Real-time microscopic phase-shifting profilometry

Abstract

A real-time microscopic profilometry system based on digital fringe projection and parallel programming has been developed and experimentally tested. Structured light patterns are projected onto an object through one pathway of a stereoscopic operation microscope. The patterns are deformed by the shape of the object and are then recorded with a high-speed CCD camera placed in the other pathway of the microscope. As the optical pathways of both arms are separated and reach the same object point at a relative angle, the recorded patterns allow the full-field object height variations to be calculated and the three-dimensional shape to be reconstructed by employing standard triangulation techniques. Applying proper hardware triggering, the projector-camera system is synchronized to capture up to 120 unique deformed line patterns per second. Using standard four-step phase-shifting profilometry techniques and applying graphics processing unit programming for fast phase wrapping, scaling, and visualization, we demonstrate the capability of the proposed system to generate 30 microscopic height maps per second. This allows the qualitative depth perception of the stereomicroscope operator to be enhanced by live quantitative height measurements with depth resolutions in the micrometer range.