JP6978592B2 - Dynamic focus zoom system for wide-area confocal and multiphoton microscopy - Google Patents

Description

[Cross-reference with related applications]
This application claims priority under US Patent Application No. 162588455 filed January 25, 2019. The latter application is a partial continuation of US Patent Application No. 15706331 filed on September 15, 2017. The disclosures of both applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[Federal-backed R & D Declaration]
The present invention was made with the support of the Government under Contract No. 1548737 granted by the National Science Foundation on January 1, 2016. The federal government reserves the right to the invention.

[Background of invention]
1. 1. Areas of Invention The present invention relates primarily to the field of microscopy technology, and more specifically to dynamic focus zoom systems for use in wide area confocal and multiphoton microscopy.

2. 2. Description of Related Techniques For those who work with microscopes on a daily basis, a microscope is composed of several linearly movable or rotatable (rotatable in and out) fixed focal length lenses, or It is common to think that different objective lenses need to be used to change the magnification. Also, focusing is usually performed by moving the sample stage up and down to change the distance between the sample and the objective lens. Instead of moving the lens linearly, the single element variable magnification / varifocal / varifocal optics (these terms are used here as synonyms) focus as fast as the human eye. I do. It remains in position even if the focal length changes. With three varifocal lenses, both magnification and focus can be changed independently of each other, and these three varifocal lenses provide a wider range of focus than with a single varifocal lens. Varifocal lenses include both transmissive lenses (mirrors) and reflective lenses (mirrors). They work the same, except in the direction in which the light travels after hitting the surface. The present invention incorporates multiple varifocal lenses into a device that can be used with or attached to a microscope to overcome the shortcomings of conventional microscopes.

Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) variable shape mirrors are reflective lenses with variable focal lengths. In electrostatic MEMS mirrors, a voltage is applied directly to those mirrors to finely control the surface shape. MEMS mirrors are usually (but not limited to) made of photosensitive polymer SU-8 2002 and metals such as aluminum, gold and silver, which provide a reflective surface. .. In view of the present invention, the MEMS mirror may be made of silicon nitride with a reflective surface of titanium dioxide or metal / oxide instead of SU-8 2002. As the radius of curvature of the mirror decreases with increasing voltage, the position of the object (under observation) changes. These types of MEMS mirrors have been an alternative to magnifying glasses or have been able to provide sufficient focus in the last five years or so. These advantages are due to improved microfabrication technology and structural changes in the mirror.

When observing with a tabletop microscope, it is necessary to move the sample stage linearly to change the focus. For this reason, many samples are thin, non-survival and fixed. As mentioned above, conventional focus / zoom mechanisms include techniques for rotating a fixed focal length lens and / or linear movement of a sample or fixed focal length lens. A drawback of the conventional focus mechanism is the stirring of the sample by the linear movement of the stage (this makes it difficult to find the focus when observing solid particles in the liquid, and the sample accidentally hits the objective lens. Occasionally damage, slow focus control (usually less than 100 Hz due to automatic stage), inaccurate focus, excessive light damage due to overexposure, and early completion of the reaction before observation. (Because it takes time to find the focal plane of the object), it may not be possible to observe biological phenomena in a short time due to the limitation of observation time, such as observation of neurons propagating in real time in a living sample. Since the automated sample stage is limited to the separated focus step position and the conventional zoom system, the separated magnification change is performed. In order to perform high-speed imaging, the resonance type objective lens scanner can move the objective lens up and down at high speed. Resonant objectives scanners do not maintain optical resolution over the entire focal range, operate only at a single (relatively fast) speed, and move mass, causing the system to vibrate or shake during resonance.

Varifocal lenses (including MEMS mirrors) have been used in combination with several confocal and polyphoton microscopes to achieve a wide focal point, but have not been used in the optical zoom of microscopes and are commonly used. It is not even built into a small, portable unit that is user-friendly to typical biologists. Commercially available varifocal lenses are difficult for the average biologist to use. For example, many dynamic focus mechanisms at the beginning of microscope optics require engineer installation. These are special tasks that use a single varifocal element, usually done at an elite university for just one experiment, and therefore cannot be used extensively. Liquid lenses, another form of varifocal lenses, do not maintain optical resolution over the entire focal range and are not achromatic lenses and cannot effectively control the associated spherical aberrations.

The previous paragraph describes some of the challenges that exist in current varifocal lens technology. As mentioned above, there is no existing technology that utilizes a varifocal lens to realize optical zoom with a microscope. It is difficult to manipulate the sample by hand at the same time as switching from a wide range of low magnification to a narrow range of high magnification. For example, during excited patch-clump techniques, the sample can survive for up to 30 minutes. Scientists observe the entire cell, remove a small portion of the cell membrane at the tip of the glass electrode, rotate the objective lens turret to double the magnification, and refocus the excited tissue at the tip of the glass electrode. Observe. The present invention allows scientists to observe the entire cell membrane at both low and high magnification while keeping both hands free (by voice manipulation or the use of foot buttons). Currently, there is no fast optical focus or zoom solution that can be easily used (or mounted) on a microscope. The present invention maintains the resolution of the system over the focal range, allows variable speed focusing, and allows the sample to remain stationary.

There are many patents on various improvements to the microscope. However, none of these inventions incorporates the structural features or functional improvements of the invention. Although not directly related to the present invention, some are briefly referred to here to indicate the direction in which improvements to the expansion system have evolved. Some of these inventions take the form of accessories to the microscope. For example, in US Pat. No. 7,864996 (Hemmer et al., 2011), the macroimaging device and the cofocal imaging device are respectively preliminarily associated with the macroimaging device so that the imaging position of the cofocal imaging device with respect to the tissue surface is spatially associated with the macroimaging device. Disclose a tissue mounting device that is individually presented to the tissue in a configured position. In the present invention, the turret rotates to switch between the macro lens and the high magnification objective lens, whereas in the present invention, the magnification is changed by changing the voltage across the stationary MEMS mirror. The present invention does not have motors that drive linear movements, moving parts, moving parts, which makes significant structural differences compared to Hemmer and other similar microscopes. Further, in contrast to switching between two separate devices to switch from macro imaging to high magnification (confocal) imaging, the present invention is one stationary unit that changes magnification by varying the voltage to the MEMS mirror. Has.

