Inventors:
Ilko K. Ilev - Rockville MD, US
Ronald W. Waynant - Clarksville MD, US
Israel Gannot - Kensington MD, US
Amir H. Gandjbakhche - Potomac MD, US
Assignee:
The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services - Washington DC
International Classification:
G02B 21/00
Abstract:
An ultrahigh-resolution fiber-optic confocal microscope has an illumination system; three single-mode optical fibers, each optically coupled to a fiber coupler; a sample support stage arranged to receive illumination radiation from an end of one of the single-mode optical fibers; a detector arranged to receive output radiation from one of the single-mode optical fibers; and a lock-in amplifier electrically connected to the detector and the illumination system. The illumination system is adapted to provide illumination radiation that has a time-varying strength that is correlated with the detector by the lock-in amplifier.
