JP2011158688A - Light source device, and optical device having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a light source device capable of supplying light from a light source simultaneously to a plurality of optical devices including a microscope, and changing the light quantity instantly, and to provide an optical device having the light source device. <P>SOLUTION: The light source device 1 includes light sources 11-14, a plurality of light output parts 41-43, a reflecting optical member 30 having a plurality of reflecting members having each changeable inclination, and a control part 32 for controlling each inclination of the plurality of reflecting members. The reflecting optical member divides plurally a light flux from the light sources which enters the reflecting optical member by adjusting each inclination of the plurality of reflecting members by the control means, and simultaneously emits each divided light flux to the plurality of light output parts respectively. The optical device having the light source device 1 is also provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a light source device and an optical device having the same.

  In recent years, the number of cases where light from a light source (particularly a laser light source) is guided to a plurality of microscope function modules has increased (for example, confocal + light stimulation, confocal + multiphoton, confocal + TIRF, TIRF + TIRF, TIRF + light stimulation by twin scanners, Have multiple laser traps). Further, in a common facility where a plurality of optical microscopes are operated, there is an increasing demand for hubs of light sources. In this case, each functional module and a plurality of microscopes may require a light source at the same time, and there may be a case where the light quantity is halved when used alternately and independently. In some cases, the same output light may be transmitted via various optical fibers such as single mode, multimode, photonic crystal, and hollow core fiber. Thus, there is a need for a light source that can supply arbitrary light at an arbitrary ratio to a plurality of optical devices.

  Conventional light source devices generally extract multiple wavelengths and intensities using an AOTF or laser line filter after optically combining multiple laser beams with individual wavelengths by a dichroic mirror or the like into a single beam. Then, the laser beam is transmitted to the light output unit, the output destination is selected by inserting / removing the mirror, or a plurality of laser beams are transmitted simultaneously using a half mirror (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-248602 A

  However, in the conventional light source device, when a plurality of half mirrors are used, the simultaneity to each light output unit is ensured, but the distribution ratio of the light quantity to each light output unit is the reflectance / transmission of each half mirror. There is a problem that it is difficult to change the amount of light to each light output section in a short time because it is fixed (for example, 50%: 50%) by the rate characteristic.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problem, and a light source device capable of simultaneously supplying light from a light source to a plurality of optical devices including a microscope and instantaneously changing the amount of light. It is an object to provide an optical device having the following.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention controls a light source, a plurality of light output units, a reflective optical member having a plurality of reflecting members each capable of changing the inclination, and the inclination of each of the plurality of reflecting members. A control unit, and the reflection optical member divides the light beam from the light source incident on the reflection optical member into a plurality of light beams by adjusting the inclination of each of the plurality of reflection members by the control unit. A light source device that emits light to each of the plurality of light output units simultaneously.

  The present invention also provides an optical device comprising the light source device.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a light source device that can simultaneously supply light from a light source to a plurality of optical devices including a microscope and instantaneously change the amount of light, and an optical device having the light source device. .

The schematic block diagram of the optical apparatus which consists of the light source device which concerns on this embodiment, and the optical apparatus connected to this. The reflective optical member used for the light source device which concerns on this embodiment is shown, (a) shows a whole schematic diagram, (b) shows the expansion schematic diagram of the mirror part of a reflective optical member, respectively. An example of the inclination characteristic of the mirror part of a reflective optical member is shown. The figure which shows the drive example of the mirror part of a reflective optical member, (a) shows the drive state (change of a voltage) of each mirror part at the time of dividing a light beam into 3 parts, for example, (b) is one of three The drive state of a mirror part at the time of adjusting the light quantity of a light beam (C) is shown.

  Hereinafter, a light source device according to an embodiment of the present application and an optical device using the same will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are only for facilitating the understanding of the invention, and excluding additions and substitutions that can be performed by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical idea of the present invention. It is not intended. Hereinafter, a case where a light beam enters and outputs to three light output units will be described as a representative.

