Hybrid Lens Diffractive Surface Corrects Chromatic Aberration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional ophthalmic endoilluminators produce chromatic aberrations due to refractive surfaces, resulting in color and brightness non-uniformities and reduced luminous flux, which affect the quality of light emitted into the eye during surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
The use of hybrid lenses with both refractive and diffractive surfaces in the ophthalmic endoilluminator, where the diffractive surface compensates for chromatic aberrations caused by the refractive surface, minimizing non-uniformities and increasing luminous flux.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If traditional refractive lenses are used in ophthalmic endoilluminators, then the device structure is simple, but chromatic aberrations occur causing color and brightness non-uniformities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a hybrid lens design combining refractive and diffractive optical surfaces. The refractive surface provides basic light focusing while the diffractive surface compensates for chromatic aberrations, creating a composite optical system that achieves both simplicity and high illumination quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the optical parameters by introducing a diffractive surface with specific dispersion characteristics. This changes the wavelength-dependent behavior of the lens to counteract chromatic aberrations, achieving uniform color and brightness across the illumination field.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional refractive lenses are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but luminous flux is reduced due to aberrations
Solution Approach 1:
The hybrid lens combines refractive and diffractive surfaces in a single component, maintaining manufacturing feasibility while significantly reducing energy loss. The diffractive surface is designed to minimize scattering and maximize light transmission across the spectrum.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the wavelength-dependent refraction that causes chromatic aberration into a beneficial effect. By carefully designing the diffractive surface, the same wavelength dependence is used to compensate for and correct the aberrations, turning a harmful property into a corrective mechanism.
3Shape
If refractive surfaces are used to focus light, then beam focusing is achieved, but chromatic aberrations increase beam diameter
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optical parameters by introducing a diffractive surface with negative dispersion characteristics. This counteracts the positive dispersion of the refractive surface, achieving wavelength-independent beam focusing that maintains a consistent, smaller beam diameter across different colors.
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 solution significantly reduces color and brightness non-uniformities and increases the luminous flux of the light beam, allowing for more focused and uniform illumination within the eye, enhancing the quality of light emitted during surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
a hybrid condensing lens for focusing the light, wherein the hybrid condensing lens has a refractive surface for refracting a light beam and a diffractive surface for diffracting the light beam, the diffractive surface being designed to compensate for chromatic aberration caused by the refractive surface
Implementation Method 2
a hybrid collimating lens for collimating the light produced by the light source, wherein the hybrid collimating lens has a refractive surface for refracting a light beam
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B~2F
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
An ophthalmic endoilluminator has a light source, a collimating lens for collimating the light produced by the light source, a filter for filtering the collimated light, an attenuator for attenuating the filtered light, a hybrid condensing lens for focusing the attenuated light, and an optical fiber for carrying the focused light into an eye. A diffractive surface on the hybrid condensing lens compensates for the other refractive surfaces.