Adjustable Refractive Medium for Uniform Foci Array Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current beam scanning technologies, such as those using galvanometric mirrors or prisms, struggle to uniformly scan 2D grids with an array of beams, leading to inconsistent scanning and inefficiencies in data acquisition, especially when trying to accelerate the process with multiplexing confocal microscopy.
Innovation Solution
A controllably adjustable refractive medium that uniformly refracts parallel beams of radiation, maintaining a constant propagation direction, and optionally using a secondary refractive medium to provide a 2D space for traversal, allowing for efficient and uniform scanning of an array of beams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If galvanometric mirrors are used to scan beams, then beam direction can be altered to scan a 2D grid, but the mirrors do not treat all beams uniformly when a larger array is introduced, causing inconsistent scanning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical galvanometric mirror system with a refractive optical system. Instead of mechanically deflecting mirrors to change beam direction, the invention uses a refractive medium (such as a glass block or prism) that uniformly refracts all incident beams to achieve the same scanning effect. This substitution eliminates the non-uniform treatment problem inherent in mechanical mirror arrays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter approach from mechanical angle adjustment to optical refraction. By controlling the refractive index and geometry of the optical medium rather than mechanical mirror angles, the system achieves uniform beam deflection across the entire array. The refraction process inherently treats all parallel beams equally regardless of their position in the array.
2Productivity
If a larger array of beams is introduced to accelerate data acquisition, then scanning speed improves, but the galvanometric mirror system becomes more complex and cannot uniformly scan all beams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges all individual beam paths into a single optical processing stage. Instead of controlling each mirror individually in a complex array, the refractive medium processes the entire beam array simultaneously as one unit. This consolidation reduces device complexity while maintaining the ability to scan large numbers of beams at high speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The refractive medium serves as a universal scanning element that can handle any number of beams in the array uniformly. Unlike mechanical mirrors that require individual control for each beam position, the optical medium provides a single, universal refraction function that works for the entire array regardless of size or configuration.
3Stability of the object's composition
If translation stages are used to move mirrors forward and backward to change beam deflection, then constant propagation angle can be maintained, but speed and resolution are insufficient for high-performance scanning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical translation stages with a stationary refractive optical system. Instead of mechanically moving mirrors to achieve beam deflection while maintaining constant propagation angle, the invention uses a fixed refractive medium that achieves the same effect through optical refraction. This eliminates mechanical motion limitations and enables much faster scanning speeds.
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
This approach enables uniform and efficient scanning of 2D grids with an array of beams, maintaining beam alignment and direction, thereby improving data acquisition speed and resolution while accommodating larger beam arrays, and is tunable for specific applications with materials like glass or fluorite.
Implementation Method 1
A controllably adjustable refractive medium that uniformly refracts parallel beams of radiation, maintaining a constant propagation direction
Implementation Method 2
a secondary refractive medium may be introduced that translates the beam or beams of radiation perpendicularly to both the incoming beam and the direction the first refractive medium translates the beam
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for performing foci array scanning using at least one adjustable or tilting medium is disclosed. The medium can be controllably tilted in order to translate a beam of electromagnetic radiation perpendicularly to its propagation, and upon exiting the medium, will propagate in the original, incoming direction. This allows the apparatus that emits the radiation, such as a laser, to remain stationary and still scan a 2D array. Additionally, the reflected fluorescence light undergoes the opposite shift to “reverse” the scanning shift and bring the beamlets back in line with a lenselet array. So the collection fibers can remain static and collect light from different spots on the sample from during the scan.