US Pat. No. 8425037 (Uhlhorn et al., 2013) and US Pat. No. 9,492,080 (Uhlhorn et al, 2016) allow surgeons to look at other structures such as the human lens, cornea and / or vitreous of the eye. Provided is an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system that can be coupled to a surgical microscope so that the surgical instrument is in the field of view while visually recognizing the structure. Similar to the invention described above, this particular invention does not attempt to solve the same problems as the present invention, is not structurally similar to the present invention, and does not have the same uses as the present invention. Both the OCT and the spectrometer described in these patents have interferometers. The interferometer has two optical paths that recombine and interfere. The present invention has one optical path through which light travels and one optical path through which light returns. There is no recombination of the two optical paths. Unlike the present invention, Uhlhorn's invention is not a MEMS device operating under an applied voltage. Rather, surgical microscopes have a fixed focal length and are used to visually locate a particular position in the eye, at which point the entire device is fixed and imaging is performed via OCT. The change of focus in OCT is performed by changing the optical path length of the interferometer.

US Pat. No. 9,256,09 (Theriault et al., 2016) provides a TAG (tunable acoustic gradient index of refraction) lens, which is a type of variable focal length lens close to the microscope stage, and a TAG lens that can illuminate the microscope stage. A microscope incorporating a pulse-type illuminator capable of producing a pulse in synchronization with the operating frequency of the lens is disclosed. One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the slow switching speeds of spatial light modulators. The present invention primarily relates to improving the processing capacity of material processing applications. In Theriault, the lens is piezoelectrically driven. In contrast, the MEMS mirrors of the present invention are driven electronically (only by voltage). Theriault's lens consists of two transparent windows, filled with refracting materials (gas, solid, liquid, plasma, etc.). Light passes through the lens and is not reflected as in the case of MEMS mirrors. Theriault uses a single lens to achieve both magnification and focus, but the invention uses three MEMS mirrors to perform these functions. One of the drawbacks of Theriault's single lens is the need for a pulsed laser or camera and aperture for focus, none of which is required in the present invention.

US Pat. No. 9,602,715 (Gladnick, 2017) discloses an imaging system including a variable magnification lens section and a variable focal length lens (TAG lens) section. This particular invention is intended for use in precision machine vision inspection or measurement systems. Although the present invention is not structurally or functionally similar to the present invention, it presents improvements in extended technology. In Gladnick's invention, as with Hemmer (above), an interchangeable lens is used to change the magnified state. The magnifying interchangeable lens provides a separated magnified state. On the other hand, the electronically controlled variable focus MEMS mirror of the present invention allows continuous magnification change from one (minimum) magnified state to another (maximum) magnified state. According to Gladnick, the transmissive TAG lens operates at two separate constant resonant frequencies corresponding to the two magnified states. The MEMS mirrors of the present invention operate over a wide continuous frequency range from DC to 1 kHz. The present invention fills the rear aperture of the objective lens for all magnification and focus. In Gladnick's invention, the diaphragm changes the size of the back opening of the objective lens for each designed magnified state, so it does not fill the back opening of the objective lens.

Importantly, none of the above inventions use MEMS mirrors and do not provide dynamic focus and zoom in wide area confocal and multiphoton microscopes. Except for the present invention, there is no such system configured as a single portable unit and designed to be easy for laboratory scientists to use. Advantages of MEMS mirrors usually include a large focal range, wide bandwidth, low temperature sensitivity, and achromat for fluorescent applications.

In an article published in 2014 (Ref. 1 below), the content of which is incorporated herein by reference, the inventor of the invention describes varifocal / variable focus optics (in the form of a single MEMS mirror). Predicted that the element could be incorporated into microscopy technology. However, the details of the dynamic focus zoom system provided herein have not been disclosed so far. Specifically, the 2014 paper does not mention the use of three MEMS mirrors that are positioned to provide independent adjustment of focus and zoom as described herein. The basic structure of the MEMS mirror itself is explained in the 2014 article.

The present invention is a dynamic focus zoom system for use in wide area confocal and multiphoton microscopy.
The dynamic focus / zoom system is
A first MEMS mirror, a second MEMS mirror, a third MEMS mirror, and a third MEMS mirror arranged in the housing and provided on the internal platform.
With a right-angle prism,
An optical relay having a first fixed lens and a second fixed lens,
Equipped with a third fixed lens
The first MEMS mirror, the second MEMS mirror, and the third MEMS mirror are elliptical.
The right-angle prism, the first fixed lens, the second fixed lens, and the first MEMS mirror are linearly positioned along the longitudinal axis of the optical relay.
The second MEMS mirror, the third fixed lens, and the third MEMS mirror are linearly positioned so as to be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the optical relay.
The right-angle prism is arranged adjacent to the first connection point of the housing and at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the first fixed lens.
The first MEMS mirror has an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the second fixed lens.
The second MEMS mirror is adjacent to the first MEMS mirror at an angle of 90 degrees, and a light ray that hits the first MEMS mirror at an angle of 45 degrees hits the center of the second MEMS mirror at an angle of 45 degrees. Configured,
The third fixed lens is arranged between the second MEMS mirror and the third MEMS mirror.
The third MEMS mirror is arranged adjacent to the second connection point of the housing and at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to a light beam coming from the second MEMS mirror and at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the third fixed lens. It is characterized by that.

In another embodiment, the invention is a dynamic focus zoom system for use in wide area confocal and multiphoton microscopy.
The dynamic focus / zoom system is
A first MEMS mirror, a second MEMS mirror, a third MEMS mirror, and a third MEMS mirror arranged in the housing and provided on the internal platform.
Right-angled flat mirror and
An optical relay having a first fixed lens and a second fixed lens,
Equipped with a third fixed lens
The first MEMS mirror, the second MEMS mirror, and the third MEMS mirror are elliptical.
The right-angled flat mirror, the first fixed lens, the second fixed lens, and the first MEMS mirror are linearly positioned along the longitudinal axis of the optical relay.
The second MEMS mirror, the third fixed lens, and the third MEMS mirror are linearly positioned so as to be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the optical relay.
The right-angle prism is arranged adjacent to the first connection point of the housing and at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the first fixed lens.
The first MEMS mirror has an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the second fixed lens.
The second MEMS mirror is adjacent to the first MEMS mirror at an angle of 90 degrees, and a light ray that hits the first MEMS mirror at an angle of 45 degrees hits the center of the second MEMS mirror at an angle of 45 degrees. Configured,
The third fixed lens is arranged between the second MEMS mirror and the third MEMS mirror.
The third MEMS mirror is arranged adjacent to the second connection point of the housing and at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to a light beam coming from the second MEMS mirror and at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the third fixed lens. ..

