Image Aberrations Research Articles

A calibration method for fringe reflection technique based on the analytical phase–slope description

The fringe reflection technique (FRT) has been one of the most popular methods to measure the shape of specular surface these years. The existing system calibration methods of FRT usually contain two parts, which are camera calibration and geometric calibration. In geometric calibration, the liquid crystal display (LCD) screen position calibration is one of the most difficult steps among all the calibration procedures, and its accuracy is affected by the factors such as the imaging aberration, the plane mirror flatness, and LCD screen pixel size accuracy. In this paper, based on the deduction of FRT analytical phase–slope description, we present a novel calibration method with no requirement to calibrate the position of LCD screen. On the other hand, the system can be arbitrarily arranged, and the imaging system can either be telecentric or non-telecentric. In our experiment of measuring the 5000mm radius sphere mirror, the proposed calibration method achieves 2.5 times smaller measurement error than the geometric calibration method. In the wafer surface measuring experiment, the measurement result with the proposed calibration method is closer to the interferometer result than the geometric calibration method.

Spatial resolution study of soft X-ray laser backlight shadow imaging technique

The soft X-ray laser shadow imaging technique is a good tool for diagnosing shadow profiles near the critical surface of high-temperature dense plasma. The short-pulse plasma X-ray laser, driven by high-power laser, is used as the backlight, which spreads freely approximately 500 mm far, passes through the plasma to be diagnosed, and changes its optical path by using a multi-layer spherical lens and multi-layer plane mirror, is attenuated by filters, and is recorded by a soft X-ray charge-coupled device (CCD). The plasma to be diagnosed can be driven by one or multiple laser beams, according to the needs of the physical research being conducted, and is imaged onto the CCD surface through a multilayer spherical lens. The shadow profile image of the plasma to be diagnosed at a particular time is obtained by using the instantaneous photographic mode of short-pulse soft X-ray laser backlight imaging. Compared with the traditional keV hard X-ray backlight technique, the soft X-ray laser shadow imaging technique has two distinct advantages. One is the appropriate wavelength of the probe light, which makes it possible to diagnose plasma near the critical surfac, and the other is a better spatial resolution because of the use of mature multilayer optical elements for near-normal incidence imaging. However, there has been no systematic study on the extent to which the spatial resolution of the imaging technology can be achieved. In this study, a careful analysis is carried out considering three aspects:the optical path geometry, the diffraction limit, and the imaging aberration. The results show that a spatial resolution of approximately 2 m can be achieved. An experiment is carried out to measure the Rayleigh-Taylor instability of plasma from the lateral direction, by using the soft X-ray laser shadow imaging technique. Some microfluids with a width of several microns can be clearly distinguished in the experimental shadow image, indicating that the diagnostic technique has a good spatial resolution. Further analysis reveals that the main factor that limits the spatial resolution is the optical path geometry. It is possible to achieve a spatial resolution of up to 1 m by increasing the magnification, selecting CCDs with smaller receiving units, etc.

短磁聚焦时间展宽分幅变像管成像性能及像差分析

短磁聚焦时间展宽分幅变像管成像性能及像差分析

Compensation of aberration in quantitative phase imaging using lateral shifting and spiral phase integration.

We present a simple and effective method to eliminate system aberrations in quantitative phase imaging. Using spiral phase integration, complete information about system aberration is calculated from three laterally shifted phase images. The present method is especially useful when measuring confluent samples in which acquisition of background area is challenging. To demonstrate validity and applicability, we present measurements of various types of samples including microspheres, HeLa cells, and mouse brain tissue. Working conditions and limitations are systematically analyzed and discussed.

Accuracy of surface strain measurements from transmission electron microscopy images of nanoparticles

Strain analysis from high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images offers a convenient tool for measuring strain in materials at the atomic scale. In this paper we present a theoretical study of the precision and accuracy of surface strain measurements directly from aberration-corrected HRTEM images. We examine the influence of defocus, crystal tilt and noise, and find that absolute errors of at least 1–2% strain should be expected. The model structures include surface relaxations determined using molecular dynamics, and we show that this is important for correctly evaluating the errors introduced by image aberrations.

An appreciation of the benefits of a Hunt Fellowship

I was awarded the Hunt Fellowship in 2000-01 as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Rochester working under the supervision of Robert Waag. My research during the Fellowship experimentally analyzed methods of compensating for focus aberration in medical ultrasound imaging using multirow and matrix transducer arrays. I was subsequently recruited to a faculty position at Western University in London, Ontario, at the time Western established its Biomedical Engineering program, which I currently direct while continuing to conduct research in biomedical ultrasound. One of the enduring benefits I acquired during my Fellowship was to develop my skill at and appreciation of precise scientific communication, which are characteristics Professor Waag instilled in all of his trainees. Another valuable benefit the Fellowship granted me was an opportunity to begin forming my own scientific network through the ASA and other organizations. Holding the Hunt Fellowship provided me both encouragement and financial resources to become more active in the biomedical ultrasonics research community, which was a key step toward launching my academic career.

