Confocal Microscope Rotatable Microlens Disk Light Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing confocal microscopy systems with co-rotating microlens and pinhole disks are complex, difficult to produce, and unreliable due to high rotational speeds and precise alignment requirements.
Innovation Solution
A microscope design that uses a collimated light source, a rotatable microlens disk, a beam-forming lens system, and a light barrier element positioned at a lens system focal point to achieve highly targeted and localized sample excitation without the need for a co-rotating pinhole disk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a co-rotating pinhole disk is used to block ambient light in confocal microscopy, then light blocking performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the pinhole disk component from the confocal microscopy system. Instead of using a co-rotating pinhole disk to block ambient light, the patent employs a light blocking structure positioned around the pinhole aperture in the microlens disk, thereby achieving light blocking functionality without the complexity of a separate rotating pinhole disk assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The light blocking structure is merged with the microlens disk assembly, forming an integrated component. The pinhole blocking structure is positioned around the pinhole aperture directly in the microlens disk, combining the light blocking function with the existing microlens disk rather than requiring a separate co-rotating pinhole disk
2Productivity
If high rotational speeds are used for the microlens disk and pinhole disk, then scanning speed is improved, but reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the pinhole disk from the rotating assembly, leaving only the microlens disk to rotate. This eliminates the need for two synchronized rotating components, thereby improving reliability by reducing mechanical complexity and synchronization requirements while maintaining high scanning speeds through the single microlens disk rotation
3Measurement precision
If precise alignment between microlens disk and pinhole disk is achieved, then excitation precision is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention eliminates the pinhole disk component entirely, removing the need for precise alignment between two separate rotating disks. The light blocking function is integrated into the microlens disk structure itself, thereby maintaining excitation precision through the pinhole apertures in the microlens disk while dramatically simplifying manufacturing by requiring only a single rotating component
Solution Approach 2:
The light blocking pinhole structures are merged directly into the microlens disk, forming a single integrated rotating component. This integration eliminates the need for precise alignment between separate microlens and pinhole disks, as both functions are now embodied in one disk that can be manufactured and assembled as a single unit
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
The design allows for high-speed scanning of microscopic samples with highly targeted excitation, achieving low ambient light, high contrast, and high signal-to-noise ratio in sample images, while reducing system complexity.
Implementation Method 1
each of the plurality of microlenses focusing a portion of the substantially collimated excitation light beam towards a respective microlens focal point
Implementation Method 2
the beam-forming lens system and the microscope objective jointly focusing a respective portion of the substantially collimated excitation light beam, travelling through a respective microlens focal point, at a respective sample illumination point
Implementation Method 3
the light barrier element being positioned at a lens system focal point, where light of the substantially collimated excitation light beam that passes the rotatable microlens disk in between the plurality of microlenses is focussed
Data Source
AI summary
A microscope (2) includes: a collimated light source (20), emitting a substantially collimated excitation light beam; a rotatable microlens disk (22), comprising a plurality of microlenses (24), with each of the plurality of microlenses (24) focusing a portion of the substantially collimated excitation light beam towards a respective microlens focal point (60); a beam-forming lens system (30) and a microscope objective (34), with the beam-forming lens system (30) and the microscope objective (34) jointly focusing a respective portion of the substantially collimated excitation light beam, travelling through a respective microlens focal point (60), at a respective sample illumination point (66); and a light barrier element (36), arranged within the beam-forming lens system (30) or arranged between the beam-forming lens system (30) and the microscope objective (34), the light barrier element (36) being positioned at a lens system focal point (62, 64), where light of the substantially collimated excitation light beam that passes the rotatable microlens disk (22) in between the plurality of microlenses (24) is focused.