A lens for splitting incident light into multiple light rays and forming multiple images after exiting

Abstract

A lens for splitting incident light into multiple light rays and forming multiple images after exiting. Medical rigid optical endoscope systems usually can only form one image. A special lens S is used to replace the original optical adapter between the optical rigid scope (such as: thoracoscope, laparoscope, neuroendoscope, etc. medical optical endoscope) and the camera (such as: the camera of the endoscope camera system). The lens S splits the incident light of the optical rigid scope at the exit pupil position into two light rays, and after processing the two light rays independently, two images can be formed directly on the image sensor (such as: the image sensor in the camera of the endoscope camera system).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Optical imaging. Background Technology

[0002] A rigid optical endoscope system consists of a rigid optical endoscope and an endoscopic camera system. The endoscopic camera system comprises a main unit, a camera, and an optical adapter. The optical endoscope and the camera are connected via the optical adapter. Light enters from the objective lens of the rigid optical endoscope and exits from the eyepiece lens. The light emitted from the eyepiece lens is then transmitted to the optical adapter, and the light emitted from the optical adapter forms an image on the image sensor. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Medical rigid optical endoscope systems typically only produce one image. A specially designed lens S replaces the original optical adapter between the rigid optical endoscope (such as thoracoscopes, laparoscopes, neuroendoscopy, etc.) and the camera (such as the camera in an endoscopic camera system). Lens S splits the incident light rays into two paths at the exit pupil of the rigid optical endoscope, and processes these two paths independently, allowing two images to be formed directly on the image sensor (such as the image sensor inside the camera in an endoscopic camera system). Attached Figure Description

[0004] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path in which a single incident light beam forms two images. Detailed Implementation

[0005] A lens S (19) is added between a rigid optical endoscope (such as a thoracoscope, laparoscope, neuroendoscopy, etc.) and a camera (such as the camera of an endoscope camera system). The rigid optical endoscope is referred to as the front lens SF.

[0006] The light emitted from the front lens SF (1) is split into sub-ray 1 (17) and sub-ray 2 (18) by the beam-splitting optical surfaces 1 (3) and 2 (4) inside the lens S (19) at the exit pupil position P (2). The characteristic of the exit pupil position P (2) is that any point on the optical path cross section at this position will ideally receive the light reflected from various positions on the surface of the subject and entering the front lens SF (without a light-blocking aperture). Beam-splitting optical surfaces 1 (3) and 2 (4) are a pair, the next optical surfaces (5) and (6) are a pair, optical surfaces (7) and (8) are a pair, optical surfaces (9) and (10) are a pair, and optical surfaces (11) and (12) are a pair. These paired optical surfaces are used to process the two split sub-rays respectively. Sub-ray 1 (17) passes through optical surfaces (3), (6), (8), (10), and (12) before entering optical surface (13); sub-ray 2 (18) passes through optical surfaces (4), (5), (7), (9), and (11) before entering optical surface (13). Optical surface (13) combines sub-rays (17) and (18) and transmits them to optical surface (14). The outgoing rays from optical surface (14) form two images on the image sensor (16).

[0007] The optical surfaces inside lens S (19) are divided into beam splitting optical surface, direction readjustment optical surface, independent optical path optical surface, and beam combining optical surface.

[0008] The function of the beam-splitting optical surface is to split the light into two rays at the exit pupil position P(2) of the front lens SF, each of which can form a complete image. The beam-splitting optical surface can be a plane or a curved surface, and can split the light by reflection or by refraction. In this example, the beam-splitting optical surface is composed of optical surface (3) and optical surface (4), which split the incident light by refraction.

[0009] The function of the orientation readjustment optical surface is to make the image plane of the split light rays parallel to the surface of the image sensor. The orientation readjustment optical surface can be a plane or a curved surface, and can be adjusted by reflection or refraction to adjust the outgoing direction of the light rays. In this example, the orientation readjustment optical surface consists of optical surface (5) and optical surface (6), which change the direction of the incident light rays through refraction. The orientation readjustment optical surface is not mandatory.