In a preferred embodiment, each of the first and second MEMS mirrors has a short axis with a diameter, the diameter of the short axis of the second MEMS mirror with the diameter of the short axis of the first MEMS mirror. It is the same. In another preferred embodiment, each of the first and third MEMS mirrors has a short axis with a diameter, the diameter of the short axis of the third MEMS mirror being the short axis of the first MEMS mirror. At least twice the diameter. In yet another preferred embodiment, the first MEMS mirror has a short axis with a diameter, the system is used with an objective lens having a back aperture with a diameter, and the short axis of the first MEMS mirror. The diameter is the same as the diameter of the back opening of the objective lens.

The first fixed lens, the second fixed lens, and the third fixed lens are preferably achromat lenses. The right-angle prism is preferably a dielectric reflection prism.

It is a 1st perspective view of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a second perspective view of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the same figure as FIG. 1 except that the upper cover of a housing is removed. It is the same figure as FIG. 3 except that the printed circuit board is removed. It is the same figure as FIG. 4 except that the spacer and the mounting board are removed. It is the same figure as FIG. 5 except that the side wall of the housing and the universal serial bus (USBs) are removed. It is a bottom perspective view of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A. 3 is a third perspective view of the same embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 3 is a first perspective view showing a state in which the objective lens is directly attached to the housing in the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a second perspective view showing a state in which the objective lens turret is directly attached to the housing in the embodiment shown in FIG. It is a figure of the optical layout of the 1st and 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure of the optical system of 1st and 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a 1st plan perspective view of 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a bottom perspective view of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the same figure as FIG. 12 except that the upper cover of a housing is removed. FIG. 3 is a second plan perspective view showing a state in which the upper cover of the housing, the printed circuit board, and the USB are removed in the third embodiment of the present invention. It is the same figure as FIG. 15 except that a spacer and a mounting board were removed. It is the same figure as FIG. 16 except that the side wall of a housing is removed. It is a top view of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure of the optical layout of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure of the optical system of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

A. Overview The invention comprises a mechanical structure or enclosure that is easily inserted or attached to an existing wide area confocal or multiphoton microscope in an infinite conjugate image plane. Although the present invention is specifically designed to be placed between the objective lens turret and the objective lens, it can also be placed close to the eyepiece to provide equivalent functionality. Inside the enclosure, three electronically controlled varifocal lenses and one fixed lens perform large defocus and zoom. Experiments have confirmed that one MEMS mirror allows focus but not zoom, and two MEMS mirrors allow focus and zoom, but they are interdependent (zoom / zoom /). The focus cannot be changed without changing the magnification characteristics, and vice versa). The three MEMS mirrors allow independent focus and zoom (ie, one without affecting the other). It can be changed). Further, the present invention makes it possible to change the magnification of the microscope without rotating the objective lens turret of the microscope to switch the objective lens and without keeping the sample stationary and agitated.

When the present invention changes the focus position in the sample, the posterior focal plane of the objective lens remains filled. Therefore, the numerical aperture or resolution of the system remains constant, unlike other fast focus techniques available. The present invention changes the defocus independently of the zoom. Moreover, the invention can change the optical magnification (as opposed to digital, which does not improve resolution) independently of focus.

B. Detailed Description of Drawings FIG. 1 is a first perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the present invention has a housing 1 that forms a structure around other components of the present invention. The housing 1 has an upper cover 2, a side wall 3, and a floor (not shown). Here, it is shown that the upper cover 2 is attached to the side wall 3 with screws, but in the present invention, the method of attaching the upper cover 2 to the side wall 3 is not limited to this, and the upper cover 2 is optional. It is possible to attach, fix, connect or join to the side wall 3 by the above method. In another embodiment, the top cover 2 and the side wall 3 may be integrally molded (part of the same part) or welded together. The housing 1 may be made of any suitable, durable and rigid material (aluminum, etc.). In a preferred embodiment, the top cover 2 has one or more vents 5 for heat dissipation.

FIG. 1 also shows the first USB6. In the present invention, each of the three MEMS mirrors (not shown) has one USB. The housing 1 includes a first recess 7 having a size and shape sufficient to allow the objective lens 8 to be arranged on the first side surface of the main window 9, and an objective lens turret or a camera / eyepiece (not shown). It is preferably configured to form a second recess 10 of sufficient size and shape to be dispositionable on the second side surface of the main window 9. The upper cover 2 and the floor 4 (see FIG. 5B) of the housing 1 are preferably flat, and the side walls are located between the upper cover 2 and the floor 4 and are perpendicular to each other. The two recesses 7 and 10 form an extension 11 of the housing 1 in which the main window 9 is arranged. The main window 9 extends over the entire front end of the extension portion 11, straddles both sides of the extension portion 11, and the objective lens 8 and the objective lens turret (not shown) are placed on opposite sides of the main window 9 as the main window. 9 can be placed (thus, the objective lens 8 and the objective lens turret are positioned longitudinally with each other).

FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows the second and third USBs 12 and 13 corresponding to the second and third MEMS mirrors (not shown), respectively. Note that all three USBs 6, 12, and 13 extend through the notch in the side wall 3 of the housing 1. Each USB is arranged close to the MEMS mirror inside the housing 1 (see FIG. 5) and supplies a drive signal to one of the three MEMS mirrors. The printed circuit board 14 corresponds to each of the three MEMS mirrors (see FIG. 3), and power to each printed circuit board 14 is supplied through a hole in the housing 1 below the USB (see, for example, FIG. 7). ..

FIG. 3 is the same as FIG. 1 except that the upper cover of the housing is removed. This figure shows three printed circuit boards 14, each controlling one MEMS mirror (see FIG. 5). In future embodiments, it may be possible to control all three MEMS mirrors with a single printed circuit board.

FIG. 4 is the same as FIG. 3 except that the printed circuit board is removed. As shown in this figure, the plurality of spacers 15 are preferably arranged on one or more mounting boards 16 between the mounting board 16 and the printed circuit board 14. The mounting board 16 is arranged below the printed circuit board 14. The purpose of the spacer 15 is to prevent the printed circuit board 14 from electrically contacting the mounting board 16. The holes 17 in the mounting board 16 allow electrical wiring to pass through the mounting board 16 and reach the printed circuit board 14 from the lower USB 13 and the like.

FIG. 5 is the same as FIG. 4 except that the spacer and the mounting substrate are removed. As shown in this figure, the present invention includes three MEMS mirrors 18, 19, 20 which are all preferably circular. (In FIG. 5, part numbers 18, 19 and 20 are shown as small square printed circuit boards with circular mirrors glued with tape or epoxy.) The present invention properly positions various optical components. It is preferred to include an internal platform 21 that allows it.

