Adjustable Air Gap Microscope Objective for Aberration Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-resolution microscopy faces challenges with spherical and longitudinal chromatic aberrations due to changing dispersive immersion conditions, which existing correction lenses cannot effectively address, especially in applications like 'Live Cell' microscopy where temperature and cover glass thickness variations cause significant image errors.
Innovation Solution
A plan apochromatic corrected immersion microscope objective with adjustable air distances between lenses, utilizing Nijboer-Zernike polynomials to correct spherical aberrations and rotating the color curve to address longitudinal chromatic aberrations, allowing for high-resolution imaging across varying immersion conditions without losing achromatic properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If adjustable air gaps are used to correct spherical aberrations, then spherical aberration elimination is improved, but longitudinal chromatic aberration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs two independently adjustable air gaps (first and second air gaps) that allow separate control of spherical aberration and longitudinal chromatic aberration. By changing the parameters of these air gaps independently, the system can optimize correction for one type of aberration without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between spherical aberration correction and chromatic aberration control.
2Measurement precision
If the microscope objective is designed for constant immersion ratio, then apochromatic correction is maintained, but adaptability to varying immersion conditions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustability through two independently controllable air gaps that allow the microscope objective to adapt to varying immersion conditions. The first air gap adjusts for spherical aberration while the second air gap corrects longitudinal chromatic aberration, enabling the system to maintain apochromatic performance across different immersion ratios and sample conditions rather than being fixed for constant immersion only.
3Ease of manufacture
If coverslip thickness varies, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but spherical aberration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a correction mechanism where the first adjustable air gap acts as a feedback element that compensates for spherical aberration caused by coverslip thickness variations. By independently adjusting this air gap, the system can counteract the aberrations introduced by non-standard coverslip thicknesses, allowing manufacturers to use more tolerant, cost-effective coverslips without sacrificing imaging quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables high-resolution microscopic examinations with reduced aberrations, maintaining apochromatic function across different samples and immersion states, and allowing focus on samples with diverse dispersive properties using a single objective.
Implementation Method 1
a correction function for eliminating spherical aberrations
Implementation Method 2
a further correction function for eliminating longitudinal chromatic aberrations resulting from dispersive changes in immersion by changing the air gaps between the lenses
Data Source
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AI summary
The lens has subsystems (T1-T3) comprising lens groups, having a corrective function (LA2) for minimizing spherical aberration by changing air gaps or air gap combinations between the lenses, and corrective function (LA1) for minimizing longitudinal chromatic aberration by changing air gaps or air gap combinations. The influence of the longitudinal chromatic aberration is corresponded to a rotation of the curve describing color point as a function of wavelength.