[0010] The independent optical path optical surface provides each ray with an independent optical path, thereby allowing independent adjustment of the position (so that the images do not overlap) and size (so that the size of the image is adapted to the size of the image sensor) of the final image formed by each ray. The number of optical surfaces of the independent optical path optical surface can be adjusted. In this example, the independent optical path optical surface consists of optical surface (7) and optical surface (8), optical surface (9) and optical surface (10), optical surface (11) and optical surface (12), wherein optical surface (7), optical surface (9), and optical surface (11) are used exclusively by sub-ray (18), and optical surface (8), optical surface (10), and optical surface (12) are used exclusively by sub-ray (17).

[0011] The light-combining optical surface is not necessary; the outgoing rays from the independent optical paths can also form two images directly on the image sensor (16). In this example, the light-combining optical surface consists of optical surface (13) and optical surface (14), and its function is to combine the two separate light rays into one.

[0012] The beam splitting optical surface, the orientation readjustment optical surface, and the independent optical path optical surface inside the lens S can rotate around the optical axis (15) of the incident light, thereby adjusting the position of the image formed by sub-ray 1 (17) and sub-ray 2 (18) on the image sensor.

[0013] The beam splitting optical surface, the direction readjustment optical surface, the independent optical path optical surface, and the beam combining optical surface inside the lens S can be partially or completely moved along the optical axis (18) of the incident light, thereby adapting to the different exit pupil positions P of different front lenses SF.

[0014] When the light is divided into n sub-lights by n beam splitting optical surfaces at the exit pupil position P(2) of the front lens SF, the direction of each sub-light is adjusted by n directional adjustment optical surfaces, the imaging position of each sub-light is adjusted by n independent optical path optical surfaces, and the n sub-lights are transmitted to the combining optical surface, n images can be formed on the image sensor (16).

Claims

1. A lens that splits incident light into multiple rays and forms multiple images after exiting the lens, characterized in that: The optical surfaces inside the lens are divided into beam-splitting optical surfaces, orientation readjustment optical surfaces, independent optical path optical surfaces, and beam-combining optical surfaces. The incident light rays of the lens are the outgoing light rays of the front lens, and the outgoing light rays of the lens form an image on the image sensor. The beam-splitting optical surface is characterized in that: the beam-splitting optical surface can be a plane or a curved surface; the beam-splitting optical surface can split light by reflection or by refraction; the beam-splitting optical surface splits light into multiple light rays, each of which can form a complete image, at the exit pupil position of the front lens; The exit pupil position is characterized in that: any point on the optical path cross section at this position will, under ideal conditions, receive light reflected from various positions on the surface of the object being photographed and entering the front lens (without a light-blocking aperture); The orientation readjustment optical surface is characterized in that: the orientation readjustment optical surface can be a plane or a curved surface; the orientation readjustment optical surface can adjust the outgoing direction of light by reflection or refraction; the incident light ray of the orientation readjustment optical surface is the outgoing light ray of the beam splitting optical surface; the orientation readjustment optical surface changes the propagation direction of light so that the image plane of the image formed by the split light rays is parallel to the surface of the image sensor; the orientation readjustment optical surface is not mandatory. The independent optical path surface is characterized in that: the independent optical path surface provides each light ray with an independent optical path, and this independent optical path can adjust the imaging position and imaging size of each light ray individually; The light-combining optical surface is characterized in that it combines the two split sub-lights into one, but the light-combining optical surface is not mandatory.

2. A lens that splits incident light into multiple rays and forms multiple images after exiting the lens, characterized in that: The beam-splitting optical surface, the orientation readjustment optical surface, and the independent optical path optical surface inside the lens can rotate around the optical axis of the incident light, thereby adjusting the position of the image formed by each light ray on the image sensor.

3. A lens that splits incident light into multiple rays and forms multiple images after exiting the lens, characterized in that: The beam-splitting optical surface, the orientation readjustment optical surface, the independent optical path optical surface, and the beam-combining optical surface inside the lens can move partially or completely along the optical axis of the incident light, thereby adapting to the different exit pupil positions P of different front-facing lenses SF.

Images