  1 to 4, the light source device 1 according to the present embodiment optically couples light from a plurality of laser light sources 11, 12, 13, 14 by dichroic mirrors 15, 16, 17, and a mirror 18. The light source unit 10 outputs a single parallel light beam. The laser light sources 11, 12, 13, and 14 may have different wavelengths or may include laser light sources having the same wavelength. In addition to the laser light source, a high-intensity mercury lamp or a high-intensity xenon lamp may be used.

  The light beam emitted from the light source unit 10 is incident on a cylindrical lens 20 that is a first optical member that shapes the shape of the light beam, and is condensed into a substantially rectangular light beam by the cylindrical lens 20 and is a MEMS (reflection optical member). Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (abbreviation of 30). Needless to say, the first optical member 20 is not limited to the cylindrical lens, and can be appropriately selected according to the formed light flux.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the MEMS 30 is a device in which a plurality of minute micromirrors 31 are formed, and the inclination angles of the many micromirrors 31 can be changed by a control voltage.

  A control unit 32 is connected to the MEMS 30. The inclination angle of each micromirror 31 is controlled by a control voltage from the control unit 32 (see FIG. 3). Further, the inclination angle of the micromirror 31 can be changed in milliseconds.

  Note that the MEMS 30 is publicly known, and the description of the structure, operation principle, control principle, and the like is omitted. Needless to say, the reflection optical member 30 is not limited to MEMS, and any device that can change the inclination angles of a plurality of mirrors can be used.

  The light beam condensed on the MEMS 30 by the cylindrical lens 20 is reflected in the direction of the light output portions 41, 42, and 43 in accordance with the inclination angles of the micromirrors 31 constituting the MEMS 30, respectively, to shape the shape of the light beam. The light beams are incident on cylindrical lenses 51, 52, and 53, which are optical members, and the light beams are returned to parallel light beams and incident on the light output units 41, 42, and 43, respectively. Needless to say, the number of light output units is not limited to three, and a plurality of light output units are possible.

  The light beams incident on the light output units 41, 42, and 43 are transmitted to a plurality of optical devices via optical fibers 61, 62, and 63 connected to the light output units 41, 42, and 43, respectively. Various optical devices such as an optical microscope 71, a fluorescence microscope 72, and a spectroscopic device 73 can be used as the optical apparatus to which light is transmitted from the light source device 1. The transmitted light is used as light source light or the like in each optical device. In the present embodiment, the light source device 1 and the optical device (for example, at least one of the optical devices 71 to 73) can constitute an optical device as a system. Needless to say, the optical fiber is not limited to an optical fiber as long as it is a member that transmits light. Needless to say, light processing (for example, wavelength selection, light beam shaping, power control, etc.) in each optical device is performed in each optical device. Further, the supply of light to each optical device can be configured to be set by the control unit 32, or a control signal is sent to the control unit 32 via a controller (not shown) arranged in the vicinity of each optical device. It can be configured to set.

  For example, in the case of the MEMS 30 in which 30 micromirrors 31 of 100 μm × 1 mm are arranged side by side, each micromirror 31 has a biaxial rotation axis, and each inclination angle is controlled by a control voltage from the control unit 32. Is done. As described above, when the three light output units 41, 42, and 43 are provided, the voltage control shown in FIG. 4A is used to change the 3nth of the micromirror 31 to the angle A (light output unit 43), 3n + 1th. Is an angle B (light output unit 42), and 3n + 2 is an angle C (light output unit 41) (where n = 0, 1,..., 9 and the first micromirror 31 is numbered 0). Thus, the light beam incident on the MEMS 30 can be incident on the light output units 41, 42, and 43 by dividing them into three at the same time and with the same amount of light. The tilt angle of each micromirror 31 is set in milliseconds. As described above, the light source device 1 instantaneously equally divides the light flux into the plurality of light output units by controlling the inclination angles of the plurality of micromirrors 31 equally and in time in milliseconds. Can be divided and injected.

