The ASOM overcomes this obstacle by scanning a mirror over the sample, while a camera captures a series of small, distinct snapshots. These images are then assembled into a mosaic, providing a much larger field-of-view at very high resolution, without the need to switch lenses or move the sample.

The challenge with this method is that when the mirror is not looking straight down onto the sample, it introduces blurriness. CATS researchers fixed this problem by employing an adaptive optic element, in this case a “deformable” mirror that changes shape to correct for the off-axis aberrations that cause the blurring. The device, which functions much like a dynamic funhouse mirror, is made up of tiny Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS), allowing the ASOM to operate 10-100 times faster than current automated microscopes without disturbing the specimen.

The ASOM offers other advantages as well. The microscope can be programmed to quickly scan specific regions of interest in the sample, bouncing back and forth between tracking multiple moving objects. This feature could be useful for observing live microorganisms or in monitoring microscale industrial processes.

Rensselaer’s technology will initially be marketed by Thorlabs as a benchtop instrument for biological laboratories and microrobotics research. In the future, it could be used in industrial quality assurance and automated medical diagnostics.

A paper by Potsaid, Wen, and Fern Finger, assistant professor of biology at Rensselaer, was awarded best paper at the IEEE Conference on Automation Science and Engineering in Shanghai Oct. 9, 2006.



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