Novel multi-spectral illumination for microscopy

描述(由申请人提供)： 传统的显微镜灯泡烧坏、退化，并产生大量不必要的光和热。对于荧光显微镜和成像，通常只需要单色、窄带光谱，而使用传统的显微镜光源会丢弃大量的光和热。固态发光二极管(LED)照明可以提供一种控制良好、不会随时间退化的照明光源，并为多光谱窄带照明提供了一些独特的优势。在这项研究资助的第一阶段，我们将展示1)白色多芯片LED照明模块可用于通用显微镜照明，2)单波长和双波长多芯片LED照明模块可用于定量成像，以及3)多芯片LED照明模块可用于荧光显微镜。正在制作原型的模块由多个微小的LED管芯(不是日常使用的大型离散LED)组成，它们位于一个基板上，大小约为一个标准的钨卤素灯泡灯丝大小。在第二阶段，将开发商业原型，以及控制硬件和软件，以调整强度，选择颜色，并允许LED的选通。随着显微镜在医学、生物、材料科学和半导体工业中的大量应用，这些创新光源的潜在市场是巨大的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Conventional microscope bulbs burn out, degrade, and produce a great deal of unnecessary light and heat. For fluorescence microscopy and imaging, only monochromatic, narrow band spectra are generally required, yet with conventional microscopy light sources a significant amount of light and heat is discarded. Solid state, Light Emitting Diode (LED) illumination can provide an illumination source that is well controlled, will not degrade over time, and offers some unique advantages for multi-spectral narrow band illumination. In Phase I of this research grant, we will demonstrate that 1) white multi-die LED illumination modules can be used for general purpose microscope illumination, 2) single and dual wavelength multi-die LED illumination modules can be used for quantitative imaging, and 3) that multi-die LED illumination modules can be used for fluorescence microscopy. The modules being prototyped consists of multiple tiny LED dies (not the large discrete LEDs known in everyday uses) on a single substrate in a group about the size of a standard tungsten halogen bulb filament. In Phase II commercial prototypes will be developed, along with control hardware and software to adjust intensity, choose colors, and allow strobing of the LEDs. With the large number of microscopes in use for medicine and biology, materials science, and in the semiconductor industry, the potential market for these innovative light sources is immense.