Hyperspectral Microscope for the Detection of Life

Leiden Measurement Technology LLC proposes to design and construct the HYMDOL: a high-resolution, compact microscope utilizing a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) digital micromirror device (DMD) to enable hyperspectral Raman and/or fluorescence microimaging with micron to sub-micron resolution (determined by the microscope objective used). HYMDOL will be designed as a rugged, compact instrument, suitable for missionnbsp;deployments on icy worlds where it could be used for life-detection and mineralogy studies. This technology seeks to replacenbsp;traditional laser-scanning confocal microscopy as it has the advantage of being able to take traditional full-frame images of a samplenbsp;using both coherent and incoherent light sources without the need for a second condenser, enabling temporally-resolved imaging andnbsp;fast, triage imaging capabilities; operates on significantly lower power; and is inherently robust ( DMDs are immune to more than 1500nbsp;g shock, 20 g vibration). The main objectives are to build from the successful Phase I work to (1) optimize the optical and optomechanical design of all subsystems of the microscope; (2) manufacture those designs; (3) integrate all subsystems to create a hyperspectral DMD-based imaging microscope suitable for life-detection missions and other applications.nbsp;