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MicroLED chromatic confocal microscope

MetadataDetails
Publication Date2021-05-13
JournalOptics Letters
AuthorsShaobai Li, Bofan Song, Tyler Peterson, J. C. Hsu, Rongguang Liang
InstitutionsPennsylvania State University, University of Arizona
Citations19

In this Letter, a microLED-based chromatic confocal microscope with a virtual confocal slit is proposed and demonstrated for three-dimensional (3D) profiling without any mechanical scanning or external light source. In the proposed method, a micro-scale light-emitting diode (microLED) panel works as a point source array to achieve lateral scanning. Axial scanning is realized through the chromatic aberration of an aspherical objective. A virtual pinhole technique is utilized to improve the contrast and precision of depth reconstruction. The system performance has been demonstrated with a diamond-turned copper sample and onion epidermis. The experimental results show that the microLED panel could be a potential solution for portable 3D confocal microscopy. Several considerations and prospects are proposed for future microLED requirements in confocal imaging.

  1. 1996 - Confocal scanning optical microscopy and related imaging systems