FIG. 5A is the same as FIG. 5 except that the side wall of the housing and the USB are removed. It should be noted that one or more holes 22 of the internal platform 21 allow the invention to be screwed to the optical table. As shown in this figure, the first prism 23 and the second prism 24 adjacent to the first prism 23 are arranged immediately inside the main window 9. Although not shown here, the main window 9 may be covered with glass or a similar transparent material. Immediately after the second prism 24, there is an optical relay having a first fixed lens 25 and a second fixed lens 26. The first and second fixed lenses are slidably mounted in the slot 27 of the floor 4 of the housing 1 and fixed in place with set screws (not shown) so that the distance between them can be adjusted. Is preferable.

Immediately after the second fixed lens 26 is a first beam splitter 28. The first beam splitter 28 is arranged so that the second prism 24, the first fixed lens 25, the second fixed lens 26, and the first beam splitter 28 are all linearly aligned along the longitudinal axis of the optical relay. .. The wave plate 29 is arranged between the first beam splitter 28 and the first MEMS mirror 18. The first and second MEMS mirrors 18 and 19 are positioned linearly with each other at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the optical relay. The second beam splitter 30 is arranged in front of the second MEMS mirror 19, and the wave plate 29 is arranged between the second beam splitter 30 and the second MEMS mirror 19. The third MEMS mirror 20 is arranged close to the main window 9. The third fixed lens 31 is located immediately before the third MEMS mirror 20, and the wave plate 29 is located immediately before the third fixed lens 31. Since the present invention is designed to be as small as possible, it can be attached to an existing microscope without being substantially bulky. In a preferred embodiment, the addition of a third fixed lens 31 (positive fixed focal length lens) has made it possible to keep the length of the primary optical element below 4 inches. In another embodiment, the third fixed lens 31 is arranged between the first prism 23 and the third prism 33. In yet another embodiment, the third fixed lens 31 is disposed between the second beam splitter 30 and the third beam splitter 32. The third fixed lens 31 will have different focal lengths depending on where it is placed, but this focal length can be calculated using the equations described below.

Referring to FIG. 5A, the third beam splitter 32 is located immediately before the wave plate 29 in front of the third fixed lens 31, and the third prism 33 is located just before the third beam splitter 32. The third MEMS mirror 20, the third fixed lens 31, the wave plate 29, the third beam splitter 32, and the third prism 33 are all positioned linearly with each other at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the optical relay. The third prism 33 abuts on the central portion of the optical relay (between the two fixed lenses 25 and 26), and the linear positioning of the first prism 23 and the third prism 33 is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the optical relay. It is positioned linearly with the first prism 23 so as to be. It is preferable that the first, second and third beam splitters 28, 30, and 32 are all polarized beam splitters. In a preferred embodiment, the distance between the first and second MEMS mirrors 18 and 19 is shorter than the distance between the second and third MEMS mirrors 19 and 20. This configuration is also shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, except that the universal serial bus (USB) port is removed. Microscopes can be used in transmitted and reflected illumination (light travels forward through the system and is reflected back to the camera / eyepiece for observation). In the present invention, the camera / eyepiece and objective lens can be placed in several different positions. In one possible configuration, the camera / eyepiece (or objective lens turret) is located at the "X" position in FIG. 6 and the objective lens (which provides an illumination source for transmission) is located at the "Y" position. Arranged (see also Figure 1). Alternatively, the camera / eyepiece may be placed at position "Z" and the objective lens may be placed at position "Y". In this configuration, the first prism 23 is removed. In yet another configuration, the camera / eyepiece is in the "X" position and the objective lens is in the "Z" position. In this configuration, the second prism 24 is removed. In all of these configurations, the camera / eyepiece can provide a source of illumination for reflection. In the following paragraphs, these three configurations are referred to as "configuration A", "configuration B", and "configuration C", respectively.

In configuration A, the light travels from the objective lens 8 through the main window 9 and hits the second prism 24 at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the incident light beam. Next, the light beam is guided through the first fixed lens 25 and the second fixed lens 26 and hits the first beam splitter 28. Next, the light travels through the wave plate 29, hits the first MEMS mirror 18, is reflected there, returns to the first beam splitter 28, passes through the first beam splitter 28, and enters the second beam splitter 30. Next, the light beam travels through the wave plate 29 in front of the second MEMS mirror, hits the second MEMS mirror 19, is reflected there, returns to the wave plate 29, and then returns to the second beam splitter 30. The light beam is then directed vertically from the second beam splitter 30 towards the third beam splitter 32. Next, the light passes through the wave plate 29 in front of the third MEMS mirror 20, subsequently through the third fixed lens 31, and proceeds to the third MEMS mirror 20. Next, the light beam is reflected by the third MEMS mirror 20, returns through the third fixed lens 31, the wave plate 29, and the third beam splitter 32, and hits the third prism 33. In the third prism 33, the light beam is directed toward the first prism 23 and passes through the side surface of the main window 9, and the light ray is emitted from the device at the “X” position. All three prisms 23, 24, 33 are configured such that the incident light beam hits the prism at an angle of 45 degrees and is turned at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the direction of incidence.

When the light beam hits the MEMS mirrors 18, 19 and 20, there is an opportunity to affect the magnification and / or focus at each of these three points via software that controls the defocus and spherical aberration of the three MEMS mirrors. In a preferred embodiment, the first MEMS mirror 18 is directly mapped to the posterior focal plane of the objective lens with a 1: 1 correction ratio. In a preferred embodiment, the third MEMS mirror 20 has a larger beam diameter than the other two MEMS mirrors 18, 19 and results in greater magnification.

In configuration B, the optical path is the same as described above for configuration A, except that the first prism 23 is removed and light is emitted from the device at position "Z" in FIG. In this configuration, the camera / eyepiece is perpendicular to the objective lens 8. Also in configuration C, the camera / eyepiece is perpendicular to the objective lens 8, but the second prism 24 is removed instead of the first prism 23. The optical path is the same as described above for configuration A, except that light enters the device from the front of the main window 9 and hits the first fixed lens 25 of the optical relay.

