser scan for each of the lenses of the lens matrix and thus construct a complete image of the sample, even when it is very large, from the plurality of sub-images obtained .
    [0040]
    [0041] A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a flat laser beam microscope for large samples. The microscope comprises a cuvette configured to house a sample, a laser emitter configured to emit a flat laser beam along a direction of illumination, and an optical assembly arranged along a detection direction perpendicular to the laser beam plane configured to receive the fluorescence emission of the sample caused by said plane laser beam. So far these are the elements included in a conventional flat laser beam microscope. Although each of these elements is not specifically described, it should be understood that the microscope of the present invention includes all the elements described in the section relating to the prior art, in particular those elements mentioned in Figs. 1 and 2, unless the contrary is explicitly indicated or it is clearly deduced from the context at all times.
    [0042]
    [0043] The microscope of the present invention differs mainly from the prior art in the configuration of the optical assembly, which in this case comprises an array of lenses, a tube lens, a set of galvanometric mirrors, and a focusing unit. Each of these elements is described in more detail below.
    [0044]
    [0045] a) Matrix of lenses
    [0046]
    [0047] This is an array of lenses where each lens has a field of view substantially less than the cuvette size and axis parallel to the detection direction. This lens array is located in a position adjacent to one face of the cuvette.
    [0048]
    [0049] That is, the total field of view of the lens array will be the sum of the fields of view of each of the individual lenses. This allows the field of view of the microscope to be increased indefinitely, since it is enough to add more lenses to the matrix to encompass arbitrarily larger cuvettes. For example, a 5x5 cm matrix consisting of 250x250 individual lenses with focal lengths between 1mm and 100mm can be used. In this way, a field of vision of practically 5x5 cm would be obtained. Typically, the field of view of the lens array will encompass the entire face of the cuvette next to which it is disposed, thus allowing 3D images to be obtained of any sample that enters the cuvette.
    [0050]
    [0051] This is in contrast to the use of a single individual lens described in prior art microscopes, the field of view of which is limited by various technical considerations. In general, conventional microscopes use lenses (or objectives) called “working distance” (WD), which have a small numerical aperture. As indicated in the previous section, it would be a 10x objective whose field of view is 1x1 mm.
    [0052]
    [0053] b) Tube lens
    [0054]
    [0055] This is a tube lens that has the axis parallel to the detection direction and whose field of view spans several lenses in the lens array, preferably all lenses in the lens array. That is, the sub-image obtained by any of the lenses in the lens matrix is received and enlarged by the tube lens.
    [0056] The tube lens amplifies the sub-image obtained by each individual lens in the lens matrix until achieving a magnification comparable to that of the working distance objective. For example, if each lens in the lens array has a focal length of 2mm, a 200mm tube lens would result in 10x magnification, similar to that of a conventional working distance lens.
    [0057]
    [0058] c) Set of galvanometric mirrors
    [0059]
    [0060] The galvanometric mirror assembly is configured to receive from the tube lens a sub-image of the sample corresponding to a selected lens in the lens matrix and to transmit said sub-image of the sample to a focusing unit.
    [0061]
    [0062] Therefore, the set of galvanometric mirrors is configurable to receive from the tube lens only that light that has a certain direction and / or position. In effect, the fluorescent light collected by each individual lens strikes the tube lens, according to the detection direction, at a certain point on said tube lens. Consequently, the tube lens transmits the fluorescent light transmitted by each individual lens in a different direction. The set of galvanometric mirrors is configured to discriminate the fluorescent light received from the tube lens based on the direction from which it comes, allowing to select only the fluorescent light, that is, the sub-image, from a certain lens selected individual.
    [0063]
    [0064] In short, the set of galvanometric mirrors allows the sub image captured by a determined lens to be selected from among the plurality of lenses in the matrix and to send said sub-image to the focus unit.
