Inverted Microscope Ocular Lens Barrel Size Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultrawide-field ocular lenses for microscopes result in large, heavy, and expensive binocular lens barrels due to their large diameter and complex lens structures, which hinder the achievement of a shorter, lighter, and more affordable ocular optical system with a wide field of view.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an objective optical system, an image-forming optical system, a relay optical system, a light-splitting unit, and ocular optical systems that satisfy specific conditional expressions to reduce the focal lengths and magnifications of the optical systems, allowing for a smaller binocular lens barrel while maintaining the same field of view and overall magnification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a conventional ultrawide-field ocular lens is used to achieve a wide field of view, then the field number is increased, but the binocular lens barrel becomes larger, heavier, and more expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is divided into multiple functional segments: objective optical system, image-forming optical system, relay optical system, light-splitting unit, and ocular optical systems. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, enabling a smaller binocular lens barrel while maintaining ultrawide field of view capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional microscope configuration by placing the objective optical system below the stage and the ocular optical systems above, with the light-splitting unit positioned to divide light paths after the relay optical system. This inverted arrangement enables more compact binocular lens barrel design while achieving the same field number
2Area of stationary object
If a conventional ultrawide-field ocular lens is used to achieve a wide field of view, then the field number is increased, but the overall length of the ocular optical system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes key optical parameters including the focal lengths of the image-forming optical system (Fntl) and ocular optical system (Fne), the magnification of the relay optical system (βRL), and their relationships through conditional expressions. These parameter changes enable a shorter ocular optical system while maintaining the ultrawide field of view
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a relay optical system with magnification βRL between the image-forming and ocular optical systems, adding an intermediate dimension to the optical path. This allows the ocular optical system to be shorter while achieving the same field number through the combined magnification effect
3Area of stationary object
If a conventional ultrawide-field ocular lens is used to achieve a wide field of view, then the field number is increased, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the optical system into standardized modules (objective, image-forming, relay, light-splitting, ocular), each can be manufactured and assembled independently using conventional techniques, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost while achieving ultrawide field of view
Solution Approach 2:
The light-splitting unit serves multiple functions: it divides the light path for binocular observation, maintains the ultrawide field of view, and enables the use of smaller, less expensive components in the binocular lens barrel. This multi-functionality reduces the need for specialized expensive components
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 enables a shorter, lighter, and more cost-effective ocular optical system with an ultrawide field of view, reducing the size and weight of the binocular lens barrel while maintaining equivalent field numbers and overall magnification, thereby improving the microscope's design efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an objective optical system that collects light from a specimen
Implementation Method 2
an image-forming optical system that images the light from the specimen that has been collected by the objective optical system to form an intermediate image
Implementation Method 3
a relay optical system that relays the intermediate image formed by the image-forming optical system
Implementation Method 4
an light-splitting unit that splits the light from the relay optical system
Implementation Method 5
a pair of ocular optical systems that image, in a magnified manner, the intermediate images that have been split by the light-splitting unit as on eyes of an observer virtual images
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an inverted microscope 1 comprising an objective optical system 2 that collects light from a specimen A; an image-forming optical system 3 that images the light from the specimen A that has been collected by the objective optical system 2 to form an intermediate image; a relay optical system 6 that relays the intermediate image B of the specimen A formed by the image-forming optical system 3; a binocular lens barrel 5 that splits the light from the relay optical system 6; a pair of ocular optical systems 4 that image, in a magnified manner, the intermediate images that have been split by the binocular lens barrel 5 on eyes E of an observer as virtual images; wherein the following conditional expressions are satisfied:K=(Fntl/Ftl)×βRL (1),Fne=Fe×K (2), and0.3<K<0.9 (3).