FIG. 7 is a third perspective view of the same embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This figure more clearly shows the main window 9 in which the first prism 23, the second prism 24, and the first fixed lens 25 are visible. It should be noted that the diameter (magnitude) of the first prism 23 is larger than the diameter of the second prism 24 because the diameter of the light beam becomes large by the time it hits the first prism 23. Similarly, due to the larger diameter of the rays, the diameter of the MEMS mirror 20 is larger than the diameter of the other two MEMS mirrors 18, 19.

FIG. 8 is a first perspective view of the second embodiment of the present invention in which the objective lens is directly attached to the housing, and FIG. 9 is the first perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 in which the objective lens turret is directly attached to the housing. 2 is a perspective view. In this particular embodiment, the device can be attached directly to an existing microscope. As shown, the objective lens 8 is screwed into the housing at position "Y" (see FIG. 6 for position designation) via a first threaded adapter 34 integrated with the housing 1. .. The objective lens turret (not shown) is screwed into the housing at position "X" via a second threaded adapter 35, which is also integral with the housing 1. The main window 9 has been removed (because the objective lens and objective lens turret are screwed directly into the housing) and the extension 11 has been lengthened to accommodate the threaded adapters 34, 35, but all others. In that respect, the present invention is as described above.

The following description relates to equations applied to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram of the optical layout of the first and second embodiments of the present invention. In FIG. 10, one fixed lens F (reference numeral 31) and three varifocal lenses v1, v2, v3 (reference numerals 20, 19, 18 respectively) are shown. It is possible to combine a fixed lens F and a varifocal lens v1, and it is expressed as G. It is possible to combine varifocal lenses v2 and v3, and it is expressed as H. The distance a represents the distance between the fixed focal length lens F and the varifocal lens v1. The distance b defines the distance between the varifocal lens v1 and the varifocal lens v2. The distances b and c are positive values. As shown, the distance a is a positive value when in front of the varifocal lens v1. The distance a can also be behind the varifocal lens v1 as a negative value. The simplest and most suitable position for F is expected to be close to v1. The distances a and c are assumed to be small enough to consider the system as two lens relays. The equivalent focal lengths f _G and f _H of G and H are as follows.

Here, f _F , f _v1 , f _v2 , and f _v3 are the focal lengths of the lenses F, v1, v2, and v3, respectively. Assuming that the distance is infinite conjugate imaging or b = f _G + f _H , the magnification M of the sample observed in the second recess 10 is as follows.

Assuming that the first MEMS mirror 18 (v3) has a diameter of 6 mm, it matches the diameter of the rear aperture of most 0.8NA objective lenses on a 1: 1 scale and functions as an aperture diaphragm for the present invention. As a result, spherical aberration and other aberrations of the system can be easily corrected by finely controlling the shape of the MEMS mirror. It also ensures that the aperture aperture of the entire system is the full aperture of the objective so that resolution is maintained over the dynamic focus range.

The focal length of a 6 mm MEMS mirror can range from 60 mm to infinity. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second MEMS mirrors 18 and 19 have f _v2 = f _v3 = 60 mm. Depending on the size of the beam splitter and the wave plate, the space c between the first and second MEMS mirrors 18 and 19 is at least 20 mm. Using the above equation, f _H = (60 * 60) / (60 + 60-20) = 36 mm. In the case of doubling, M = f _G / 36 = 2, or f _G = 72 mm. The third MEMS mirror 20 must be twice the diameter of the MEMS mirrors 18 and 19 at 2x magnification. Therefore, its diameter is 12 mm. The MEMS mirror 20 has a focal length range from 200 mm to infinity. In a preferred embodiment, in the case of a 2x magnification case, the value fv1 = 600mm was selected in order to minimize the introduced aberration while reducing the optical magnification of the fixed lens F. Generally, the higher the optical magnification of a fixed lens, the more aberrations the system will have. When the value of the focal length f _v1 is 600 mm, the magnification of the system can be reduced by further reducing _{f G. When f G} = 72 mm when selecting the third fixed lens 31, the distance a between the fixed focal length lens 31 and vr is at least 5 mm. Solving this, f _G = 72 mm = f _F * 600 / (f _F + 600-5), f _G = 82. _{In a preferred embodiment, the distance between f G} and f _H is less than 100 mm in order to keep the overall size of the unit relatively small.

The optical system shown in FIG. 11 includes one 12 mm (v1) and two 6 mm (v2 and v3) MEMS mirrors referred to in the description of the above figure. The large MEMS mirror is the third MEMS mirror 20, and the two smaller MEMS mirrors are the first and second MEMS mirrors 18, 19. The two relay lenses (first and second fixed lenses 25 and 26) form a MEMS mirror 18 (v3) on the posterior focal plane of the objective lens on a 1: 1 scale. This makes it possible to easily correct spherical aberration. (Usually, the posterior focal plane is in the objective lens and the optical relay allows the conjugated image plane to be placed exactly there.) The placement of the two fixed lenses along this relay (ie, the distance between them) is It depends on the magnification of the microscope to which the device is connected and the two relay lenses.

The system described here was modeled on OPTIC STUDIO®, an optical test platform from Zemax (Zemax, LLC). Table 1 shows several focal positions over a continuous 207 micron range in an aqueous sample of 0.8 NA. Table 1 also shows the possible magnifications in the range of several consecutive 1-2x.

The present invention not only allows for slight defocus fine-tuning, but also allows for a focal range of more than 200 μm with a numerical aperture of 0.8 or a focal range of more than 800 μm with 0.2 NA.

Currently, about 100-150 volts is required to electronically activate an existing MEMS mirror. The MEMS mirror could be driven by a desktop high voltage power supply. In a preferred embodiment, a high voltage boost converter is used to drive the MEMS mirror from USB power.

The present invention allows the general public to perform rapid focusing and zooming using a wide area confocal or multiphoton microscope without the movement of the sample stage or objective lens. This is a significant improvement over the prior art. Advantages of the present invention include, but are not limited to: (A) The sample remains stationary while all focus and zoom are performed optically within the instrument. (B) Since there is no linear movement of large mass, vibration of the system is minimized. (C) Focus and zoom can be controlled individually. (D) Relatively rough focus and zoom (compared to prior art) are achieved with small components. (E) The back aperture of the objective lens is sufficient over the focal range and the entire zoom range, so that high resolution imaging is maintained. (F) Variable and continuous focus speed is possible. (G) The MEMS mirror can operate and focus at speeds above 1 kHz to provide fine continuous focus control.

Future embodiments of the invention are concentric circles of focus and / or zoom voice motion control, a foot button to control zoom so that the user can keep his or her hands free, and a MEMS mirror. Software that controls low-order and high-order spherical aberrations using the ring, and software that controls other aberrations using a variable lens capable of high-definition asymmetric shape control, and low-speed (time-lapse) experiments. May include software for autofocus inside.