    [0065]
    [0066] d) Focus unit
    [0067]
    [0068] The focus unit is configured to focus the sub-image of the sample on a camera sensor. The focus unit can be configured in different ways as long as it is capable of receiving the sub-image sent by the set of galvanometric mirrors and focusing it on a camera sensor where the image is formed. For example, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the focusing comprises a first transmission lens that receives the sub-image of the sample from the set of galvanometric mirrors and transmits it to a tuneable lens, the tuneable lens that focuses said sub-image, and a second transmission lens that receives from the lens tunable said focused sub-image and transmits it to the camera sensor.
    [0069]
    [0070] The tuneable lens can be an electrically tuneable lens, or ETL lens, capable of modifying the focal length depending on the applied voltage.
    [0071]
    [0072] Thanks to this configuration, by means of the set of galvanometric mirrors, it is possible to successively select several lenses from the lens matrix and, by scanning the sample using the flat laser beam for each of these lenses, a complete 3D image is constructed. of the sample housed in the cuvette. This process will become clearer from the description of the process of the invention that is described later in this document.
    [0073]
    [0074] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the microscope further comprises, between the focusing unit and the camera sensor, a spatial light modulation unit configured to correct spherical aberrations of the sub-image of the sample. The modulation unit can in principle have any configuration as long as it can receive the sub-image transmitted by the focus unit and correct any aberration it may have.
    [0075]
    [0076] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the spatial light modulation unit comprises a third transmission lens that receives the sub-image of the sample from the second transmission lens and transmits it to a spatial light modulator, the spatial light that corrects spherical aberrations of the sub-image, and a fourth transmission lens that receives the sub-image with the corrected spherical aberrations from the spatial light modulator and transmits it to the camera sensor. In this context, a spatial light modulator is a device that allows the intensity, phase or polarization state of light to be controlled as a function of time and the space of the beam incident on said device. They can be electro-optical (Kerr effect and Pockels effect), magneto-optical (Faraday effect), mechanical (mirrors), acousto-optical, or liquid crystal.
    [0077]
    [0078] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the microscope further comprises a mirror dichroic disposed behind the tuneable lens and configured to introduce an external laser beam that strikes the sample following an inverse optical path to that followed by the sub-image of the sample. That is, the external laser beam strikes the dichroic mirror and is oriented along the optical path formed by the tuneable lens, the first transmission lens, the set of galvanometric mirrors, the tube lens, the lens selected from the lens array, and finally reaches the sample. This configuration allows the external laser beam to be introduced so that it interacts with the sample, for example to burn areas of it, perform photobleaching or photoactivation. The dichroic mirror, of course, while allowing the introduction of an external laser beam allows sub-images from the sample to continue their way through the second transmission lens until they reach the camera sensor. The normal operation of the microscope, therefore, is not affected by the arrangement of the dichroic mirror.
    [0079]
    [0080] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the microscope further comprises an external laser beam source oriented towards a second set of galvanometric mirrors that direct said pulsed laser beam to the dichroic mirror.
    [0081]
    [0082] A second aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of imaging large samples using the plane laser beam microscope described in the preceding paragraphs. This procedure involves performing the following steps for each lens in the lens array:
    [0083]
    [0084] 1) Configure the set of galvanometric mirrors to transmit to the focus unit a sub-image of the sample collected by a selected lens. That is, in this step the set of galvanometric mirrors is arranged so that only the light, that is, the sub-image, transmitted by a particular lens from among the matrix of lenses, receives from the tube lens.
    [0085]
    [0086] 2) Scan the sample using the flat laser beam to obtain a partial 3D sub-image of a sample portion located within the field of view of the selected lens. In this context, scanning the sample using the flat laser beam in turn comprises the following steps:
    [0087] - Emit a flat laser beam at a selected position along the lighting direction.
    [0088] - Transmit to the focusing unit, through the set of galvanometric mirrors, the sub-image of the sample collected by the lens selected.
    [0089] - Focus the sub-image using the focus unit and transmit it to a camera sensor.
    [0090] - Repeat these operations for a plurality of positions of the flat laser beam so that they cover the entire sample.
