Laser Scanning Microscope Objective Lens Rectilinear Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laser scanning microscopes face a trade-off between resolution and visual field, with high resolution lenses having a narrow visual field and being bulky, making miniaturization difficult.
Innovation Solution
A laser scanning microscope apparatus with a first moving part equipped with an objective lens for rectilinear movement and a second moving part with a reflecting mirror for orthogonal movement, allowing for high-speed scanning and a wide visual field without using galvano-scanners, thus enabling miniaturization and weight reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a high resolution lens is used to generate a smaller light focus spot, then resolution is improved, but the visual field becomes narrow and the apparatus size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the objective lens movable through a moving part that enables rectilinear movement. This allows the lens to be repositioned dynamically to scan across a wide visual field while maintaining high resolution imaging capability at any given position, resolving the contradiction between narrow visual field and wide coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the scanning function by separating the high-resolution objective lens from the scanning mechanism (galvano-scanners). The objective lens remains stationary in terms of optical alignment but is mounted on a moving part that enables positional changes, allowing high resolution to be maintained while achieving wide visual field coverage through coordinated movement.
2Ease of operation
If galvano-scanners are used for the optical system, then scanning capability is achieved, but the apparatus size increases and miniaturization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the scanning capability from the traditional galvano-scanner configuration and implements it through a simplified moving part system. The objective lens is mounted on a moving part that enables rectilinear movement without requiring bulky galvano-scanners, thus achieving scanning capability while significantly reducing apparatus size and enabling miniaturization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical galvano-scanner system with a simplified moving part mechanism. Instead of using rotating mirrors and complex mechanical assemblies, the invention uses a moving part equipped with the objective lens that moves in straight lines, substituting the traditional mechanical scanning system with a more compact approach.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the objective lens is made stationary for stability, then alignment is maintained, but the visual field coverage is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by making the objective lens dynamically movable rather than completely stationary. The lens is mounted on a moving part that enables controlled rectilinear movement, allowing the system to maintain alignment stability during operation while achieving wide visual field coverage through positional changes of the lens assembly.
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
The apparatus achieves high-resolution imaging of a wide visual field at high speed, overcoming the limitations of traditional designs by reducing the number of components and minimizing the load on moving parts, facilitating miniaturization and improved resolution.
Implementation Method 1
laser light collected from the objective lens 26 creates a small light focus spot on an observation object 5
Implementation Method 2
a reflecting mirror that guides laser light radiated to an observation object and returning light of the observation object in a predetermined direction
Implementation Method 3
detects intensity of the transmitted light, the backscattered light, fluorescence, Raman scattered light, and various types of light produced by the nonlinear optical effect
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a laser scanning microscope apparatus including a first moving part equipped with an objective lens and configured to move the objective lens in a first direction, and a second moving part configured to be movable in a second direction orthogonal to the first moving part and equipped with the first moving part and a reflecting mirror that guides laser light radiated to an observation object and returning light of the observation object in a predetermined direction.