Cytometer Aspheric Lens Beam Shaping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flow cytometers suffer from significant spherical aberration and side lobe formation due to large light beam divergence, leading to inaccurate signal processing and rejection of smaller cell signals, which complicates the optical system and requires complex signal recognition algorithms.
Innovation Solution
A cytometer design incorporating an aspheric collimating lens with a large numerical aperture and a pair of mutually crossing cylindrical lenses to shape the light beam, eliminating side lobes and improving light beam shaping, thereby simplifying signal processing and enhancing detection accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a conventional optical system with a light beam is used to irradiate the cell-interrogation zone, then the light beam can cover the detection area, but significant spherical aberration and side lobes occur due to large divergence angle, leading to incorrect signal identification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an aspheric lens instead of a conventional spherical lens to collimate and shape the light beam. The aspheric surface profile is specifically designed to eliminate spherical aberration by varying the curvature across the lens surface, thereby producing a tight, aberration-free spot at the cell-interrogation zone without side lobes, while maintaining adequate light beam coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameters by using an aspheric lens with specific curvature profiles and a numerical aperture optimized for the application. This parameter optimization allows the light beam to be collimated effectively with minimal divergence, eliminating side lobes while maintaining sufficient illumination intensity across the detection area
2Reliability
If a threshold value algorithm is used to eliminate side lobes in signal processing, then false signals can be reduced, but real scattered signals from smaller cells are rejected along with false signals, bringing error to cell analysis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary optical action by using an aspheric lens to eliminate side lobes before the light beam reaches the cells. This prevents the formation of false signals at the source, eliminating the need for subsequent threshold-based signal rejection algorithms. As a result, all genuine cell signals, including those from smaller cells, are preserved without being mistakenly rejected
3Measurement precision
If a concave cylindrical lens is used to eliminate aberration in y direction, then the associated pulse disturbance is avoided, but the complexity of the optical system, structure dimension, and assembly adjustment difficulty are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the collimation and aberration correction functions into a single aspheric lens element. This integrated approach eliminates the need for separate concave cylindrical lenses and multiple optical components, thereby reducing optical system complexity, minimizing structural dimensions, and simplifying assembly and adjustment procedures while effectively eliminating aberration in all directions
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 effectively eliminates side lobes, ensuring accurate detection of cell signals without the need for complex signal processing, resulting in improved practicability and reduced structural complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a significant aberration in particular a spherical aberration occurs after the light beam passes through the optical system
Implementation Method 2
a light beam shaping module for shaping and converging the laser light beam emitted from the laser
Implementation Method 3
the illuminating light beam may irradiate onto the cells flowing through the cell-interrogation zone so as to be scattered
Implementation Method 4
a signal processing unit, which comprises at least a photoelectric detection module and is used for receiving, photoelectrically converting and correspondingly processing the scattering light emitted from the flow chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A cytometer includes an illuminating unit having a laser and a light beam shaping module for shaping and converging the laser beam emitted from the laser. A sample generation unit includes a gas-liquid transmission controlling module and a flow chamber which are connected to each other, so the sample liquid containing the cells to be detected may flow through the flow chamber while being encircled by the sheath fluid. A signal processing unit receives, converts and processes the scattering light emitted from the flow chamber. The signal processing unit includes at least a photoelectric detection module, wherein the light beam shaping module has at least one aspheric collimating lens and a pair of mutually crossing cylindrical lenses, and the numerical aperture of the aspheric collimating lens is at least 0.3.