KR20170049244A

KR20170049244A - Confocal micorscopy system

Info

Publication number: KR20170049244A
Application number: KR1020150150402A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 권대갑; 류지흔; 김자열; 정형준
Original assignee: 한국과학기술원
Priority date: 2015-10-28
Filing date: 2015-10-28
Publication date: 2017-05-10
Also published as: KR101774653B1

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a confocal microscope system comprises: a laser generator to obtain an image emitting light; an object lens radiating light emitted by the laser generator to obtain an image; an object tracker positioned between the laser generator to obtain an image and the object lens to modulate a path of the light emitted by the laser generator to obtain an image to compensate an error caused by movement of the object; a light detection optical system detecting light reflected by the light reflected by the object; and a control unit restoring an image through a signal of the light detected by the light detection optical system.

Description

[0001] CONFOCAL MICORSCOPY SYSTEM [0002]

The following embodiments relate to a confocal microscope system.

The confocal microscope can position the pinhole in front of the photodetector so that the light emitted from the focal plane of the objective lens passes through the pinhole and the light emitted from the plane out of focus is blocked by the pinhole so that only the signal in the focus area can be received. Therefore, it is possible to acquire an optical slice image without damaging the specimen, and acquire a three-dimensional image of the specimen by successively acquiring the optical slice image while transferring the objective lens in the optical axis direction or transferring the specimen in the optical axis direction.

Such a confocal laser scanning microscope is used for medical-life research and industrial inspection equipment. After arranging the laser light source and the focus and pinhole on the specimen so as to have a confocal relationship, only the signal in the focus is selectively acquired The optical resolution is higher than that of a general microscope and is a microscope capable of acquiring three-dimensional images.

A three-dimensional scanner is a two-dimensional scanner used in a conventional confocal laser scanning microscope, in which a one-axis scanner capable of axial scanning is added to a point conjugate with the rear surface of a microscope objective lens, Which is capable of scanning the focus in three dimensions.

The target tracker corresponds to an optical path modulator such as a one-axis, two-axis, or three-axis piezoelectric actuator or an electrical tunable focus lens, and changes the focal length and position of the objective lens in real time It is a device capable of tracking moving objects.

Peak detection technology is a technique for determining the position of a spot in a space by discriminating when the electrical signal has the largest value. It is applied to a laser scanning microscope, and the focus of the objective lens is determined by the position of the object to be measured The position of the object is identified by utilizing the fact that the optical signal reaches the detector most strongly when the coincidence is reached, and thus the electrical signal becomes strongest.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2013-0026702 discloses a confocal fluorescence microscope.

An object of the present invention is to provide a target tracking device capable of actively tracking a moving object by using a principle of a relative coordinate system in order to compensate for performance degradation caused by motion of a measurement target.

In addition, the object according to one embodiment is to provide a method and apparatus for measuring a living object for a medical-life field research using a confocal microscope system, in which a decrease in optical resolution and relative motion due to motion caused by respiration, And to acquire the same three-dimensional image as when observing the object to be stopped.

Accordingly, it is aimed to apply the confocal microscope system to in vivo imaging and to perform biopsy in the body without taking tissue directly from the patient by utilizing this technique as an alternative technique of histological examination method used for cancer diagnosis .

An object tracking apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is an active object tracking apparatus for compensating for an error caused by movement of an object to be measured in acquiring an image, the apparatus comprising: a tracking laser generator for emitting light; And a photodiode for detecting the intensity of light reflected from the object.

The degree of compensation of the error due to the movement of the object can be measured based on the intensity of light measured at the photodiode.

The object tracking device may further include a target tracker positioned between the tracking laser generator and the objective lens to compensate for errors due to movement of the object, and a light source that reflects light reflected from the object based on intensity of the light measured from the photodiode. And a controller for controlling the target tracker by generating a tracking signal in a direction in which the intensity of the target tracker is intensified.

The target tracker and the controller may compensate the focal point of the light reflected from the object so that the intensity of light reflected from the object becomes stronger along the tracking signal so that the focal point of the light matches the predetermined reference point.

In addition, the target tracker and the control unit match the focal point of the light reflected by the object with the predetermined reference point in accordance with the movement of the object, so that the reference point of the new coordinate, To be equal to a preset reference point.