12 to 20 show a third embodiment of the present invention, which is more compact than the first and second embodiments. FIG. 12 is a first plan perspective view of the third embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the first and second embodiments, the third embodiment includes a housing 36 having an upper cover 37, a side wall 38 and a floor 39. The top cover 37 preferably includes one or more vents 40. In this embodiment, a single USB 41 extends through the top cover 37 to supply drive signals to the plurality of MEMS mirrors. The objective lens 42 is preferably attached to the first side wall 38 of the housing 36 via a first threaded adapter 43 that is integral with the housing 36. In the present specification, this connection point is referred to as a first portal 58. A hole 47 at the top of the housing allows the power cable to be connected to the printed circuit board 48. The other holes in the housing are for assembly.

FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the device can be secured to the optical bench with screws 44. The objective lens turret (not shown) is preferably attached to the second side wall 38 of the housing 36 via a second threaded adapter 45 that is integral with the housing 36. In the present specification, this connection point is referred to as a second portal 59. Slot 46, which is detailed in connection with FIG. 16, is also shown.

FIG. 14 is the same as FIG. 12 except that the upper cover of the housing is removed. As shown in this figure, the USB 41 is connected to the printed circuit board 48 in the housing 36. In a preferred embodiment, the printed circuit board 48 controls all three MEMS mirrors 51, 52, 56. For clarity, the objective lens 42 and the threaded adapters 43, 45 are omitted from the following figures. It should be noted that various threaded adapters can be used to connect either the objective lens 42 or the objective lens turret (not shown) to the housing 36 for attachment to equipment from various manufacturers.

FIG. 15 is a second plan perspective view of the third embodiment shown in a state where the printed circuit board and the USB are removed. As shown in this figure, a plurality of spacers 49 are arranged between the printed circuit board 48 and the mounting board 50. The holes 61 of the mounting board 50 allow the wiring from the printed circuit board 48 to be connected to the MEMS mirrors 51, 52, 56. FIG. 16 is the same as FIG. 15 except that the spacer and the mounting substrate are removed. The MEMS mirrors 51, 52, 56, prism / mirror 55 and third fixed lens 57 are all mounted on a base plate 60 that acts as an internal platform. The prism / mirror 55 can be a right-angled planar mirror or a right-angled prism. Note that the base plate / internal platform 60 is also formed with slots 46. FIG. 17 is the same as FIG. 16 except that the side wall of the housing is removed.

FIG. 18 is a plan view of the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, this embodiment includes a first MEMS mirror 51 and a second MEMS mirror 52. Each of these MEMS mirrors is preferably elliptical, which eliminates the need for beam splitters and quarter wave plates to properly guide light. Eliminating the need for these components not only reduces light loss, but also allows for a more compact design. Using an elliptical MEMS mirror removes astigmatism from the system that occurs when the circular MEMS mirror is used at an angle, resulting in higher optical quality. The ratio of astigmatism caused by the circular MEMS mirror to the axis used to overcome this astigmatism in the elliptical MEMS mirror is described in the dissertation by the present inventor and its content. Is incorporated herein by reference (reference 2 below).

As described above, the third embodiment of the present invention further comprises a slot 46 on the floor of the housing. Similar to the first and second embodiments, the first and second fixed lenses 53, 54 form an optical relay, which is slidably mounted in the slot 46 and has a set screw so that the distance between them can be adjusted. It is fixed in place (not shown). As used herein, the end of the slot closest to the objective lens 42 is referred to as the "proximal" end of the slot, and the end of the slot farthest from the objective lens is referred to as the "distal" end. The first MEMS mirror 51 is longitudinally oriented with the first and second lenses 53, 54 at the distal end of the slot 46 so that the light rays passing through the first and second lenses 53, 54 hit the center of the first MEMS mirror 51. Positioned. The center points of the prism / mirror 55, the first fixed lens 53, the second fixed lens 54, and the first MEMS mirror 51 are on the same horizontal plane.

The first MEMS mirror 51 is arranged at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the second lens 54 so that the light rays passing through the first and second lenses 52 and 53 hit the first MEMS mirror 51 at 45 degrees. The second MEMS mirror 52 preferably has the same size and shape as the first MEMS mirror 51. The second MEMS mirror 52 is arranged close to the first MEMS mirror 51 at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the first MEMS mirror 51, and the light beam that hits the first MEMS mirror 51 at an angle of 45 degrees is the first at an angle of 45 degrees. 2 It is configured to hit the center of the MEMS mirror 52. The same light beam is then redirected by the second MEMS mirror 52 along a trajectory parallel to the slot 46 (the slot along the longitudinal axis of the optical relay formed by the first and second lenses 53, 54). Will be done. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second fixed lenses 53, 54 are achromatic lenses having a diameter of 6.25 mm and a focal length of 50.0 mm.

In a preferred embodiment, the prism / mirror 55 is a 6.25 mm dielectric reflective prism. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second MEMS mirrors 51 and 52 are elliptical mirrors having a diameter of 5 mm (minor axis) × 7.07 mm (major axis), respectively, and the minor axis of the first MEMS mirror 51 is an objective. It is the same as the diameter of the back aperture of the lens 42. In a preferred embodiment, the third MEMS mirror 56 is an elliptical mirror with a diameter of 10 mm (minor axis) x 14.14 (major axis).

In the first configuration (optical path transmission only), the light beam from the objective lens 42 first hits the reflecting prism or the mirror 55 arranged inside the first portal 58 of the housing 36. The prism / mirror 55 is all on the same longitudinal axis as the first and second lenses 53, 54 and the first MEMS mirror 51 (ie, the longitudinal axis of the optical relay) and the prism / mirror 55 is close to slot 46. It is positioned with the first and second lenses 53, 54 and the first MEMS mirror 51 so as to be arranged close to the position end. The prism / mirror 55 is at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the light beam from the objective lens, so the prism / mirror 55 is directed to the first and second lenses 53, 54 laterally oriented on the slot 46. Note that it is also an angle of 45 degrees. In this way, the light beam is directed by the prism / mirror 55 to the first MEMS mirror 51 and the second MEMS mirror 52 via the first and second lenses 53 and 54, and then adjacent to the prism / mirror 55. It becomes parallel to the slot 46 (or the longitudinal axis of the optical relay) until it hits the third MEMS mirror 56 arranged (preferably in contact with the prism / mirror 55). The center points of the second MEMS mirror 52, the third fixed lens 57, and the third MEMS mirror 56 are on the same horizontal plane.