Three-dimensional correlative single-cell imaging utilizing fluorescence and refractive index tomography.

Cells alter the path of light, a fact that leads to well-known aberrations in single cell or tissue imaging. Optical diffraction tomography (ODT) measures the biophysical property that causes these aberrations, the refractive index (RI). ODT is complementary to fluorescence imaging and does not require any markers. The present study introduces RI and fluorescence tomography with optofluidic rotation (RAFTOR) of suspended cells, facilitating the segmentation of the 3D-correlated RI and fluorescence data for a quantitative interpretation of the nuclear RI. The technique is validated with cell phantoms and used to confirm a lower nuclear RI for HL60 cells. Furthermore, the nuclear inversion of adult mouse photoreceptor cells is observed in the RI distribution. The applications shown confirm predictions of previous studies and illustrate the potential of RAFTOR to improve our understanding of cells and tissues.

Metrology of Multiphoton Microscopes Using Second Harmonic Generation Nanoprobes.

In multiphoton microscopy, the ongoing trend toward the use of excitation wavelengths spanning the entire near-infrared range calls for new standards in order to quantify and compare the performances of microscopes. This article describes a new method for characterizing the imaging properties of multiphoton microscopes over a broad range of excitation wavelengths in a straightforward and efficient manner. It demonstrates how second harmonic generation (SHG) nanoprobes can be used to map the spatial resolution, field curvature, and chromatic aberrations across the microscope field of view with a precision below the diffraction limit and with unique advantages over methods based on fluorescence. KTiOPO4 nanocrystals are used as SHG nanoprobes to measure and compare the performances over the 850-1100 nm wavelength range of several microscope objectives designed for multiphoton microscopy. Finally, this approach is extended to the post-acquisition correction of chromatic aberrations in multicolor multiphoton imaging. Overall, the use of SHG nanoprobes appears as a uniquely suited method to standardize the metrology of multiphoton microscopes.

Aberration analysis of AOTF-based spectral imaging systems.

Image aberrations caused by acousto-optic (AO) anisotropic diffraction in uniaxial crystals are discussed. For their analysis, we propose a simplified ray-tracing model of an AO crystal cell (AOC). With this approach, one can assign any configuration of AO interaction, any material and geometry of the crystal, and then estimate all conventional ray aberrations, such as spherical, coma, astigmatism, distortion, etc. The optimization procedure is demonstrated by the aberration analysis of three principal spectral imaging schemes based on AO tunable filters (AOTFs). The approach developed promises performance improvement of AOTF-based systems for high-quality spectral imaging and image processing.

Optimization of an electrostatic quadrupole doublet focusing systems

The imaging properties of an electrostatic quadrupole doublet lens were analyzed with the aid of computer simulation. The optimal electrode voltages which lead to stigmatic image in both planes of the quadrupole doublet lens with minimum spot size at position sensitive detector (PSD) were found for two operation modes: point-to-point focusing and parallel-to-point focusing. The optical properties as: Magnifications, spot sizes in the image plane and aberration figures were discussed. The results showed that the focusing of the lens was strong in the xy-plane in comparison with the focusing in the xz-plane. The distortion of the image was greater when the image position will be close to the lens in comparison with object position. Also, the imaging properties were very sensitive to the lunching angle of the electron-beam.

A prism based magnifying hyperlens with broad-band imaging

Magnification in metamaterial hyperlenses has been demonstrated using curved geometries or tapered devices, at frequencies ranging from the microwave to the ultraviolet spectrum. One of the main issues of such hyperlenses is the difficulty in manufacturing. In this letter, we numerically and experimentally study a wire medium prism as an imaging device at THz frequencies. We characterize the transmission of the image of two sub-wavelength apertures, observing that our device is capable of resolving the apertures and producing a two-fold magnified image at the output. The hyperlens shows strong frequency dependent artefacts, a priori limiting the use of the device for broad-band imaging. We identify the main source of image aberration as the reflections supported by the wire medium and also show that even the weaker reflections severely affect the imaging quality. In order to correct for the reflections, we devise a filtering technique equivalent to spatially variable time gating so that ultra-broad band imaging is achieved.

Sulfatase modifying factor 1 trafficking through the cells: from endoplasmic reticulum to the endoplasmic reticulum.

Sulfatase modifying factor 1 (SUMF1) is the gene mutated in multiple sulfatase deficiency (MSD) that encodes the formylglycine-generating enzyme, an essential activator of all the sulfatases. SUMF1 is a glycosylated enzyme that is resident in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), although it is also secreted. Here, we demonstrate that upon secretion, SUMF1 can be taken up from the medium by several cell lines. Furthermore, the in vivo engineering of mice liver to produce SUMF1 shows its secretion into the blood serum and its uptake into different tissues. Additionally, we show that non-glycosylated forms of SUMF1 can still be secreted, while only the glycosylated SUMF1 enters cells, via a receptor-mediated mechanism. Surprisingly, following its uptake, SUMF1 shuttles from the plasma membrane to the ER, a route that has to date only been well characterized for some of the toxins. Remarkably, once taken up and relocalized into the ER, SUMF1 is still active, enhancing the sulfatase activities in both cultured cells and mice tissues.

