ELECTRONIC IMAGING FLOW-MICROSCOPE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REMOTE SENSING, BIOREACTOR PROCESS MONITORING, AND OPTICAL MICROSCOPIC TOMOGRAPHY

摘要

An electronic imaging flow-microscope for remote environmental sensing, bioreactor process monitoring, and optical microscopic tomography applications is described. A fluid conduit has a port on each end of a thin flat transparent fluid transport region. A planar illumination surface contacts one flat side of the transparent fluid transport region and a planar image sensing surface contacts the other flat side. Light from the illumination surface travels through the transparent fluid transport region to the planar image sensing surface, producing a light field affected by the fluid and objects present. The planar image sensing surface creates electrical image signals responsive to the light field. The planar illumination surface can be light emitting elements such as LEDs, OLEDs, or OLET whose illumination can be sequenced in an image formation process. The flow microscope can further comprise flow-restricting valves, pumps, energy harvesting arrangements, and power management.

主权项

1. A flow microscope for imaging objects in fluid flows, the flow microscope comprising:
a fluid conduit comprising a port on each end of a thin flat transparent fluid transport region, the transparent fluid transport region comprising two parallel flat sides; a planar illumination surface in contact with one of the flat sides of the transparent fluid transport region; and a planar image sensing surface in contact with the other of the flat sides of the transparent fluid transport region, the planar image sensing surface receiving light fields from the planar image sensing surface and responsively creating electrical image signals; wherein light from the planar illumination surface travels into the transparent fluid transport region, producing a resulting light field affected by the fluid and any objects in the fluid, wherein the resulting light field is presented to the planar image sensing surface, and wherein the planar image sensing surface creates electrical image signals responsive to the resulting light field.