Laser-tweezer-controlled solid immersion microscopy in microfluidic systems

Opt Lett. 2005 Oct 15;30(20):2712-4. doi: 10.1364/ol.30.002712.

Abstract

We describe the creation and implementation of a near-field scanning solid immersion microscope that is specifically tailored for use in microfluidic systems. The microscope comprises a newly fabricated Weierstrass solid immersion lens (SIL), which is detached from its substrate and is free floating in the fluid, and a laser optical tweezer, which serves both as a trapping beam for alignment and positioning of the SIL and as a near-field scanning beam that images the sample through the SIL. A discussion of the SIL's fabrication method is presented along with experimental results that demonstrate the effectiveness of our microscope design.

MeSH terms

  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Lasers*
  • Microfluidics / instrumentation*
  • Microfluidics / methods
  • Micromanipulation / instrumentation*
  • Micromanipulation / methods
  • Microscopy, Polarization / instrumentation*
  • Stress, Mechanical