    [0091]
    [0092] 3) Construct a complete 3D image of the sample by combining the plurality of partial 3D sub-images obtained by each lens. Each of the partial 3D sub-images encompasses a portion of the sample corresponding to the field of view of each individual lens in the array. These 3D sub-images can be merged to obtain a complete 3D image of the entire sample.
    [0093]
    [0094] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the step of correcting spherical aberrations of each focused sub-image by means of a spatial light modulation unit.
    [0095]
    [0096] In another particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises the step of introducing an external laser beam incident on the sample following an inverse optical path to that followed by the sub-image of the sample.
    [0097]
    [0098] In this context, note that the construction of the complete 3D image of the sample can be carried out by first constructing the 3D image of each sample portion corresponding to each lens, and then combining the set of 3D images obtained. Alternatively, it would be possible to combine all the flat sub-images obtained by the lenses for each specific position of the flat laser beam, thus obtaining complete flat images of the sample, and then stacking all those flat images to form the complete 3D image of the sample. In either case, the end result is obtaining the full 3D image of the large sample much faster than using currently available microscopes.
    [0099]
    [0100] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
    [0101]
    [0102] Figs. 1 show respective views of the measurement area of a conventional flat laser beam microscope.
    [0103] Fig. 2 shows a diagram showing the treatment of the image acquired from the objective to the camera sensor in a conventional laser beam microscope.
    [0104]
    [0105] Figs. 3a and 3b schematically show the configuration of a microscope according to the present invention.
    [0106]
    [0107] Figs. 4a and 4b schematically show how a particular lens is selected from the lens array in a microscope in accordance with the present invention.
    [0108]
    [0109] Figs. 5a and 5b schematically show how scanning by the flat laser beam is performed for a particular lens in a microscope according to the present invention.
    [0110]
    [0111] Fig. 6 schematically shows the arrangement of a spatial modulation unit in a microscope according to the present invention.
    [0112]
    [0113] Fig. 7 schematically shows the arrangement of a dichroic mirror for the introduction of an external laser beam into a microscope according to the present invention.
    [0114]
    [0115] PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
    [0116]
    [0117] The microscope (1) of the present invention is described below with reference to the attached figures.
    [0118]
    [0119] Figs. 3 show schematic views of the microscope (1) of the present invention where the different elements that make it up can be seen. The microscope (1) has a cuvette (2) in which the sample (M) is located. An emitter emits a flat laser beam (4) according to an illumination direction, the flat laser beam (4) being perpendicular to the detection direction (DD) according to which the fluorescent light emitted by the sample portion (M) is detected. illuminated by said flat laser beam (4). In this example, the sample portion (M) illuminated by the flat laser beam (4) is represented by means of simple figures such as arrows or stars. Although the detection area of the microscope (1) is not shown in detail in these figures, it is understood that it will have all the usual elements in the art described in relation to Fig. 1, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The fluorescent light emitted by the sample (M) is received by an optical assembly (5) arranged essentially along the detection direction (DD).
    [0120]
    [0121] The optical assembly (5) this example of microscope (1) has a matrix (51) of lenses arranged parallel to one face of the cuvette (4), in this case the lower face. The lens array (51) comprises a plurality of lenses (51a) having an axis parallel to the detection direction (DD). In this simplified example, the matrix 51 has 24 lenses 51a, although the number of lenses 51a can be increased indefinitely so that the overall field of view of the lens matrix 51 can be arbitrarily wide to encompass large cuvettes (4) that hold very large samples (M). The lenses (51a) of the lens matrix (51) have the focal length (fL) coinciding with the distance between the lens (51a) and the flat laser beam (4) at all times.
