Stereoscopic Endoscope Light-Beam Splitter Aberration Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current stereoscopic-vision endoscopes face challenges in maintaining a balance between small-sizing the optical system and achieving favorable resolution performance, while also addressing issues like asymmetric aberration and decentering aberration.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a stereoscopic-vision endoscope design that includes an objective optical system, a relay optical system, a first lens unit, a light-beam splitting element, and a second lens unit, where the light-beam splitting element forms two optical paths with the first and second lens units, and the light rays are refracted to maintain parallax and cancel asymmetric aberration, with specific conditional expressions to optimize the design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the optical system is sized down to make it compact, then the device becomes smaller and more suitable for endoscopic applications, but the resolution performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is divided into multiple independent lens units (first lens unit, second lens unit, third lens unit) that can be separately optimized and positioned. Each lens unit handles specific optical functions, allowing the system to achieve compact overall size while maintaining high resolution through precise segmentation of optical tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a light-beam splitting element that divides the optical path into first and second optical paths, creating a three-dimensional optical architecture. This dimensional separation allows the system to achieve compact sizing in one dimension while maintaining resolution through optimized light paths in other dimensions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a light-beam splitting element is introduced to form separate optical paths for stereoscopic vision, then parallax is maintained and stereoscopic observation is enabled, but asymmetric aberration and decentering aberration occur
Solution Approach 1:
Different lens units are assigned to different optical paths with specific aberration correction functions. The first lens unit corrects asymmetric aberration in the first optical path, while the second lens unit corrects decentering aberration in the second optical path. This localized quality assignment allows each path to be optimized for its specific aberration characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The light-beam splitting element acts as an intermediary that intentionally introduces controlled aberrations to compensate for other optical imperfections. By strategically placing aberration correction lens units at specific positions, the system uses the light-beam splitting element as a mediator to achieve net aberration cancellation while maintaining stereoscopic functionality.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple lens units are added to correct aberrations and improve resolution, then optical performance is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple aberration correction functions are merged into a unified optical architecture where the first, second, and third lens units work together in an integrated manner. The light-beam splitting element combines both stereoscopic vision and aberration correction functions into a single component, reducing the need for separate correction mechanisms and thereby managing complexity.
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 design allows for a compact optical system with improved resolution performance, effectively managing aberrations and maintaining appropriate parallax, thus enabling high-quality stereoscopic vision.
Implementation Method 1
a first light ray which passes through a center of the intermediate image and reaches a center of the first image and a second light ray which passes through the center of the intermediate image and reaches a center of the second image are refracted to be away from an optical axis of the common optical path on the surface of incidence, as well as are refracted to be closer to the optical axis of the common optical path on the surface of emergence
Data Source
AI summary
A stereoscopic-vision endoscope includes an objective optical system, a relay optical system, a first lens unit, a light-beam splitting element, a second lens unit, and an image sensor. An intermediate image, a first image, and a second image are formed in a common optical path, a first optical path, and a second optical path respectively. The light-beam splitting element has a surface of incidence and a surface of emergence. A first light ray which passes through the intermediate image and reaches first image and a second light ray which passes through the intermediate image and reaches the second image are refracted to be away from an optical axis of the common optical path on the surface of incidence, as well as are refracted to be closer to the optical axis of the common optical path on the surface of emergence.