Confocal Optical Scanner Incident Angle Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing confocal optical scanners face challenges in optimally adjusting the incident angle of illumination light for different pinhole units, leading to suboptimal optical conditions such as reduced resolution and brightness in confocal images due to variations in numerical aperture and mechanical accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A confocal optical scanner with a moving mechanism and incident-angle adjusting parts, such as reflective mirrors and acousto-optic elements, to precisely control the incident angle of illumination light on selected optical scanning units, ensuring optimal alignment with the pinhole units for high S/N ratio and resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a direct-acting slider is used to move pinhole units, then the pinhole units can be selected based on numerical aperture, but the incident angle of illumination light cannot be optimized for each selected unit
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the pinhole units into separate selectable modules, each with its own incident-angle adjusting part. This segmentation allows independent optimization of the incident angle for each pinhole unit, resolving the contradiction between unit selection capability and incident angle precision.
Solution Approach 2:
An incident-angle adjusting part is introduced as an intermediary component between the illumination light source and each selected pinhole unit. This mediator enables precise control of the incident angle regardless of which pinhole unit is currently selected, thereby maintaining optical precision while preserving selection flexibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple pinhole units with different diameters are used, then optical conditions can be optimized for different numerical apertures, but the incident angle adjustment becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
Each pinhole unit is equipped with a universal incident-angle adjusting part that can handle different numerical aperture configurations. This multi-functional design allows the same adjustment mechanism to serve multiple pinhole units with varying diameters, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The incident-angle adjusting parts are designed to be dynamically adjustable, allowing real-time optimization of the incident angle when switching between different pinhole units. This dynamic capability simplifies the adjustment process compared to fixed-angle designs, as the system automatically adapts to the selected unit's requirements.
3Device complexity
If the incident angle is not adjusted according to the selected optical scanning unit, then the system structure remains simple, but light quantity loss increases and resolution decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Each pinhole unit is equipped with its own incident-angle adjusting part that automatically optimizes the incident angle when that unit is selected. This self-service approach ensures maximum light transmission efficiency without requiring complex centralized control, thereby minimizing light quantity loss while keeping the overall system structure relatively simple.
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 solution allows for the selection of suitable optical scanning units based on the numerical aperture of the objective lens, resulting in confocal images with high S/N ratio and high resolution by accurately adjusting the incident angle of illumination light, minimizing light quantity loss and optimizing optical conditions.
Implementation Method 1
an acousto-optic element configured to change the traveling direction of illumination light by diffracting the illumination light according to the selected optical scanning unit
Implementation Method 2
the incident-angle adjusting part includes at least one reflective mirror configured to reflect the illumination light to the optical scanning unit
Data Source
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AI summary
A confocal optical scanner includes: a plurality of condenser elements (15M) each configured to concentrate illumination light (L) to be applied on a sample (S) to produce fluorescence from the sample (S); a plurality of optical scanning units (10) including a plurality of openings each configured to allow the illumination light (L) concentrated by the condenser element to pass the opening, the optical scanning units (10) each configured to scan the sample (S) with the illumination light that has passed through the opening; a moving mechanism (11) configured to move the optical scanning units (10) to select one of the optical scanning units (10); and an incident-angle adjusting part configured to adjust the incident angle of the illumination light incident on the optical scanning unit (10) selected from the optical scanning units (10) according to the selected optical scanning unit (10).