    [0122]
    [0123] Following the detection direction (DD) in the opposite direction to the position of the cuvette (2), the optical assembly (5) comprises a tube lens (52) located next to the lens matrix (51) and whose field of view (FOV) encompasses the entire lens matrix (51). Therefore, when a portion of sample (M) illuminated by the flat laser beam (4) emits a fluorescent light, or sub-image of the sample (M), it is received by the lenses (51a) of the matrix (51). ) and transmitted, according to the detection direction (DD), to a certain point on the tube lens (52). Behind the tube lens (52), the optical assembly (5) comprises a set (53) of galvanometric mirrors that are configured to receive and transmit to the next element, the focus unit (54), only the light received from a certain direction. Since the fluorescent light transmitted to the tube lens (52) by each lens (51a) strikes a different position of said tube lens (52), the exit direction of the tube lens (52) from the sub- The image corresponding to each lens (51a) follows a different direction. Thus, by suitably acting on the set (53) of galvanometric mirrors, it is possible to choose the reception of the sub-image of a particular lens (51a) from among the plurality of lenses (51a) of the matrix (51). This has been presented in a simplified way in Fig. 3b, where the lens matrix (51) has been eliminated and only the specific lens (51a) whose sub-image is received by the set (53) of galvanometric mirrors and transmitted to the focus unit (54).
    [0124]
    [0125] The focus unit (54) thus receives only the sub-image of a particular lens (51a) and suitably focuses it on a camera sensor (55), for example a CMOS camera. For this, the focus unit (54) has a first transmission lens (54a) that receives from the set (53) of galvanometric mirrors the sub-image of the sample (M) and transmits it to a tuneable lens (54b), the tuneable lens (54b) that focuses said sub-image, and a second lens (54c) transmission that receives from the tuneable lens (54b) said focused sub-image and finally transmits it to the camera sensor (55). The tunable lens 54b can be any lens whose focal length can be rapidly changed, for example an electrically tuneable lens (ETL).
    [0126]
    [0127] Thanks to this configuration, the process to build a complete 3D image of a very large sample (M) would be basically the following. First, the galvanometric mirror assembly (53) is configured to receive the fluorescent light transmitted through the tube lens (52) by a particular lens (51a) in particular from among the lens matrix (51). Next, the sample is scanned using the flat laser beam (4) and a first stack of sub-images corresponding to the sample portion (M) located in the field of view of said particular lens (51a) is received. . Each of these sub-images will follow the path described above, passing through the tube lens (52), the set (53) of galvanometric mirrors, and the focusing unit (54), until reaching the camera sensor (55). The acquired sub-images can then be combined to form a stack of sub-images that form a 3D image of said sample portion (M). Next, the configuration of the set (53) of galvanometric mirrors is modified to receive the fluorescent light emitted by a subsequent particular lens (51a) and the operation is repeated. This process continues until corresponding sub-image stacks have been received for each of the lenses (51a) in the lens array (51). Then, it is possible to combine all the sub-images to form a 3D image of the complete sample (M).
    [0128]
    [0129] Figs. 4a and 4b show respectively two moments of this process of acquiring the sub-images corresponding to two particular lenses (51a, 51a ') of the lens matrix (51). Specifically, Fig. 4a shows a schematic view of the microscope (1) of the invention where the set (53) of galvanometric mirrors is configured to receive only the sub-images received from a particular lens (51a) located in the third row, second column of the lens matrix (51). In this simplified example, the sub image captured by the lens (51a) takes the form of an arrow (M 1 ). Once the scanning of the flat laser beam (4) has been carried out and the plurality of sub-images necessary for the formation of the 3D image corresponding to that specific portion of the sample (M) has been acquired, the configuration of the set (53) of galvanometric mirrors it is modified to receive only the sub-images transmitted by a second lens (51a ') different from the one above, in this case the lens (51a ') located in the sixth row, fourth column. In this simplified example, the sub-image captured by the second lens (51a ') takes the form of a star (M 2 ). With the microscope (1) in this second configuration, shown in Fig. 4b, another scan of the flat laser beam (4) is performed and the sub-images necessary for the formation of the 3D image corresponding to this second are acquired. concrete portion of the sample (M). This process is repeated for each of the lenses (51a) of the matrix (51).
