High-Order Aberration Correction in Optical Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional glasses and optical devices fail to effectively correct high-order optical aberrations, particularly in low light conditions, leading to decreased contrast sensitivity and visual acuity, which is critical for military and civilian applications using binoculars, rifle scopes, and night vision goggles.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of personalized high-order aberration correction and optimization using wavefront sensors to measure and correct aberrations in binoculars, rifle scopes, and night vision goggles, incorporating removable aberration correction elements that also address residual errors in the devices themselves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional glasses and optical devices are used, then basic vision correction is provided, but high-order optical aberrations remain uncorrected leading to decreased contrast sensitivity and visual acuity in low light conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The optical correction system is divided into multiple independent components: wavefront sensor for measurement, computer for processing, and variable focus lens for correction. Each component performs a specific function, allowing the complex task of high-order aberration correction to be achieved through coordinated simple elements rather than a single complex optical element.
Solution Approach 2:
A variable focus lens acts as an intermediary between the measurement system (wavefront sensor) and the eye. This intermediary element dynamically adjusts its optical properties based on real-time wavefront measurements to correct high-order aberrations, serving as a mediator that translates measurement data into optical correction.
2Reliability
If high-order aberration correction is implemented using wavefront sensors and variable focus lenses, then contrast sensitivity and visual acuity are significantly improved in low light conditions, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs real-time feedback through wavefront sensing, where the optical quality is continuously measured and the variable focus lens is dynamically adjusted to maintain optimal correction. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures reliable visual performance by automatically adapting to changing optical conditions and pupil dynamics.
Solution Approach 2:
The variable focus lens provides dynamic correction capability, allowing the optical system to adapt in real-time to changing pupil sizes and aberration patterns. This dynamic adjustment ensures consistent high-quality vision across varying light conditions without requiring multiple static optical elements.
3Illumination intensity
If the pupil diameter increases in low light conditions, then more light enters the eye improving brightness, but high-order aberrations increase causing contrast sensitivity degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The variable focus lens dynamically adjusts its optical correction based on the instantaneous pupil diameter. As the pupil expands in low light to allow more light input, the lens simultaneously adapts its correction profile to compensate for the increased high-order aberrations, maintaining contrast sensitivity across varying illumination conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes optical parameters in real-time by adjusting the variable focus lens based on measured pupil size and wavefront errors. This parameter adaptation allows the system to optimize both light transmission and aberration correction for each specific viewing condition, resolving the trade-off between brightness and contrast sensitivity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to the optimization of human visual function by correcting and/or optimizing high-order optical aberrations in high performance optical devices. The optimization is particularly useful for high performance devices used under low light conditions such as binoculars, rifle scopes, telescopes, microscopes, night vision goggles and laser eye protection devices.