A high-performance passband-agile hyperspectral imager using a large aperture acousto-optic tunable filter

We describe an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) based hyper-spectral imaging microscope system that allows real time unmixing of the combination of cellular morphology staining and multiple biomarker staining on a single microscope slide. We describe several advances in AOTF technology such as novel acoustic apodization schemes in the longitudinal and transverse directions that have greatly improved image quality. In addition we demonstrate construction leading to improved broadband matching which in turn allows in lower power operation allowing up to 16 simultaneous arbitrary-wavelength optical channels to be processed if necessary. We discuss optical schemes and other factors that allow low stray light and rejection of out-of-band light. A hyper-spectral imaging bright field microscope using these advances demonstrates pathology results that have great potential for clinical use.