  Further, for example, when the number of micromirrors 31 is set by the control unit 32 with 15 sheets for the light output unit 41, 10 sheets for the light output unit 42, and 5 sheets for the light output unit 43, the MEMS 30 returns the original light flux. Each can be divided into a ratio of 3: 2: 1 and output to the light output units 41-43. In this manner, the light output to the light output units 41, 42, and 43 can be adjusted by changing the distribution ratio of the number of the micromirrors 31 that are responsible for the reflection of the light to the light output units 41, 42, and 43. . Further, the distribution ratio of the number of micromirrors 31 can be changed in units of milliseconds as described above, and the light control to each light output unit can be changed instantaneously.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the control unit 32 performs ON / OFF control of the control voltage for controlling the tilt angle of the micromirror 31 corresponding to the angle C (light output unit 41), thereby the light output unit. Time control of light emitted only to 41 can be performed. Thereby, the MEMS 30 can achieve a high-speed shutter function.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the control unit 32 controls ON / OFF of the control voltage for controlling the tilt angle of the micromirror 31 corresponding to the angle C, and the time ratio (duty) between ON and OFF. ) Can be adjusted to adjust the amount of light emitted only to the light output unit 41. For example, as with a DLP projector, the ON Time occupation time may be set within the required time resolution range (33 msec at the video rate) (if the ON time is 11 msec and the OFF time is 22 msec, the dimming rate is 33%. In this case, it may be turned on for 11 msec and then turned off for 22 msec, or may be turned on for 1 msec and then turned off for 2 msec). It goes without saying that the same adjustment can be performed with the light flux emitted to the light output units 42 and 43.

  In addition, the dimming to the light output units 41, 42, 43 is performed by shifting the angles of the micromirrors 31 toward the light output units 41, 42, 43, respectively, to the optical fibers 51, 42, 43 arranged in the light output units 41, 42, 43. It is also possible to change the coupling efficiency with 52 and 53.

  As described above, in the light source device (1), when the control unit (32) changes the control signal to each micromirror (31) of the reflective optical member (MEMS) (30), each micromirror (31) is changed. ) Can be instantaneously changed in milliseconds, and the amount of light emitted to the plurality of light output units (41 to 43) can be instantaneously changed to be desired by a plurality of optical devices via optical fibers or the like. Light can be supplied.

  In addition, the light source device (1) instantaneously outputs different amounts of light simultaneously to the plurality of light output units (41 to 43), and supplies desired light to the plurality of optical devices via an optical fiber or the like. can do.

  As described above, the light source device has a plurality of light output units, and can be used as a hub light source device that simultaneously supplies light adjusted in light amount from each light light output unit to a plurality of optical devices. Further, the light source device and the optical apparatus can constitute an optical device as a system.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Light source device 10 Light source part 11, 12, 13, 14 Laser light source 15, 16, 17 Dichroic mirror 18 Mirror 20, 51, 52, 53 Cylindrical lens 30 Reflective optical member (MEMS)
31 Micromirror 32 Control unit 41, 42, 43 Light output unit 61, 62, 63 Optical fiber 71 Microscope 72 Fluorescence microscope 73 Spectrometer

Claims (6)

A light source;
A plurality of light output units;
A reflective optical member having a plurality of reflective members each of which can change its inclination;
A control unit for controlling the inclination of each of the plurality of reflecting members,
The reflection optical member divides the light beam incident on the reflection optical member from the light source into a plurality of light beams by adjusting the inclination of each of the plurality of reflection members by the control unit, and simultaneously outputs the plurality of light beams. A light source device that emits the light to each part.   2. The light source according to claim 1, wherein the control unit adjusts a light amount of each of the divided light beams to the light output unit by adjusting an inclination of each of the plurality of reflecting members of the reflecting optical member. apparatus.   3. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls an emission time of each of the divided light beams to the light output unit by adjusting an inclination of each of the plurality of reflection members of the reflection optical member. The light source device described.   4. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein the reflection optical member is made of MEMS (abbreviation of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems). 5.   The light source device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light source includes a plurality of laser light sources having different wavelengths.   An optical device comprising the light source device according to claim 1.

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