Pie-Shaped Filter Wheel Segments for Continuous Rotation Imaging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing filter wheel systems in image-capture systems suffer from slow image capture rates due to the time required to sequence and rotate between filters, limiting their market success.

Innovation Solution

An improved filter wheel design featuring pie-shaped filter segments and continuous rotation, combined with rotational position sensors for synchronized image capture, allows for increased filter segment density and simultaneous image capture from adjacent segments, optimizing image capture rates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional round or square filters are used on the filter wheel, then the filter wheel structure is simple, but the number of filter segments is limited and rotation time between filters is long

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage capture rateVSAvoidfilter wheel structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The filter wheel is divided into multiple pie-shaped filter segments arranged radially around the rotation axis. This segmentation allows multiple filters to be positioned at different angular locations, enabling faster filtering by rotating to the nearest appropriate filter segment rather than using a single large filter wheel position.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The filter segments are designed with pie-shaped (asymmetric) geometry rather than traditional round or square filters. This asymmetric radial arrangement optimizes the rotational path and reduces the angle needed to reach different filter positions, thereby decreasing rotation time and improving image capture rate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

2Productivity

If the filter wheel rotates step-by-step between filters, then filter positioning is precise, but the time required to change between filters increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata capture efficiencyVSAvoidrotation time between filters

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The filter wheel rotates continuously rather than stopping at each filter position. The system captures images during the rotation process, eliminating the time lost in acceleration, deceleration, and stopping at each filter position. This continuous rotation maintains constant angular velocity and reduces the time required to change between filters.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple filter segments are pre-positioned at different angular locations on the rotating wheel. The system can predict future filter needs and prepare by having the appropriate filter segments already in position on the rotating wheel, reducing the time required to switch between different filter configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If multiple filter segments are captured simultaneously, then image capture rate increases, but analysis complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage capture rateVSAvoidanalysis complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system captures images from multiple filter segments simultaneously by utilizing the temporal dimension during continuous rotation. Different filter segments are captured at different time points within the rotation cycle, allowing parallel data acquisition that increases capture rate while maintaining manageable analysis through time-based separation of the captured images.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS8767102B2Method to improve filter wheel imaging system data capture rate and add functionality through the use of an improved filter wheel design

Publication Date: 2014.07.01 OCEAN OPTICS INC

AI summary

This disclosure describes a method of improving filter wheel imaging data capture and other functionality through use of an improved filter wheel design with pie shaped filter segments, continuously rotating image capture, multiple filtered images, and easily removable and attachable filter segments.