The third MEMS mirror 56 is at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the light beam coming from the second MEMS mirror 52, thereby redirecting the light through the second portal 59. Before hitting the third MEMS mirror 56, the light beam passes through the third fixed lens 57. An object of the present invention is to shorten the optical path length and reduce the size of the entire invention. The third fixed lens 57 is arranged between the second and third MEMS mirrors 52 and 56. In a preferred embodiment, the third fixed lens 57 is an achromatic lens having a diameter of 10 mm and a focal length of 150 mm. In this figure, the third fixed lens 57 is shown as position adjustable, but may or may not be movable in the final product.

In another configuration (optical path reflection), light enters the invention via the second portal 59, hits the third MEMS mirror 56, and (after passing through the third fixed lens 57) slot 46 (or the longitudinal axis of the optical relay). ) Is directed toward the second MEMS mirror 52 along an orbit parallel to). When it hits the second MEMS mirror 52 at a 45 degree angle, the light is turned to the first MEMS mirror 51 at a 90 degree angle. When the light hits the first MEMS mirror 51, the light is turned again at a 90 degree angle and passes through the second lens 54 and then through the first lens 53. The ray then hits the prism / mirror 55, where it is redirected at a 90 degree angle, through the first portal 58 of the housing, through the objective lens, and into the sample, where the ray is reflected by the sample. Then, it returns to the prism / mirror etc. through the objective lens. Light follows the original optical path and is emitted through a second portal 59 within the housing (in this configuration, the same portal that entered the invention before the light hits the third MEMS mirror 56).

In a preferred embodiment, the third MEMS mirror 56 is at least twice as large as the first MEMS mirror 51 due to a two-fold change in magnification. The third MEMS mirror 56 must be at least 1.5 times larger than the first MEMS mirror 51 for a 1.5x magnification change. The third MEMS mirror 56 must be at least three times larger than the first MEMS mirror 51 for a 3x magnification change.

FIG. 19 is a diagram of an optical layout according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 19, one fixed lens F (reference numeral 57) and three varifocus lenses v1, v2, v3 (reference numerals 56, 52, 51, respectively) are shown. It is possible to combine a fixed lens F and a varifocal lens v1, and it is expressed as G. It is possible to combine varifocal lenses v2 and v3, and it is expressed as H. The distance a represents the distance between the fixed focal length lens F and the varifocal lens v1. The distance b defines the distance between the fixed focal length lens F and the varifocal lens v2. The distances b and c are positive values. As shown, if the fixed focal length lens is behind the varifocal lens v1, the distance a can be a positive value. If the fixed focal length lens is in front of the varifocal lens v1, the distance a can also be a negative value. The simplest and most suitable location for F is expected to be close to v1. The distances a and c are assumed to be small enough to consider the system as two lens relays. The equivalent focal lengths f _G and f _H of G and H are as follows.

Here, f _F , f _v1 , f _v2 , and f _v3 are the focal lengths of the lenses F, v1, v2, and v3, respectively. Assuming that the distance is infinite conjugated imaging or b = f _G + f _H , the magnification M of the sample observed in the second portal 59 is as follows.

In a preferred embodiment, where the first MEMS mirror 51 (v3) has a diameter of 5 mm, it matches the diameter of the rear aperture of the high NA air objective lens on a 1: 1 scale and functions as an aperture diaphragm for the present invention. As a result, spherical aberration and other aberrations of the system can be easily corrected by finely controlling the shape of the MEMS mirror. It also ensures that the aperture aperture of the entire system is the full aperture of the objective so that resolution is maintained over the dynamic focus range.

The focal length of a 5 mm MEMS mirror can range from 60 mm to infinity. In a preferred embodiment, the distance b is limited to 190 mm in order to keep the invention small while facilitating insertion and use between the objective lens turret and the objective lens in a tabletop microscope. The distances a and c are 10 and 9.015, respectively. They are based on the physical limitations of other optics and assembly considerations in the system. In the case of doubling, M = 2 = f _G / f _H, and in the case of infinite conjugated imaging, b = f _G + f _H , f _H = 64.83 mm, f _G = 129.67 mm, f _v2 = 93.5 mm, f _v3 = 191 mm. For a magnification of 2x, the 3rd MEMS mirror 56 must be at least 2 times the diameter (minor axis) of the 1st MEMS mirror 51. Therefore, its diameter is 10 mm. The MEMS mirror 56 has a focal length range of 200 mm to infinity. _{In a preferred embodiment, the value f v1} = 893 mm was selected to reduce the optical magnification of the fixed lens F when minimizing the aberration introduced at 2x magnification. Generally, the higher the optical magnification of a fixed lens, the more aberrations the system will have. To select the third fixed lens 57, _{it is assumed that f G} = 129.67 mm and the distance a between the fixed focal length lens 57 and v1 is 10 mm, and when this is solved, f _G = 129. .67 mm = f _F = 893 / (f _F +893-10), f _F = 150 mm.

FIG. 20 is a diagram of an optical system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The optical system shown in FIG. 20 includes one 10 mm (v1) and two 5 mm (v2 and v3) MEMS mirrors referenced in the description of the above figure. The large MEMS mirror is the third MEMS mirror 56 and the two smaller MEMS mirrors are the first and second MEMS mirrors 51 and 52. The two relay lenses (first and second fixed lenses 51 and 52), neither of which are shown in this figure, form a MEMS mirror 56 (v3) on the posterior focal plane of the objective lens on a 1: 1 scale. .. This makes it possible to easily correct spherical aberration. (Usually, the posterior focal plane is in the objective lens and the optical relay allows the conjugated image plane to be placed exactly there.) The placement of the two fixed lenses along this relay (ie, the distance between them) is It depends on the objective lens of the microscope to which the device is connected and the focal distance of each relay lens. In FIG. 20, f _F is the third fixed lens 57.