The target tracking device may further include a polarized light separator positioned between the tracking laser generator and the target tracker for transmitting light emitted from the tracking laser generator, wherein the polarized light separator reflects light May be deflected toward the photodiode.

A confocal microscope system according to an embodiment includes a laser generator for acquiring an image, a light source for emitting light emitted from the laser generator for image acquisition, an objective lens for scanning the object, A target tracker for modulating a path of light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator to compensate for an error caused by movement of the object, an optical detecting optical system for detecting light reflected from the target, And a control unit for restoring the image through the detected light signal.

The confocal microscope system may further include a tracking laser generator for emitting light and a photodiode for detecting intensity of light emitted from the tracking laser generator and reflected from the object.

Wherein the objective lens is capable of focusing the light emitted from the tracking laser generator on a target and the control unit controls the light emitted from the tracking laser generator based on the intensity of light measured from the photodiode, And the target tracker can be controlled by generating a tracking signal in a direction in which the strength of the target tracker is strong.

Wherein the target tracker compensates the laser beam emitted from the tracking laser generator in accordance with the tracking signal so that the focal point of the light reflected from the target coincides with the reference point set in the target, can do.

The confocal microscope system may further include a polarized light separator disposed between the tracking laser generator and the target tracker for transmitting light emitted from the tracking laser generator.

The polarized light separator may deflect the light emitted from the tracking laser generator and reflected from the object toward the photodiode.

In addition, the confocal microscope system may further include a three-dimensional scanner positioned between the image acquisition laser generator and the target tracker and scanning light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator in three axial directions .

The three-dimensional scanner includes a galvano scanning mirror and a resonant scanning mirror to implement lateral scanning of light emitted from the image-acquisition laser generator, and includes an electronic or mechanical focus-modulation lens, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > directional < / RTI >

The confocal microscope system may further include a relay optical system positioned between the three-dimensional scanner and the target tracker to form three axially scanned light from the three-dimensional scanner into a double telecentric structure. Light passing through the relay optics may be directed to the target tracker.

The confocal microscope system may further include an optical separator positioned between the image acquisition laser generator and the three-dimensional scanner, for separating light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator and delivering the separated light to the three-dimensional scanner .

The light separator may be formed of a polarized light separator or a dichroic light separator, and may reflect the light reflected from the object to the light detection optical system.

The confocal microscope system may further include a dichroic light separator positioned between the relay optics and the target tracker to reflect light passing through the relay optics toward the target tracker.

The object tracking apparatus according to one embodiment can actively track a moving object by using a principle of a relative coordinate system to compensate for performance degradation caused by motion of the object to be measured.

In addition, the confocal microscope system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention eliminates the degradation of the optical resolution and the relative motion due to the motion caused by respiration, pulse, etc., of the subject when the living object is measured for the medical- It is possible to acquire the same three-dimensional image as when observing the object.

Accordingly, the confocal microscope system can be applied to in vivo imaging, and tissue biopsy can be carried out in the body without taking tissue directly from the patient by utilizing this technique as an alternative to the biopsy method used for cancer diagnosis and the like.

Figure 1 shows a confocal microscope system including a target tracking device.
2 and 3 show the operation principle of the object tracking apparatus.
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the principle of three-dimensional imaging of a confocal microscope system.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description is one of many aspects of the embodiments and the following description forms part of a detailed description of the embodiments.

In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the subject matter of the present invention.

In addition, terms and words used in the present specification and claims should not be construed in a conventional or dictionary sense, and the inventor can properly define the concept of a term to describe its invention in the best way possible It should be construed as meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the confocal microscope according to one embodiment.

Therefore, the embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only the most preferred embodiments of the confocal microscope according to one embodiment, and not all of the technical ideas of the confocal microscope according to one embodiment , It is to be understood that various equivalents and modifications may be substituted for those at the time of the present application.

Fig. 1 shows a confocal microscope system including a target tracking device, and Figs. 2 and 3 show the operation principle of a target tracking device. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the principle of three-dimensional imaging of a confocal microscope system.

Referring to FIG. 1, the confocal microscope system 10 according to an exemplary embodiment may include an active target tracking device 100 for compensating for an error caused by movement of an object to be measured when acquiring an image.

The object tracking apparatus 100 includes a tracking laser 110 for emitting light, an objective lens 130 for condensing the light emitted from the tracking laser generator 110 on the object 120, And a photodiode 140 for detecting the intensity of light reflected from the photodiode 120.

