Microstructure correlation counter

Claim 1

An apparatus for counting microstructures in a sample by optical correlation of an image of said microstructure with a pre-existing image of said microstructure producing indicia of said correlation, said apparatus comprising: (a) a microscope for imaging said sample having an optical axis; (b) a programmable stage being translatable in X-Y dimensions relative to said optical axis of said microscope and being capable of holding and positioning in said X-Y dimensions all or portions of said sample in the optical field of view of said microscope, said stage being operationally disposed in juxtaposition with said microscope; (c) a laser aligned with said optical axis of said microscope and capable of coherently illuminating said sample and being operationally disposed in juxtaposition with said microscope to produce an image of the microstructure in said sample; (d) a Vander Lugt correlator disposed coaxially with said optical axis of said microscope, said correlator having a spherical Fourier transform lens disposed to receive from said microscope the sample image produced by said laser, a matched filter spatial light modulator disposed coaxially a focal length behind said Fourier lens for providing a pre-existing image of a particular microstructure, a cross-correlation lens disposed coaxially behind said matched filter spatial light modulator, and an image plane disposed a focal length behind said cross-correlation lens, said correlator being operable for optically correlating said image of the microstructure in said sample with said pre-existing image and producing indicia of said correlation which is received at said image plane thereof; (e) means disposed in optical juxtaposition with said correlator for detecting the indicia of correlation at said image plane; and (f) a computer operationally disposed for programmable X-Y dimension translating of said translatable stage holding said sample at said microscope, rotating said matched filter spatial light modulator of said correlator, programmable scanning said detecting means across said image plane, and counting the detected indicia of correlation received at said image plane.

Claim 2

An apparatus for counting microstructures in a sample by optical correlation of an image of said microstructure with a pre-existing image of said microstructure producing indicia of said correlation, said apparatus comprising: (a) a microscope for imaging said sample having an optical axis; (b) a programmable stage being translatable in X-Y dimensions relative to said optical axis of said microscope and being capable of holding and positioning in said X-Y dimensions all or portions of said sample in the optical field of view of said microscope, said stage being operationally disposed in juxtaposition with said microscope; (c) a laser aligned with said optical axis of said microscope and capable of coherently illuminating said sample and being operationally disposed in juxtaposition with said microscope to produce an image of the microstructure in said sample; (d) a Vander Lugt correlator disposed coaxially with said optical axis of said microscope, said correlator having a spherical Fourier transform lens disposed to receive from said microscope the sample image produced by said laser, a matched filter spatial light modulator disposed coaxially a focal length behind said Fourier lens for providing a pre-existing image of a particular microstructure, a cross-correlation lens disposed coaxially behind said matched filter spatial light modulator, and an image plane disposed a focal length behind said cross-correlation lens, said correlator being operable for optically correlating said image of the microstructure in said sample with said pre-existing image and producing indicia of said correlation which is received at said image plane thereof; (e) means disposed in optical juxtaposition with said correlator for detecting the indicia of correlation at said image plane; and (f) a computer operationally disposed for programmable X-Y dimension translating of said translatable stage holding said sample at said microscope, rotating said matched filter spatial light modulator of said correlator, programmable scanning said detecting means across said image plane, and counting the detected indicia of correlation received at said image plane.