    [0130]
    [0131] Figs. 5a and 5b show respectively two moments of the scanning process of the flat laser beam (4) for a particular lens (51a) of the lens matrix (51). Throughout the scanning process, the galvanometric lens assembly (53) remains in the same position, so that it only receives the sub-images transmitted by a particular particular lens (51a). As described above, these sub-images are then focused by the focus unit (54) and captured by the camera sensor (55). Fig. 5a shows a moment of this process when the flat laser beam (4) adopts a certain first position where it cuts a sample (M) essentially egg-shaped approximately in half. As can be seen, a flat sub-image corresponding approximately to a circumference is received in the camera sensor (55). Fig. 5b shows another moment in this process when the flat laser beam (4) adopts a second position where it cuts the sample (M) near one of its ends. In this second case, the camera sensor (55) receives a flat sub-image corresponding approximately to a circumference of a radically smaller radius. The complete scan of the sample (M) is essentially similar to the operation of a conventional flat laser beam microscope, and allows to form a 3D image of the portion of the sample (M) located in the field of view of the specific lens (51a) .
    [0132]
    [0133] Fig. 6 schematically shows a spatial light modulation unit (56) configured to correct spherical aberrations of the sub-image of sample (M) that is located between the focus unit (54) and the camera sensor (5). ). More specifically, the spatial light modulation unit (56) comprises a third transmission lens (56a) that receives from the second transmission lens (54c) the sub-image of the sample (M) and transmits it to a modulator ( 56b) spatial light, the spatial light modulator (56b) that corrects spherical aberrations of the sub-image, and a fourth transmission lens (56c) that receives the sub-image with the aberrations from the spatial light modulator (56b). spherical corrected and transmits it to the camera sensor (55).
    [0134] Fig. 7 shows another configuration of microscope (1) according to the present invention that includes all the elements of the microscope (1) shown in Figs. 3 to 5 and which is also equipped with a dichroic mirror (58) to allow the introduction of an external laser beam directed towards the sample (M). In this way, if necessary, it is possible to act on the sample (M), for example, to burn areas of it, perform photobleaching or photoactivation. In this example, an external laser beam source (not shown) emits a laser beam in the direction of a second set (59) of galvanometric mirrors, which direct said laser beam towards the dichroic mirror (58). The dichroic mirror (58) is arranged in the optical path followed by the sub-images of the sample between the tunable lens (54b) and the second transmission lens (54c). Thus, a suitable configuration of the dichroic mirror (58) allows the external laser beam from the second set (59) of galvanometric mirrors to be directed along the path followed by the sub-images of the sample (M), so that Said external laser beam travels in reverse direction said path until it hits the sample (M). The dichroic mirror (58), at the same time, continues to allow the sub-images of the sample to continue on their way through the second transmission lens (54c) until reaching the camera sensor (55).
    权利要求:
    Claims (9)
    [1]
    1. Large sample flat laser beam microscope (1), comprising a cuvette (2) configured to house a sample (M), a laser emitter configured to emit a flat laser beam (4) along a illumination direction (DI), and an optical assembly (5) arranged along a detection direction (DD) perpendicular to the flat laser beam (4) configured to receive the fluorescence emission of the sample (M) caused by said flat laser beam (4), characterized in that the optical assembly comprises:
    a lens matrix (51), where each lens (51a) has a field of view substantially less than the size of the cuvette (2) and axis parallel to the detection direction (DD), and the matrix (51) being located of lenses in a position adjacent to one face of the cuvette (2);
    a tube lens (52) with an axis parallel to the detection direction (DD) and whose field of view (FOV) spans several lenses (51a) of the lens matrix (51);
    a set (53) of galvanometric mirrors configured to receive from the tube lens (52) a sub-image of the sample (M) corresponding to a lens (51a) selected from the lens matrix (51) and to transmit said sub -image of the sample (M) to a focusing unit (54); Y
    the focusing unit (54), configured to focus the sub-image of the sample (M) on a camera sensor (55),
    so, by successively selecting the set (53) of galvanometric mirrors several lenses (51a) from the lens matrix (51), and scanning the sample (M) by means of the flat laser beam (4) to each one of said lenses (51a), a complete 3D image of the sample (M) lodged in the cuvette (2) is constructed.
