Autofocus apparatus

摘要

An autofocus apparatus includes, in one embodiment, a light source; a splitter; a fiber optic circulator; an optical collimator; a balance detector; and a microprocessor. The fiber optic circulator couples one of the split light signals at a first port, to the optical collimator at a second port, and to the balance detector at the third port. The optical collimator directs the light beam from the fiber optic circulator onto a sample through a Dichroic mirror and a microscope objective. The balance detector uses another one of the split light signals as an input, and converts a light signal, reflected off of a substrate the sample is placed on, into an analog voltage signal. The microprocessor processes the output of the balance detector and position feedbacks from an adjustable microscopy stage to generate a command for moving the position of the adjustable microscopy stage to achieve a desired focus.

主权项

1. An autofocus apparatus, comprising:
a light source; a splitter for splitting a light beam illuminated by the light source to a first portion of a light signal and a second portion of a light signal; an fiber optic circulator having a first port, second port and a third port; wherein the light signal in the fiber optic circulator travels only from the first port to the second port and from the second port to the third port; wherein the fiber optic circulator couples to the second portion of the light signal at the first port; an optical collimator for directing a light output from the second port of the fiber optic circulator onto a sample through a Dichroic mirror and a microscope objective, wherein the separation between the sample and objective can be adjusted; a balance detector for converting a light signal, reflected off of a substrate that the sample is placed on, into an analog voltage signal, wherein the reflected light signal is captured by the microscope objective and sent to the balance detector through the Dichroic mirror, the optical collimator, and into the second port and out of the third port of the fiber optic circulator; wherein the balance detector uses the first portion of the light signal as an input; and a microprocessor for processing the analog voltage signal from the balance detector.