Confocal Scanner With Microlens-Pinhole Integration for Uniform Illumination
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing confocal microscopes using disk scanning-type confocal scanners face issues of increased size and cost due to the integration of separate components for confocal scanning and homogenizing illumination light, leading to non-uniform brightness and reduced image quality.
Innovation Solution
A confocal scanner design that integrates a microlens array disk and a pinhole array disk, along with a beam splitter and a light guider, forms a Koehler illumination system to uniformly distribute illumination light, eliminating the need for separate homogenizer components, thereby reducing device size and cost while maintaining high image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a separate homogenizer is added to uniformize illumination light intensity, then image brightness uniformity is improved, but device size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the homogenizer function with the existing microlens array disk, creating a multi-functional component. The microlens array disk simultaneously performs confocal scanning and illumination homogenization, eliminating the need for a separate homogenizer device and reducing overall system complexity while achieving uniform light distribution across the field of view
Solution Approach 2:
The microlens array disk is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the confocal scanning element and the illumination homogenizer. By making this single component universal, the patent avoids adding extra devices, thereby reducing device size and cost while maintaining uniform illumination intensity across the imaging field
2Reliability
If multiple separate components are used for confocal scanning and homogenizing, then functional performance is improved, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the confocal scanner and homogenizer into a single integrated unit consisting of the microlens array disk and pinhole array disk. This integration maintains the confocal imaging function while incorporating illumination homogenization, thereby preserving image quality without increasing device volume
Solution Approach 2:
The homogenizer functionality is nested within the existing confocal scanner structure. The microlens array disk contains both confocal scanning microlenses and homogenizing microlenses in a nested arrangement, allowing both functions to coexist in the same physical space without increasing overall device dimensions
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 integrated design achieves uniform brightness and high image quality by uniformly distributing illumination light, reducing the confocal microscope's size and cost without the need for additional homogenizer components.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of microlenses 22e; a light guider 24 which forms a Koehler illumination system together with the microlenses 22e
Implementation Method 2
a beam splitter 25 which is disposed between the one surface of the first disk and the another surface of the second disk, wherein light which has passed through the microlenses within the second region transmits through the beam splitter, and the beam splitter reflects light incident from the second disk
Data Source
AI summary
A confocal scanner includes a first disk which comprises a plurality of microlenses, a second disk which comprises a plurality of pinholes formed to be associated with the microlenses, wherein the second disk rotates together with the first disk, a light guider which guides a plurality of rays of split light split by the microlenses within the first region set in the first disk to a second region set in the first disk, and a beam splitter which is disposed between the one surface of the first disk and the another surface of the second disk, wherein light which has passed through the microlenses within the second region transmits through the beam splitter, and the beam splitter reflects light incident from the second disk toward an outward side of the first disk and the second disk in a radial direction.