Engineering method for calculating the tolerances for the primary errors in the centering of lens objectives

The presented method allows for the calculation—at the stage of the design of the objective—of the tolerances for technological errors that cause decentering of the lens components of the objective. The calculation is performed on the basis of the required values for image aberrations, the optical scheme, the design of the objective, and the types of laws of error scatter considering production conditions.

Role of aberrations in the relative illumination of a lens system

Several factors impact the light irradiance and relative illumination produced by a lens system at its image plane. In addition to cosine-fourth-power radiometric law, image and pupil aberrations and light vignetting also count. We use an irradiance transport equation to derive a closed form solution that provides insight into how individual aberration terms affect the light irradiance and relative illumination. The theoretical results are in agreement with real ray tracing.

Improved system calibration for specular surface measurement by using reflections from a plane mirror.

In this paper, we introduce a flexible and simple system calibration method for specular surface metrology based on the combination of reflection rays determined by the varied points on a screen and reflection images of a plane mirror without fiducials placed at three different locations. This calibration procedure involves three steps. The camera is first calibrated based on plane patterns. Then the reflection ray directions are measured via correspondence matching. The last calibration step is the pose estimation by the orthogonal iteration algorithm and reflections in a plane mirror. Basically, the concept of replacing the coordinates of the camera center with the reflection ray can alleviate the trouble of imaging aberration. Then global optimization can be operated with the orthogonal projection defined by the reflection ray, providing precise initial values for the process of bundle adjustment, compared to the classical calibration approach directly using the local optimization algorithm. Simulations and experiments both demonstrate the validity, efficiency, and robustness of the proposed improved method. In the simulations, the proposed method achieves the absolute errors of the camera parameters within 3 pixels and the relative errors of the screen pose are below 0.5% when the noise level is 0.6 pixel. Furthermore, the calibration method shows strong anti-noise ability, relying on the application of the reflection rays and the global optimization before the final bundle adjustment. In addition, the reconstruction accuracy in our experiment improves by 60.11% by the proposed method compared with the calibration procedure, which only utilizes the bundle adjustment optimization. In general, this novel calibration method can make the measurement achieve high accuracy and robustness at a low cost and with a simple setup, providing an efficient, economical, and flexible approach for a phase measuring deflectometry system in practical situations.

Reducing effects of aberration in 3D fluorescence imaging using wavefront coding with a radially symmetric phase mask.

In this work, a wavefront encoded (WFE) imaging system built using a squared cubic phase mask, designed to reduce the sensitivity of the imaging system to spherical aberration, is investigated. The proposed system allows the use of a space-invariant image restoration algorithm, which uses a single PSF, to restore intensity distribution in images suffering aberration, such as sample-induced aberration in thick tissue. This provides a computational advantage over depth-variant image restoration algorithms developed previously to address this aberration. Simulated PSFs of the proposed system are shown to change up to 25% compared to the 0 µm depth PSF (quantified by the structural similarity index) over a 100 µm depth range, while the conventional system PSFs change up to 84%. Results from experimental test-sample images show that restoration error is reduced by 29% when the proposed WFE system is used instead of the conventional system over a 30 µm depth range.

Adapting to aberrations in brain imaging

Adapting to aberrations in brain imaging

Signal-dependent noise removal for color videos using temporal and cross-channel priors

Noise widely exists in video acquisition, and is especially large under low illumination conditions. Existing video denoising methods are usually at the risk of losing perceptually crucial scene details and introducing unpleasant artifacts. Inspired by high sensitivity of human vision system to thin structures and color aberration in natural images, we incorporate two video priors into a joint optimization framework besides the constraint from the adopted Poisson–Gaussian noise model: (i) we force the motion compensated frames to be a low rank matrix to separate thin structures from large noise. (ii) we utilize the consistency of image pixel gradients in different color channels as a cross channel prior to eliminate color fringing artifacts. To solve this non-convex optimization model, we derive a numerical algorithm via the augmented Lagrangian multiplier method. The effectiveness of our approach is validated by a series of experiments, with both objective and subjective evaluations.

Advanced volume reconstruction and data mining methods in atom probe tomography

Abstract

Monochrome HUD’s Imaging Projector Based on Laser-DMD System

Design and tolerance of a new head up display’s projector system is reported. It is based on laser-micro display modules. We designed optical diffraction limited modules and some of our novelties were compactness, using common material and spherical lenses in optical design, easy and economical manufacturing process, uniform intensity and minimum aberrations of final image, economical and repairable designed system. Projector magnification is 10.0X and diagonal of image plane is 76.2 mm. ZEMAX software is employed for optical design and tolerance.