Researchers in Purdue University’s College of Engineering are developing patented and patent-pending innovations that make 3D microscopes faster to operate and inexpensive to fabricate.
Traditional, large depth-of-field 3D microscopes are used across academia and industry, with applications starting from the life sciences to quality control processes utilized in semiconductor manufacturing. Song Zhang, professor in Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering, said they’re too slow to capture 3D images and too expensive to construct as a result of the requirement of a high-precision translation stage.
“Such drawbacks in a microscope slow the measurement process, making it difficult to make use of for applications that require high speeds, resembling in situ quality control,” Zhang said.
Research in regards to the Purdue 3D microscope and its innovations has been published within the peer-reviewed Optics Letters and the August 2023 and March 2024 problems with the peer-reviewed Optics and Lasers in Engineering. The National Science Foundation awarded a grant to conduct the research.
The Purdue innovation
Zhang said the Purdue 3D microscope robotically completes three steps: focusing in on an object, determining the optimal capture process and making a high-quality 3D image for the top user.
“In contrast, a standard microscope requires users to rigorously follow instructions provided by the manufacturer to perform a high-quality capture,” Zhang said.
Zhang and his colleagues use an electronically tunable lens, or ETL, that changes the focal plane of the imaging system without moving parts. He said using the lens makes the 3D microscope easier to make use of and inexpensive to construct.
“Our suite of patents covers methods on easy methods to calibrate the ETL, easy methods to create all-in-focus 3D images quickly and easy methods to speed up the information acquisition process by leveraging the ETL hardware information,” Zhang said. “The top result is similar as a standard microscope: 3D surface images of a scene. Ours is different due to its high speed and comparatively low price.”
The following developmental steps
Zhang and his team have developed algorithms and created a prototype system of their lab. They want to translate their research right into a industrial product.
“It will require an industrial partner,” Zhang said. “We’re actually fascinated about helping this process, including sharing our know-how and research results to make the transition smooth.”
Zhang disclosed the innovations to the Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization, which has applied for and received patents to guard the multiple pieces of mental property.