The system described here was modeled on OPTIC STUDIO®, an optical test platform from Zemax (Zemax, LLC). Table 2 shows some focal lengths of the invention at 1x magnification over a continuous range from -1367.88 mm to 109.1 mm in air without an attached objective lens. Table 2 also shows some focal lengths of the invention at 2x magnification over a continuous range from -194.8 mm to 98.5 mm in air, without an attached objective. Infinitely conjugated off-the-shelf objectives are very finely designed to minimize the aberration of incident rays at infinitely conjugated. The present invention minimizes unwanted aberrations by maintaining its own focal length centered on infinite conjugation by having a negative to positive range. Finally, this table shows the ability of the invention to maintain a focal length of 200 nm while varying the magnification over a 1x to 2x continuous range. When the present invention is used with a 20x objective lens, the magnification of the imaged sample is in the range of 20x to 40x.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications can be made from a broad perspective of the invention without departing from the invention. .. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include all such modifications and modifications contained within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

[References]
1. 1. Lukes, SJ and Dickensheets, DL, SPIE BiOS, International Society for Optics and Photonics, 2014, pp. 89490W-89411
2. 2. Lukes, SJ, Imaging performance of elliptic-boundary varifocal mirrors in active optical systems, Montana State University Doctoral Dissertation, 2015, p. 52, Figures. 30 and 31

1 Housing 2 Top cover (of housing) 3 Side wall (of housing) Floor 5 (of housing) Ventilation port 6 First USB
7 1st recess 8 Objective lens 9 Main window 10 2nd recess 11 Extension (of housing) 12 2nd USB
13 3rd USB
14 Print circuit board 15 Spacer 16 Mounting board 17 (Mounting board) hole 18 1st MEMS mirror 19 2nd MEMS mirror 20 3rd MEMS mirror 21 Inner platform 22 (Inner platform) hole 23 1st prism 24 2nd prism 25 1st fixing Lens 26 2nd fixed lens 27 Slot 28 1st beam splitter 29 Waver plate 30 2nd beam splitter 31 3rd fixed lens 32 3rd beam splitter 33 3rd prism 34 1st threaded adapter 35 2nd threaded adapter 36 housing (Third Embodiment)
37 Top cover 38 Side wall 39 Floor 40 Ventilation 41 USB
42 Objective lens 43 1st threaded adapter 44 Thread 45 2nd threaded adapter 46 Slot 47 (on the upper cover of the housing) Hole 48 Printed circuit board 49 Spacer 50 Mounting board 51 1st MEMS mirror 52 2nd MEMS mirror 53 1st fixed Lens 54 2nd fixed lens 55 Prism / Mirror 56 3rd MEMS mirror 57 3rd fixed lens 58 1st portal 59 2nd portal 60 Base plate / inner platform 61 Hole (of mounting board)

Claims (7)

A dynamic focus / zoom system for use with wide-area confocal and multiphoton microscopes.
The dynamic focus / zoom system is
(A) A first MEMS mirror, a second MEMS mirror, and a third MEMS mirror arranged in the housing and provided on the internal platform.
(B) Right-angle prism and
(C) An optical relay having a first fixed lens and a second fixed lens,
(D) Equipped with a third fixed lens
Wherein the 1MEMS mirror, the first 2MEMS mirror and said second 3MEMS mirror, elliptical der Rutotomoni, are possible mutually independent focus and zoom,
The right-angle prism, the first fixed lens, the second fixed lens, and the first MEMS mirror are linearly positioned along the longitudinal axis of the optical relay.
The second MEMS mirror, the third fixed lens, and the third MEMS mirror are linearly positioned so as to be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the optical relay.
The right-angle prism is disposed at an angle of front Symbol 45 degrees with respect to the first fixed lens,
The first MEMS mirror has an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the second fixed lens.
The second MEMS mirror is adjacent to the first MEMS mirror at an angle of 90 degrees, and a light ray that hits the first MEMS mirror at an angle of 45 degrees hits the center of the second MEMS mirror at an angle of 45 degrees. Configured,
The third fixed lens is arranged between the second MEMS mirror and the third MEMS mirror.
Wherein the 3MEMS mirror, before Symbol dynamic focus zoom system, wherein 45 degree angle with respect to light coming from the 2MEMS mirror, and to be placed at an angle of 45 degrees from the third fixed lens .. A dynamic focus / zoom system for use with wide-area confocal and multiphoton microscopes.
The dynamic focus / zoom system is
(A) A first MEMS mirror, a second MEMS mirror, and a third MEMS mirror arranged in the housing and provided on the internal platform.
(B) Right-angled flat mirror and
(C) An optical relay having a first fixed lens and a second fixed lens,
(D) Equipped with a third fixed lens
Wherein the 1MEMS mirror, the first 2MEMS mirror and said second 3MEMS mirror, elliptical der Rutotomoni, are possible mutually independent focus and zoom,
The right-angled flat mirror, the first fixed lens, the second fixed lens, and the first MEMS mirror are linearly positioned along the longitudinal axis of the optical relay.
The second MEMS mirror, the third fixed lens, and the third MEMS mirror are linearly positioned so as to be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the optical relay.
The right-angle flat mirror is disposed at an angle of front Symbol 45 degrees with respect to the first fixed lens,
The first MEMS mirror has an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the second fixed lens.
The second MEMS mirror is adjacent to the first MEMS mirror at an angle of 90 degrees, and a light ray that hits the first MEMS mirror at an angle of 45 degrees hits the center of the second MEMS mirror at an angle of 45 degrees. Configured,
The third fixed lens is arranged between the second MEMS mirror and the third MEMS mirror.
Wherein the 3MEMS mirror, before Symbol dynamic focus zoom system, wherein 45 degree angle with respect to light coming from the 2MEMS mirror, and to be placed at an angle of 45 degrees from the third fixed lens .. In the dynamic focus / zoom system according to claim 1 or 2.
Each of the first and second MEMS mirrors has a short axis with a diameter, and the diameter of the short axis of the second MEMS mirror is the same as the diameter of the short axis of the first MEMS mirror. Dynamic focus zoom system. In the dynamic focus / zoom system according to claim 1 or 2.
Each of the first and third MEMS mirrors has a short axis with a diameter, and the diameter of the short axis of the third MEMS mirror is at least twice the diameter of the short axis of the first MEMS mirror. A dynamic focus / zoom system featuring. In the dynamic focus / zoom system according to claim 1 or 2.
The first MEMS mirror has a short axis with a diameter, the system is used with an objective lens having a back aperture with a diameter, and the diameter of the short axis of the first MEMS mirror is the diameter of the objective lens. A dynamic focus zoom system characterized by having the same diameter as the back opening. In the dynamic focus / zoom system according to claim 1 or 2.
The dynamic focus zoom system, wherein the first fixed lens, the second fixed lens, and the third fixed lens are achromatic lenses. In the dynamic focus / zoom system according to claim 1.
The right-angle prism is a dynamic focus / zoom system characterized by being a dielectric reflection prism.

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