Microscope Camera Alignment Control System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Microscopes with multiple cameras for capturing different wavelengths of light face challenges in aligning images due to manual and error-prone adjustment processes, especially for novice users, as factory-side calibration is impractical and fine adjustments are difficult to achieve accurately.
Innovation Solution
A control arrangement with a display device and controller that assists users by determining image data from multiple detectors, providing instructions for rotating and displacing one detector relative to another to align images within predetermined thresholds, offering real-time feedback and potentially automated adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual adjustment of camera position is used, then the optical adjustment can be performed without automated drives, but the alignment accuracy and user-friendliness deteriorate due to error-prone manual determination of fiducials and difficulty in achieving fine adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously displays the current misalignment state (rotation angle and displacement amounts) to the user, providing real-time feedback on the alignment progress. This allows users to see exactly how far they are from the target alignment and adjust accordingly, transforming the blind manual adjustment process into a guided feedback-driven process that improves both ease of operation and alignment accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the purely manual mechanical adjustment process with a hybrid system that uses electronic computation to determine alignment parameters and displays them to guide manual adjustment. The controller calculates rotation angles and displacement amounts based on fiducial positions, substituting the need for manual fiducial identification and calculation with automated computational analysis while keeping the mechanical adjustment manual but informed.
2Manufacturing precision
If factory-side calibration is performed, then the initial alignment can be accurate, but the system becomes vulnerable to unintentional changes from bumps, cable pulls, or camera switching that require recalibration
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables users to perform their own calibration using the automated assistance provided by the controller and display device. Instead of relying solely on factory calibration that may become invalid, users can independently recalibrate the system whenever needed by following the guided adjustment process, making the system self-sufficient and resilient to alignment drift or accidental disturbances.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares alignment instructions and real-time feedback information before the user completes the adjustment process. By pre-calculating the required rotation and displacement based on current fiducial positions and displaying step-by-step guidance, the system enables users to perform accurate recalibration whenever alignment stability is compromised, without requiring expert knowledge or extensive training.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cameras capture different wavelength ranges, then diverse imaging capabilities are achieved, but identifying identical points in different images becomes challenging and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the manual visual search and identification process with automated image processing that computes fiducial positions and calculates alignment parameters electronically. The controller automatically identifies corresponding fiducials across different wavelength images and computes the rotation angle and displacement amounts, eliminating the time-consuming manual matching process while preserving the versatility of multi-wavelength imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The display device acts as an intermediary that translates complex image alignment data into simple, actionable instructions for the user. Instead of requiring users to directly compare and match fiducials across different wavelength images, the system processes the image data and presents the calculated rotation and displacement values, mediating between the complex multi-wavelength imaging data and the simple manual adjustment task.
4Extent of automation
If automated drives are used for detector element adjustment, then the alignment process can be fully automated, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides dynamic adjustment capabilities where users can choose between manual and automated modes based on their needs. The optical adjustment device includes both manual adjustment mechanisms and automated drives, allowing the system to adapt its degree of automation to the specific situation, balancing complexity and convenience according to user preference and task requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
A control arrangement 132 for controlling an optical adjustment device 122 of an imaging device 100 comprises a display device 126 configured to display a graphical information to a user, and a controller 124 configured to receive image data from a first detector element 118 being mounted to the imaging device 100 by the optical adjustment device 122, receive image data from a second detector element 120 of the imaging device 100, and to control at least the display device 126 for updating the graphical information in response to the image data. The controller 124 is configured to either instruct the user or to control drives of the optical adjustment device 122 to perform an optical adjustment of the optical adjustment device 122.