Laser/Fiber Optic, Piezoelectric, Scanning Confocal Microscope

Category: Biology and Medicine

Reference Number: 00102

Description

The design includes piezoelectric bimorph bender elements that scan the aperture in the confocal image plane to create a compact, relatively inexpensive, rugged confocal microscope which can be remotely deployed on a fiber optic cable and miniaturized for in situ analysis. The scanning unit for the microscope allows applications not possible with the conventional confocal microscope.

Applications

• Biological and medical research on tissue samples in cytological and neurological applications.
• Fluorescence observations.
• High resolution defect analysis and topography profiles.
• Materials science research on ceramics, polymers, additives, alloys, and fibers.
• Analysis of metal friction and wear.
• The fiber optic cable enables the confocal microscope to be deployed in locations and environments not suitable for more expensive models, such as underwater.

Main Advantages

Microscopes which use the confocal imaging technique do not require sectioning or destroying of living samples. Electron microscopes, on the other hand, can damage some specimens. Additional advantages include horizontal resolution as much as 1.4 times the conventional optical scope and screening out of fogginess normally observed with standard optical scopes used on living specimens. They are also less costly than the electron microscope and conventional confocal microscope, and provide information on both surface and subsurface features of translucent samples and relatively opaque samples which are very thin. For biological applications, confocal microscopy offers 3-D imaging capabilities with sub-micron resolution and allows observation of live objects in their natural environment.

Inventor(s)

David Harris
Hawai’i Institute of Geophysics

Contact Information

For licensing information, please contact OTTED at otted@hawaii.edu

For all other inquiries, please write to:

Office of Technology Transfer & Economic Development
University of Hawai’i
2800 Woodlawn Drive, Suite 280
Honolulu, HI 96822