Confocal Microscope Infinity Space Beam Splitter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Confocal microscopes with Nipkow discs face limitations in light throughput due to beam splitting issues and mechanical complexities, particularly with microlens arrangements, which result in inefficient illumination and potential image distortions.
Innovation Solution
Creating an infinity space between the mask with openings and the microoptics, where the beam splitter is positioned, allows for high light concentration and avoids beam displacement, eliminating the need for additional microlens arrangements or structural corrections, and enables a simple and stable mechanical setup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a microlens arrangement is provided to concentrate illumination light onto pinholes, then light throughput is increased, but beam splitting occurs and structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an infinity space (optical dimension) between the rotating mask and microlens arrangement, allowing the beam splitter to be positioned in this new spatial dimension. This resolves the beam splitting issue by separating the illumination path from the detection path in the optical dimension, while maintaining high light throughput through the microlens concentration effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The infinity space acts as an intermediary optical dimension that mediates between the rotating mask and the microlens arrangement. This intermediary space allows the beam splitter to function without causing beam displacement, enabling both high light throughput and structural simplicity.
2Illumination intensity
If the beam splitter is positioned close to the microlens arrangement, then light concentration is maintained, but beam displacement increases causing image distortions
Solution Approach 1:
By creating an infinity space (optical dimension) between the mask and microlens arrangement, the patent allows the beam splitter to be positioned in this intermediate optical dimension. This enables the beam splitter to be far enough from the microlens to avoid beam displacement issues, while still maintaining effective light concentration through the optical path design.
3Manufacturing precision
If additional microlens arrangements are added to correct beam displacement, then image distortion is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the beam splitting function from the immediate vicinity of the microlens arrangement and places it in the infinity space. This extraction eliminates the need for additional corrective microlens arrangements, as the beam splitter in the infinity space does not cause beam displacement that would require correction.
Solution Approach 2:
The infinity space serves as an intermediary that eliminates the need for complex corrective optics. By positioning the beam splitter in this intermediate optical dimension, the system achieves image distortion-free operation without requiring additional microlens arrangements for correction.
4Loss of energy
If the packing density of microoptics is increased, then light gathering power is enhanced, but accessibility for optical elements is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By utilizing the infinity space (optical dimension) between the mask and microlens arrangement, the patent allows high packing density of microoptics on the rotating mask without compromising accessibility. The beam splitter and other optical elements can be positioned in this intermediate optical dimension, maintaining ease of alignment and adjustment while achieving high light gathering power.
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
This configuration enhances light gathering power while maintaining a structurally simple design, achieving higher packing density of microoptics and improved accessibility for optical elements, thus increasing the efficiency of confocal microscopy.
Implementation Method 1
A microlens arrangement is provided which is axially displaced with regard to the pinhole mask and which has a geometry which is adjusted to the pinhole pattern and which rotates synchronously with the pinhole mask around the same rotary axis. Each microlens of the microlens arrangement is located on a disc and serves to concentrate the portion of the illumination light falling onto the respective microlens into the associated pinhole of the pinhole mask
Implementation Method 2
The separation and combination, respectively, of the illumination beam path and the image beam path by using a beam splitter occurs after (when seen from the objective) the Nipkow disc/pinhole mask, with the light emitted or reflected from the specimen impinging on a detector
Implementation Method 3
The microscope comprises an objective which is for illuminating a specimen in the object plane with illumination light and which collects light reflected from the specimen or emitted from the specimen
Data Source
AI summary
A device for confocal observation of a specimen, having a mask, which is located in the illumination beam path and the image beam path and is rotatable around a central axis, the mask being provided with openings for generating an illumination pattern moving on the specimen, an arrangement of a plurality of focusing microoptics which is adjusted to the geometric arrangement of the openings of the mask and to the rotation of the mask in order to concentrate the illumination light by each of the microoptics into a respective one of the openings of the mask, and a beam splitter for separating light from the specimen from illumination light, wherein the beam splitter is arranged in the beam path between the mask and the arrangement of the microoptics, and wherein an optical arrangement is provided in the beam path between the mask and the arrangement of the microoptics.