Miniature Fluorescence Microscope Lens Clamp for Tilt-Free Implantation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for implanting a miniature single-photon fluorescence microscope lens in deep brain regions face challenges such as lens tilting during clamping, requiring multiple operations that cause animal distress, and lack of precision, leading to inaccurate implantation and prolonged experimental setup times.
Innovation Solution
A clamp-based implantation device with a groove and protrusion system ensures precise alignment and parallelism of the lens, allowing single-step implantation without lens tilting, using a clamp base and clamp block with defined receiving holes and protrusions to secure the lens accurately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a resin frame holder is used to clamp the lens during implantation, then the lens can be held in position, but the lens tilts back and forth during clamping, resulting in inaccurate implantation coordinates and experimental failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing a precise mechanical constraint system through the groove-protrusion structure before lens implantation. The groove is pre-formed with exact dimensions and orientation, and the protrusion is pre-positioned on the lens holder, ensuring that when assembled, the lens is automatically constrained in the correct position and orientation without requiring manual adjustment during the implantation procedure. This pre-prepared mechanical interface eliminates the tilting problem by design rather than by post-adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanical structure - the groove-protrusion interface - that mediates between the lens holder and the implantation device. This intermediary component serves as a precise positioning interface that transfers and maintains the correct spatial relationship between the lens and the implantation target, acting as a mechanical mediator that ensures accurate coordinate transfer while preventing lens tilting during the clamping process.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple operations are performed for lens implantation and microscope mounting, then each step can be carefully executed, but the animal experiences significant distress and the experimental setup time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by integrating multiple functions into a single implantation device that combines lens holding, positioning, and securing capabilities. The device merges the lens holder, positioning mechanism, and mounting interface into one integrated unit, allowing the lens to be implanted and the microscope to be mounted in a coordinated single-step procedure rather than through multiple separate operations, thereby reducing both time and animal distress while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-assembling the lens holder with the precise groove-protrusion positioning system before the implantation procedure. This pre-prepared mechanical interface ensures that when the single-step implantation is performed, the lens is automatically positioned with high precision without requiring multiple adjustment operations, thus achieving accurate implantation in reduced time with minimal animal distress.
3Ease of operation
If the lens is clamped using existing methods, then the clamping process can be performed, but the lens is damaged and the implantation coordinates are inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanical interface - the groove-protrusion system - that mediates between the clamping mechanism and the lens. This intermediary structure provides a precise, damage-free clamping solution where the protrusion fits into the pre-formed groove, creating a stable mechanical connection that secures the lens without applying damaging forces or allowing tilting, thereby maintaining both ease of operation and high coordinate accuracy.
4Ease of manufacture
If the fluorescence microscope lens surface is not parallel to the cylindrical lens surface, then the microscope can be assembled, but the field of view cannot be optimized and the experiment fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the groove with the exact orientation and dimensions required to ensure that when the lens is inserted and secured via the protrusion-groove interface, the lens surface is automatically parallel to the cylindrical lens surface. This pre-established mechanical constraint eliminates the need for post-assembly alignment adjustments, ensuring optimal field of view from the first attempt while maintaining ease of assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A miniature single-photon fluorescence microscope implantation device and implantation method are disclosed. The implantation device includes: a clamp base defining a clamp slot; a clamp block; and a groove defined in a bottom surface of the clamp slot. An end of the clamp block includes a first protrusion, and a bottom surface of the groove vertically defines a through receiving hole.