Studies on the Confocal Laser Microscope (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)

This book provides a thorough exploration of various modulated apertures and their impact on improving microscope resolution, with a focus on confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM). Over the course of eleven chapters, it looks at both the theoretical aspects and practical applications of different aperture shapes.

Chapters 1 and 2 review apertures with linear, quadratic, and concentric black-and-white (B/W) zones, along with linear-quadratic and polynomial designs. Additionally, apertures with Hamming, Cauchy, rectangular, and hexagonal shapes are analyzed for their potential to enhance imaging performance.

Chapter 3 presents the computation of coherent transfer functions (CTFs) for selected modulated apertures, offering insights into their influence on imaging quality. Chapter 4 focuses on confocal microscopes, exploring how these apertures affect the imaging of microscopic objects.

A theoretical study of coherent non-scanned laser microscopes (CNSM) is covered in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 addresses the computation of lateral and axial point spread functions (PSFs) in confocal imaging systems that use binary amplitude masks, while Chapter 7 investigates the effects of misalignment errors combined with wavefront aberrations in systems using linear and quadratic apertures.

In Chapter 8, diffraction intensity is calculated for a confocal microscope with a laterally displaced truncated Gaussian aperture, extending the principles of Marechal microscopy to confocal scanning microscopy. Chapters 9 and 10 examine spatial coherence in confocal optical systems, particularly in the context of quadratic and concentric B/W apertures.

The book concludes in Chapter 11 with an application of cardiac apertures in CSLM, demonstrating their use in processing cardiac images. This work serves as a valuable reference for researchers and professionals interested in advancing microscope resolution through innovative aperture design and analysis.

Abdallah Mohamed Hamed graduated from Ain Shams University with a B.Sc. in Physics in 1973, achieving an Excellent with Honors degree. Subsequently, he earned an M.Sc. in Laser Optics from the same university in 1976. In 1978, he was awarded a scholarship in France, culminating in the acquisition of a Doctor of Physics degree in 1985.

His scholarly contributions include 95 scientific publications, with 66 of these publications are indexed in Scopus, reflecting their notable impact in the field. Moreover, he actively participates in international scientific organizations and serves as Reviewer for various scientific journals such as Opt. Eng., J. Modern Opt., Opt. & Laser Tech., and Opt. Communication. Since 2011 he has been Emeritus Professor of Physics at Ain Shams University.