The object tracking apparatus 100 can measure the degree of compensation of errors due to the movement of the object 120 based on the intensity of the light measured by the photodiode 140. [ That is, the object tracking apparatus 100 includes a target tracker 150 and a photodiode 140 which are positioned between the tracking laser generator 110 and the objective lens 130 to compensate for the error caused by the movement of the object 120 And a control unit 160 for controlling the target tracker 150 by generating a tracking signal in a direction in which the intensity of light reflected from the object is stronger based on the intensity of the measured light.

The object tracking apparatus 100 further includes a polarization beam splitter 170 disposed between the tracking laser generator 110 and the target tracker 150 to transmit light emitted from the tracking laser generator 110 And the polarized light separator 170 may deflect the light that is reflected from the object 120 and returns to the photodiode 140.

In addition, the confocal microscope system 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an imaging laser 200 for emitting light and an objective lens 130 for emitting light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator 200. Can be scanned into the object 120.

The target tracker 150 is positioned between the image acquisition laser generator 200 and the objective lens 130 and is configured to receive the light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator 200 in order to compensate for errors due to the movement of the object 120. [ Can be modulated.

The controller 160 controls the optical detector 300 and the optical detector 300 to detect the light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator 200 and reflected by the target 120, So that the image can be restored.

In addition, the confocal microscope system 10 is located between the image acquisition laser generator 200 and the target tracker 150, and is a three-dimensional (three-dimensional) image sensor that scans light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator 200 in three axial directions. And may further include a 3D scanner 400.

The confocal microscope system is located between the three-dimensional scanner 400 and the target tracker 150 to form three axially scanned light from the three-dimensional scanner 400 into a double telecentric system And may further include relay optics (Relay optics) 500. Light passing through the relay optical system 500 may be directed to a target tracker 150.

The confocal microscope system 10 also includes a dichroic light separator (not shown) that is positioned between the relay optics 500 and the target tracker 150 and reflects light passing through the relay optics 500 toward the target tracker 150 600).

The confocal microscope system 10 is disposed between the image acquisition laser generator 200 and the three-dimensional scanner 400 to separate the light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator 200 and transmit the separated light to the three-dimensional scanner 400 And may further include a light separator 700.

Hereinafter, the operation principle of the object tracking apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2, the light emitted from the tracking laser generator 110 having horizontal or vertical linear polarized light passes through a polarized light separator 170 that transmits the polarized light, and reaches the target tracker 150 .

The target tracker 150 may be configured in various forms according to the type of object 120 to be measured and the purpose of use. That is, it can have degrees of freedom in various directions such as 1-axis, 2-axis, and 3-axis.

In one embodiment, when the tissue around the respiratory tract is imaged in a three-dimensional manner in an animal experiment, the tissue has a main motion in the uniaxial direction and a lateral motion in a negligible level, so that a linear motor A driver such as a linear motor or an electrical tunable focus lens may be used as a target tracker.

When a lateral degree of freedom is required, a target tracker 150 having a total of two-axis and three-axis degrees of freedom can be implemented by using a single-axis or dual-axis tilt mirror using a piezoelectric driver together with an axial driver.

The tracking device at the start of tracking of the object 120 is located at a zero point and the light passing through the object tracker 150 passes through the objective lens 130 and passes through a point . The light reflected from the focal point is returned to the polarized light separator 170 through the objective lens 130 and the target tracker 150 again.

The returning light is reflected by the polarized light separator 170 in a state where the polarization direction is rotated while being reciprocated through a wave plate (not shown) positioned immediately after the polarized light separator 170 and is directed toward the photodiode 140 . The photodiode 140 detects the intensity of the reflected light and transmits an electrical signal to the controller 160. Stronger light is reflected as the position of the focus point matches the position of the object 120. [

Therefore, when the tracking signal is generated in a direction in which the signal intensity is intensified through the controller 160 and the target tracker 150 is controlled, the focus position and the position of the subject 120 can be matched.

3, since the position of the moving object 120 continuously changes, a reference point having a high laser reflectivity at a point on the measurement target 120 and a reference coordinate system A are generated. Then, Accordingly, when the target tracker 150 is driven so that the focus position coincides with the target position in the same manner and the relative coordinate systems B and C are reset, the motion of the measurement object 120 can be continuously followed and compensated. The motion of the object can be compensated by using the active target tracking device.

