Immersion Microscope Objective Aberration Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional immersion microscope objectives struggle to achieve both high numerical aperture and high aberration performance over a wide field of view, limiting their ability to provide sufficient resolution and brightness for fluorescence observations.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a first lens group with a meniscus lens component having a convex surface facing the object and a second lens group, satisfying specific conditional expressions for numerical aperture, maximum object height, and distance constraints to correct aberrations and ensure high resolution across a wide field of view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional immersion microscope objectives are designed with high numerical aperture, then resolution is improved, but aberration performance deteriorates over wide field of view
Solution Approach 1:
The objective lens is divided into multiple lens groups (first lens group with positive refractive power and second lens group with negative refractive power), each responsible for specific optical functions. This segmentation allows independent optimization of resolution (via high NA first group) and aberration correction (via second group), resolving the contradiction between high resolution and good aberration performance across wide field of view
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the objective lens are assigned different optical properties. The first lens group near the object side has high positive refractive power for high NA and resolution, while the second lens group has negative refractive power specifically for correcting off-axis aberrations. This local differentiation of optical quality enables simultaneous achievement of high resolution and good aberration performance
2Area of stationary object
If microscope objectives are designed for wide field of view, then observation area is improved, but aberration correction becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The second lens group with negative refractive power acts as an intermediary element that specifically addresses off-axis aberrations (coma, astigmatism, field curvature) that arise in wide field of view designs. This intermediary group mediates between the high-NA first group and the image plane, correcting aberrations without compromising the wide field of view capability
Solution Approach 2:
The objective lens employs dynamic aberration correction through carefully designed lens curvatures and spacing that adapt to wide-angle light rays. The negative refractive power of the second lens group dynamically compensates for increasing off-axis aberrations as field angle increases, enabling maintained aberration performance across the entire wide field of view
3Illumination intensity
If numerical aperture is increased for high resolution, then brightness is improved, but aberration performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The objective is segmented into a first lens group that collects light for high brightness (high NA) and a second lens group that corrects the aberrations introduced by high NA. This segmentation allows the brightness function and aberration correction function to be separated, enabling high brightness without sacrificing aberration performance
Solution Approach 2:
The objective uses a composite optical system combining lenses with positive and negative refractive powers in specific configurations. This composite structure allows the high-NA first group to provide brightness while the negative-power second group corrects spherical and chromatic aberrations, achieving both high brightness and good aberration performance
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 configuration effectively corrects aberrations and provides high resolution and brightness for fluorescence observations, enabling efficient detection of isotropically radiated fluorescence and reducing axial chromatic aberrations, even with excitation light of short wavelengths.
Implementation Method 1
a first lens group which includes a meniscus lens component that is the closest to an image among the components of the first lens group, the meniscus lens component having a convex surface facing an object
Data Source
AI summary
An immersion microscope objective includes: a first lens group that includes a meniscus lens component that is the closest to an image in the first lens group, the meniscus lens component having a convex surface facing an object; and a second lens group, the objective satisfying the following conditional expressions:1.4<NAob≤1.51 (1)1.30 mm≤Yreso×NAob8 (2)Ltotal≤65 mm (10)where NAob indicates the numerical aperture of the objective; Yreso a maximum object height within a region on a plane orthogonal to an optical axis that crosses a position on the optical axis at which an RMS wave aberration in a d line is minimized, the region having an RMS wave aberration in the d line that is 0.1λd or less provided therewithin; λd, the wavelength of the d line; Ltotal, a distance on the optical axis from an object surface to the lens surface that is the closest to the image.