Summary
- Profile Type
- Technology offer
- POD Reference
- TODE20240807003
- Term of Validity
- 7 August 2024 - 7 August 2025
- Company's Country
- Germany
- Type of partnership
- Investment agreement
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Targeted Countries
- All countries
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General information
- Short Summary
- A German university has developed a new area confocal scanning microscopy (ACMS) which is ideal for optical non-contact measurements such as surface inspection and 3D metrology. Compared to conventional measuring systems, the scanning speed is increased by a factor of several hundred, with only a slight reduction in resolution. The University is looking for cooperation partners, licensee and/or investors to further develop the new technology to series maturity.
- Full Description
-
Conventionally confocal microscopes obtain 3D images by scanning single points of sample successively and then assimilating the detected signals. A sequence of slices supplies a z-stack i.e. depth-data for the 3D image. Currently the two predominant methods to increase scan rates are slit scanning microscopy and programmable array microscopy. Both methods reduce the scanning period by passing the beam over the focal plane in only one direction. Slit scanning microscopes use a slit illumination source to repeatedly sweep the sample in a bar or line and detect the signals through a slit aperture.
Programmable array microscopes on the other hand use MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) technology to illuminate the object through an array of pinholes that produce illuminated points on the surface of the sample. The object is scanned using this array to collect the necessary data for imaging. Instead of additional scanning in z-direction (axial direction) either technology can be augmented by chromatic confocal microscopy, which uses the fact, that light with different wavelengths has different focal planes along the z-axis to determine the height of the object. Unfortunately, the mechanical scanning only being one-dimensional adversely influences the speed of the 3D-imaging process in either case.
Scientists at a German university have developed an innovative high-speed 3D surface scanning technology with a modified confocal microscope setup. The invention combines the advantages of chromatic confocal microscopy and a new procedure for a 2D surface scan to allow for area scanning. Using a slit scanning microscope the applied changes are as follows: The focal plane field is tilted by an angle of e.g. 65 ° to 85 ° for a microscope with a numerical aperture of 0.33. Thus, measured peak intensity occurs that is several times wider than a conventional confocal peak. Though the resolution is slightly reduced consequently the scanning speed is greatly increased.
A prototype and numerical calculations are available to demonstrate the advantages compared to the state of the art. Since the effect can be simulated, the benefits can be calculated for different microscopy systems. The new area confocal scanning microscopy (ACMS) is uniquely suited to optical non-contact measurements such as surface inspection and 3D measurement technology. - Advantages and Innovations
-
Advantages of the innovation are:
• Area scan with a modified confocal microscope setup.
• Scanning speed increases by a factor of several Hundred.
• The axial uncertainty is only increased by a factor of approximately 2.5.
• The lateral resolution is only slightly reduced. - Stage of Development
- Lab tested
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal
- Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- IPR status
- IPR granted
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
- The University is looking for cooperation partners, licensee and/or investors to further develop the new technology to series maturity. The cooperation partners, licensee and/or investors should have experience in the field of optics, especially microscopy. Know-how in algorithm development is also required.
- Type and Size of Partner
- SME <=10
- SME 50 - 249
- Big company
- SME 11-49
- Other
- Type of partnership
- Investment agreement
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Research and development cooperation agreement
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 09001007 - Optical Technology related to measurements
- 05003002 - Optics
- 09001006 - Optical material testing
- 01003012 - Imaging, Image Processing, Pattern Recognition
- Market keywords
- 05002002 - CAT scanning
- 02004004 - Other scanning related (incl. image processing, ...)
- 02004001 - OCR (optical character recognition)
- Targeted countries
- All countries
Files
Scheme of an adaptive chromatic confocal microscope.pdf