Novel multi-spectral illumination for microscopy

描述（由申请人提供）： 传统的显微镜灯泡会烧坏、降解并产生大量不必要的光和热。对于荧光显微镜和成像，通常仅需要单色窄带光谱，然而对于传统的显微镜光源，大量的光和热被丢弃。固态发光二极管（LED）照明可以提供良好控制的照明源，其不会随时间退化，并且为多光谱窄带照明提供一些独特的优点。在本研究资助的第一阶段，我们将证明1）白色多管芯LED照明模块可用于通用显微镜照明，2）单波长和双波长多管芯LED照明模块可用于定量成像，3）多管芯LED照明模块可用于荧光显微镜。正在原型化的模块由多个微小的LED管芯（不是日常使用中已知的大型离散LED）组成，位于一个标准钨卤素灯泡灯丝大小的单个基板上。在第二阶段，将开发商业原型，沿着控制硬件和软件，以调整强度，选择颜色，并允许LED的频闪。随着大量显微镜用于医学和生物学、材料科学以及半导体行业，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.