That is, when the object 120 moves, the object tracking apparatus 100 changes the focal point so as to follow the reference point and controls the origin of the new coordinate system B and C to be the origin of the reference coordinate system A . With this configuration, the newly set coordinate systems B and C do not perform a relative motion with respect to the measurement object 120, and thus, as in the newly set coordinate system B and C, the measurement object 120 always remains at the origin . Therefore, the object tracking apparatus 100 is to continuously generate a new coordinate system having the reference point of the object 120 as its origin.

Accordingly, the target tracker 150 and the control unit 160 can control the light reflected from the object 120 along the tracking signal so that the intensity of the light emitted from the tracking laser generator 110 and reflected from the object 120 becomes strong. So that the focal position of the object 120 is matched with the predetermined reference point.

Accordingly, the target tracker 150 and the controller 160 match the focal position of the light reflected by the object 120 with the predetermined reference point in the object 120 according to the movement of the object 120, So that the reference point of the new coordinates generated through the reference point 120 matches the preset reference point.

Hereinafter, the principle of 3D image acquisition of confocal microscope system 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.

4, the light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator 200 may have any wavelength and polarized light, but may be set to have a wavelength different from that of the tracking laser generator 110, and may be connected to the dichroic light separator 600 It shall be constructed so as to be capable of optical separation.

The light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator 200 passes through a light separator 700, the light separator 700 is a polarized light separator in the case of a reflective confocal laser scanning microscope, and a polarized light separator in the case of a fluorescent confocal laser scanning microscope. And a photo-optical separator.

The light having passed through the optical separator 700 reaches the three-dimensional scanner 400 and is scanned in three axial directions. In this case, the lateral scanning may be implemented using a combination of a galvanometer scanning mirror and a resonant scanning mirror, or two galvano scanning mirrors, or a polygon mirror A combination of galvano scanning mirrors, and the like. Axial scanning can also be implemented using an electronic or mechanical focus modulated lens.

The light scanned in the triaxial direction forms a double telecentric system by the relay optical system 500 and is reflected by the dichroic optical isolator 600 and reflected by the target tracker 150 by the light And the light having passed through the objective lens 130 is scanned three-dimensionally from the object 120. In this case, the object 120 is scanned three-dimensionally. This is called a 3D raster scan and has a coordinate value relative to the relative coordinate system.

The raster-scanned light is reflected by the object 120 and then passes through the objective lens 130, the target tracker 150, the dichroic optical isolator 600, the relay optical system 5500, the three-dimensional scanner 400, 700 and reach the optical detecting optical system 300.

Unlike the photodiode 140 for object tracking, the optical detection system 300 may include a collecting lens, a pinhole, and the like to implement a confocal microscope. The detected optical signal is reconstructed into a three-dimensional image through an image acquisition program of the controller 160.

Referring to FIG. 5, even if the measurement object 1200 moves, the object tracking device 100 described in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 newly sets (N) a coordinate system with the origin of one point of the measurement object 120, Dimensional raster scanning (A, B) while looking as if the scanning unit 120 is stopped at the origin.

If the object tracking apparatus 100 is in an inoperative state, even if the object 120 moves to another position, the three-dimensional scanner 400 will continue the scan A in the original coordinate system, And so on.

Therefore, the role of the confocal microscope system 10 is to acquire an accurate three-dimensional shape of the measurement object by performing three-dimensional laser scanning on a coordinate system that is continuously set.

Such a confocal microscope system 10 maintains the basic configuration of the conventional confocal microscope in the case of 3D image acquisition, and moves to the rear conjugate point of the objective lens 130 to realize the three-dimensional scanner 400, 100) can be provided.

The movement of the object 120 is measured by providing an optical system for tracking the object 120 and a driver for compensating for the movement of the object 120 to compensate for the movement of the object 120, Can always be matched.

In this way, even if the position of the measurement object 120 changes in real time, the focus position and the position of the object 120 can be maintained to coincide with each other through closed-loop control.

Accordingly, the object tracking apparatus 100 can actively track a moving object by using the principle of the relative coordinate system to compensate for the performance degradation due to the motion of the object to be measured.

In addition, the confocal microscope system 10 eliminates the degradation of optical resolution and relative motion due to the motion caused by respiration, pulse, etc., of a subject when measuring a living object for medical-life research, The same three-dimensional image as observed can be obtained.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes may be made thereto by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the above-described embodiments, and all of the equivalents or equivalents of the claims, as well as the following claims, are included in the scope of the present invention.

