Instrumentation and techniques in confocal microscopy
Citation:
Aaron Mac Raighne, 'Instrumentation and techniques in confocal microscopy', [thesis], Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). School of Physics, 2007, pp 161Download Item:
Mac Raighne TCD THESIS 8132 Instrumentation and.pdf (PDF) 70.50Mb
Abstract:
Liquid crystal variable focal length microlenses are designed, fabricated and tested for
inclusion into the confocal system. Their emerging light fields are imaged and examined. This
proves a novel, efficient and thorough examination of the optical properties, the results of
which are compared to those found using interferometric methods. The aberrations present are
noted and possible causes discussed. It is also found that by increasing the driving frequency
of the applied voltage across the liquid crystal lenses the optical performance can be enhanced
by up to 30%, allowing diffraction-limited microlenses to be achievable at greater focal length
ranges. The inclusion of these lenses as a high throughput aperture array with a fibre bundle as
the corresponding pinhole array at the detector is experimentally investigated. The use of the
microlens arrays as an array of objective lenses is also discussed and the depth discriminating
properties examined by use of the axial response. The fibre bundle is shown to be an efficient
pinhole array and an imaging conduit in confocal systems. The mapping of the entrance and
exit positions of an incoherent fibre bundles is undertaken for the proposed application as a
pinhole and image conduit. Using fluorescent confocal and conventional microscopy, defect
analysis and the size determination of dye-doped melamine formaldehyde microspheres by
spectral analysis is performed. High contrast confocal fluorescent lifetime imaging of gold
nanoparticles by novel sample preparation is examined and the possible uses of this technique
in the future discussed.
Author: Mac Raighne, Aaron
Advisor:
McCabe, EithneQualification name:
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)Publisher:
Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). School of PhysicsNote:
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Full text availableKeywords:
Physics, Ph.D., Ph.D. Trinity College DublinLicences: