Resolution enhancement of digital laser scanning fluorescence microscopy with a dual-lens optical pickup head

The resolution of the cell fluorescence image captured by a digital laser scanning microscopy with a modified dual-lens BD-ROM optical pickup head is enhanced by image registration and double sample frequency. A dual objective lens of red (655 nm) and blue (405 or 488 nm) laser sources with numerical apertures of 0.6 and 0.85 is used for sample focusing and position tracking and cell fluorescence image capturing, respectively. The image registration and capturing frequency are based on the address-coded patterns of a sample slide. The address-coded patterns are designed as a string of binary code, which comprises a plurality of base-straight lands and grooves and data-straight grooves. The widths of the base-straight lands, base-straight grooves, and data-straight grooves are 0.38, 0.38, and 0.76 μm, respectively. The numbers of sample signals in the x-direction are measured at every intersection point by intersecting the base intensity of the push–pull signal of the address-coded patterns, which has a minimum spacing of 0.38 μm. After taking a double sample frequency, the resolution of the measured cell fluorescence image is enhanced from 0.38 μm to the diffraction limit of the objective lens.