    [2]
    2. A flat laser beam microscope (1) according to claim 1, wherein the focusing unit (54) comprises a first transmission lens (54a) that receives from the set (53) of galvanometric mirrors the sub-image of the shows (M) and transmits it to a tunable lens (54b), the tuneable lens (54b) that focuses said sub-image, and a second transmission lens (54c) that receives from said tuneable lens (54b) said sub-image focused and transmits it to the camera sensor (55).
    [3]
    A flat laser beam microscope (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising, between the focus unit (54) and the camera sensor (5), a spatial light modulation unit (56) configured to correct spherical aberrations of the sample sub-image (M).
    [4]
    4. Microscope (1) according to claim 3, wherein the spatial light modulation unit (56) comprises a third transmission lens (56a) which receives from the second transmission lens (54c) the sub-image of the sample (M) and transmit it to a spatial light modulator (56b), the spatial light modulator (56b) that corrects spherical aberrations of the sub-image, and a fourth transmission lens (56c) that receives from the modulator (56b) ) of spatial light sub-image with corrected spherical aberrations and transmits it to the camera sensor (55).
    [5]
    5. Microscope (1) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a dichroic mirror (58) arranged behind the tunable lens (54b) and configured to introduce an external laser beam incident on the sample (M) following a inverse optical path to that followed by the sub-image of the sample (M).
    [6]
    6. Microscope (1) according to claim 5, further comprising an external laser beam source oriented towards a second set (59) of galvanometric mirrors that direct said pulsed laser beam to the dichroic mirror (58).
    [7]
    7. Method for imaging large samples by means of the flat laser beam microscope (1) of any of claims 1-2, characterized in that it comprises performing the following steps for each lens of the lens matrix (51):
    - configuring the set (53) of galvanometric mirrors to transmit to the focusing unit (54) a sub-image of the sample (M) collected by a selected lens (51a);
    - scanning the sample (M) by means of the flat laser beam (4) to obtain a partial 3D sub-image of a portion of the sample (M) located within the field of view (FOV) of the selected lens (51a) ; Y
    - constructing a complete 3D image of the sample (M) by combining the plurality of partial 3D sub-images obtained by each lens (51a),
    where the scanning of the sample (M) by means of the flat laser beam in turn comprises the following steps:
    - emitting a flat laser beam (4) at a selected position along the direction of illumination (DD);
    - transmitting to the focusing unit (54), by means of the set (53) of galvanometric mirrors, the sub-image of the sample (M) collected by the selected lens; - focus the sub-image by means of the focusing unit (54) and transmit it to a camera sensor (55);
    - repeating these previous operations for a plurality of positions of the flat laser beam (4) so that they cover the entire sample (M).
    [8]
    8. The imaging method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of correcting aberrations of each focused sub-image of the sample (M) by means of a spatial light modulation unit (56).
    [9]
    9. The imaging procedure according to any of claims 7-8, further comprising the step of introducing an external laser beam incident on the sample (M) following an inverse optical path to that followed by the sub-image of the sample (M).
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    EP3855234A1|2021-07-28|
    ES2749742B2|2021-04-06|
    WO2020058556A1|2020-03-26|
    引用文献:
    公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题
    WO2010014244A2|2008-07-30|2010-02-04|The Regents Of The University Of California, San Francisco|Multidirectional selective plane illumination microscopy|
    US20130335818A1|2011-02-21|2013-12-19|Leica Microsystems Cms Gmbh|Scanning Microscope, and Method for Light Microscopy Imaging of a Specimen|
    US20180120548A1|2015-04-13|2018-05-03|Leica Microsystems Cms Gmbh|Method and device for examination of a sample|
    DE10257423A1|2002-12-09|2004-06-24|Europäisches Laboratorium für Molekularbiologie |Microscope used in molecular biology comprises a focussing arrangement producing an extended planar object illumination region, a detection device, and a movement arrangement|WO2022026952A1|2020-07-31|2022-02-03|The Board Of Regents Of The University Of Texas System|Systems and methods for live projection imaging for fluorescence microscopy|
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