Microscope Optical Adapter with Rotating Prism for Image Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical adapters for microscopes require frequent adjustments of digital camera equipment to align images correctly, leading to inconvenience and potential loss of image quality due to mismatched angles of view and pupil alignment.
Innovation Solution
An optical adapter with a rotatable optical image rotating unit, including Dove roof prisms, Pechan prisms, or Right angle prisms, allows for 360-degree stepless rotation, enabling precise adjustment of the optical image direction on the digital camera's photosensitive unit without the need for software adjustments, ensuring proper image orientation and alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the optical adapter is rotated to different positions to adjust camera direction, then the camera can be positioned in different orientations (upward, forward, downward, backward), but the optical image direction becomes rotated and misaligned with the microscope viewing direction
Solution Approach 1:
The optical adapter is divided into independent rotational components: the camera can rotate independently around the optical axis while the optical elements (lens and right angle prism) maintain a fixed relative relationship. This segmentation allows the camera to be positioned in different orientations without rotating the optical elements, thus maintaining proper image alignment while achieving positioning flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter incorporates dynamic rotational adjustment mechanisms that allow real-time modification of camera orientation independent of optical element orientation. The camera can be rotated to different positions (upward, forward, downward, backward) while the optical path remains stable, enabling flexible positioning without image direction rotation
2Ease of operation
If software adjustment is used to correct image direction, then image orientation can be corrected digitally, but this requires additional processing time and may reduce image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The optical adapter performs preliminary correction of image direction through optical elements (lens and right angle prism) before the image reaches the camera sensor. By adjusting the physical orientation of these optical elements, the image is properly oriented in real-time during capture, eliminating the need for subsequent software processing and avoiding time loss
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual zooming is performed on mobile devices to enlarge images, then the field of view can be adjusted, but this results in loss of information and image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical zooming operation on mobile devices with an optical solution. The optical adapter uses a lens and right angle prism to provide real field of view adjustment and image enlargement through optical means, allowing users to adjust the visible area without digital zooming that degrades image quality and loses information
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
Facilitates real-time, user-friendly adjustment of optical image direction on digital camera equipment, ensuring accurate image alignment regardless of camera position, eliminating the need for manual zooming and maintaining image quality across various orientations.
Implementation Method 1
the optical image rotating lens group comprising a Dove roof prism, a Pechan prism, a Pechan roof prism or a Right angle prism located on the optical path
Data Source
AI summary
An optical adapter for connecting between a beam splitter of a surgical microscope or an ophthalmic slit lamp microscope and a digital camera equipment including mobile phones, tablet computers, cameras, video cameras with image capturing function is provided. The optical adapter includes a lens group located on an optical path and an optical image rotating lens group for adjusting a direction of an optical image on a photosensitive unit of the digital camera equipment. The optical image rotating lens group is configured to be either independently rotatable around optical axis or be set fixedly. Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for real-time adjustment of the direction of an optical image on the photosensitive unit of a digital camera equipment, where regardless of the position of the digital camera a satisfactory direction of the optical image can be obtained with a simple user friendly and convenient structure.