10: Confocal microscopy system
100: Target tracking device
110: Tracking laser generator
120: Target
130: Objective lens
140: photodiode
150: Target tracker
160:
170: polarized light separator
200: Laser generator for image acquisition
300: optical detecting optical system
400: Three-dimensional scanner
500: relay optical system
600: Dichromatic light separator
700: optical isolator

Claims

An active target tracking apparatus for compensating for an error caused by movement of an object to be measured in acquiring an image,
A tracking laser generator emitting light;
An objective lens for condensing light emitted from the tracking laser generator onto a target; And
A photodiode for detecting intensity of light reflected from the object;
Lt; / RTI >
And measures a degree of compensation of an error due to the movement of the object based on the intensity of the light measured by the photodiode.

The method according to claim 1,
A target tracker positioned between the tracking laser generator and the objective lens to compensate for errors due to movement of the object; And
A control unit for controlling the target tracker by generating a tracking signal in a direction in which intensity of light reflected from the target is intensified based on intensity of light measured from the photodiode;
Further comprising:

3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the target tracker and the control unit compensate the focal point of the light reflected by the object so that the intensity of the light reflected from the object becomes stronger along with the tracking signal so that the focal point of the light reflected by the object coincides with the predetermined reference point. .

The method of claim 3,
Wherein the target tracker and the control unit match the focal point of the light reflected from the object with the predetermined reference point in accordance with the movement of the object so that the reference point of the new coordinate generated by the continuous coordinate transformation is set in advance To match the reference point.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
Further comprising a polarized light separator positioned between the tracking laser generator and the target tracker for transmitting light emitted from the tracking laser generator,
Wherein the polarized light separator is capable of deflecting the returning light of the object toward the photodiode.

A laser generator for acquiring images for emitting light;
An objective lens for scanning the object with light emitted from the image-acquisition laser generator;
A target tracker positioned between the image acquisition laser generator and the objective lens for modulating a path of light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator to compensate for errors due to movement of the object;
A light detecting optical system for detecting light reflected from the object; And
A control unit for restoring an image through a light signal detected by the light detecting optical system;
Included, confocal microscope system.

The method according to claim 6,
A tracking laser generator emitting light; And
A photodiode for detecting the intensity of light emitted from the tracking laser generator and reflected from the object;
Further comprising:
The objective lens may focus the light emitted from the tracking laser generator on a target,
The controller may control the target tracker based on the intensity of light measured from the photodiode by generating a tracking signal in a direction that is emitted from the tracking laser generator and intensity of the light reflected from the target is stronger A confocal microscope system.

8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the target tracker and the control unit compensate for the focal position of the light emitted from the tracking laser generator and reflected from the target so that the focal point coincides with a predetermined reference point on the target along the tracking signal, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > microscope < / RTI > system.

9. The method of claim 8,
Further comprising a polarized light separator positioned between the tracking laser generator and the target tracker for transmitting light emitted from the tracking laser generator,
Wherein the polarized light separator is capable of deflecting the light emitted from the tracking laser generator and reflected from the object back to the photodiode.

10. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9,
Further comprising a three-dimensional scanner positioned between the image acquisition laser generator and the target tracker for scanning light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator in three axial directions,
The three-dimensional scanner includes a galvano scanning mirror and a resonance scanning mirror to implement lateral scanning of light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator,
Wherein the system comprises an electronically or mechanically focus-modulated lens to implement axial scanning of light emitted from the laser generator for image acquisition.

11. The method of claim 10,
Further comprising a relay optics located between the three dimensional scanner and the target tracker to form three axially scanned light from the three dimensional scanner into a double telecentric structure,
Wherein light passing through the relay optics is directed to the target tracker.

11. The method of claim 10,
Further comprising a light separator located between the image acquisition laser generator and the three-dimensional scanner, for separating light emitted from the image acquisition laser generator and delivering the separated light to the three-dimensional scanner,
The light separator may be formed of a polarized light separator or a dichroic light separator, and reflects the light reflected from the object to the light detection optical system.

12. The method of claim 11,
Further comprising a dichroic light separator located between the relay optics and the target tracker for reflecting light passing through the relay optics towards the target tracker.