Optical-disk-based imaging system to be used as an optical microscope

Abstract

An optical disk surface is scanned spirally by laser light, as in the case of digital versatile discs, and a reflectance image is formed by rearranging the scanned intensity results. A prototype system is developed for imaging with a rotary encoder equipped to precisely control the disk rotation angle. We measured Escherichia coli dispersed on an optical disk sample surface and successfully obtained an image that is identical to that obtained using an optical microscope. The system is advantageous as an optical sensor for detecting sub-micrometer- to micrometer-order substances on a large-area surface.