4291 results about "Microscope objective" patented technology

Refractive projection objective with a numerical aperture greater than 0.7, consisting of a first convexity, a second convexity, and a waist arranged between the two convexities. The first convexity has a maximum diameter denoted by D1, and the second convexity has a maximum diameter denoted by D2, and 0.8<D1 / D2<1.1.

An apparatus includes a light source configured for generating a coherent light beam having a wavelength, λ, a light detector, and beam-forming optics configured for receiving the generated light beam and for generating a plurality of substantially parallel Bessel-like beams directed into a sample in a first direction. Each of the Bessel-like beams has a fixed phase relative to the other Bessel-like beams. Imaging optics are configured for receiving light from a position within the sample that is illuminated by the Bessel-like beams and for imaging the received light onto the detector. The imaging optics include a detection objective having an axis oriented in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction, where the detector is configured for detecting light received by the imaging optics. A processor configured to generate an image of the sample based on the detected light.

A tissue imaging system (200) for examining the medical condition of tissue (290) has an illumination optical system (205), which comprises a light source (220), having one or more light emitters, beam shaping optics, and polarizing optics. An optical beamsplitter (260) directs illumination light to an imaging sub-system, containing a spatial light modulator array (300). An objective lens (325) images illumination light from the spatial light modulator array to the tissue. An optical detection system (210) images the spatial light modulator to an optical detector array. A controller (360) drives the spatial light modulator to provide time variable arrangements of on-state pixels. The objective lens operates in a nominally telecentric manner relative to both the spatial light modulator and the tissue. The polarizing optics are independently and iteratively rotated to define variable polarization states relative to the tissue. The modulator pixels optically function like pinholes relative to the illumination light and the image light.

A front group consists of two concave lenses. A rear group consists of: a positive lens in which the object-side surface has a larger radius of curvature; and a cemented lens configured by a positive lens in which the object-side surface has a larger radius of curvature, and a negative meniscus lens, the cemented lens having being positive as a whole. An objective lens satisfies the following conditional expressions:|dx / fF|≧3.0   (1)(f / f3)×ν3<23   (2)f2×(ν5−ν4) / {RA×(Bf+d5 / n5)}>7   (3)where dx is the distance between the groups, f, fF, and f3 are the focal lengths of the objective lens, the front group, and the lens, respectively, ν3, ν4, and ν5 are the Abbe numbers of the lenses, RA is the radius of curvature of the cementing surface between the lenses, Bf is the back focus, and d5 and n5 are the center thickness and refractive index with respect to the d-line of the lens.

An auto-focusing method and device are presented for determining an in-focus position of a sample supported on a substrate plate made of a material transparent with respect to incident electromagnetic radiation. The method utilizes an optical system capable of directing incident electromagnetic radiation towards the sample and collecting reflections of the incident electromagnetic radiation that are to be detected. A focal plane of an objective lens arrangement is located at a predetermined distance from a surface of the substrate, which is opposite to the sample-supporting surface of the substrate. A continuous displacement of the focal plane relative to the substrate along the optical axis of the objective lens arrangement is provided, while concurrently directing the incident radiation towards the sample through the objective lens arrangement to thereby focus the incident radiation to a location at the focal plane of the objective lens arrangement. Reflected components of the electromagnetic radiation to a location objective lens arrangement are continuously detected. The detected reflected components are characterized by a first intensity peak corresponding to an in-focus position of said opposite surface of the substrate, and a second intensity peak spaced in time from the first intensity peak and corresponding to an in-focus position of said sample-supporting surface of the substrate. This technique enables imaging of the sample when in the in-focus position of the sample-supporting surface of the substrate.

A projection objective provides a light path for a light bundle from an object field in an object plane to an image field in an image plane. The projection objective comprises a first mirror (S1), a second mirror (S2), a third mirror (S3), a fourth mirror (S4), a fifth mirror (S5), a sixth mirror (S6), a seventh mirror (S7), and an eighth mirror (S8). The light path is provided via the eight mirrors, the light bundle includes light with a wavelength in the range of 10-30 nm, and the light path is free of shading.

In a method for manufacturing semiconductor devices and other finely structured parts, a projection objective (5) is used in order to project the image of a pattern arranged in the object plane of the projection objective onto a photosensitive substrate which is arranged in the region of the image plane (12) of the projection objective. In this case, there is set between an exit surface (15), assigned to the projection objective, for exposing light and an incoupling surface (11), assigned to the substrate, for exposing light a small finite working distance (16) which is at least temporarily smaller in size and exposure time interval than a maximum extent of an optical near field of the light emerging from the exit surface. As a result, projection objectives with very high numerical apertures in the region of NA>0.8 or more can be rendered useful for contactless projection lithography.

An armor (111a) of a scope unit (131) and a diaphragm (123) are arranged to be mutually freely turnable. The shape of an outer section (123c) of the diaphragm (123) and the shape of the inside of a scope joint (130a) of a TV camera unit (130) substantially agree with each other, and the outer section (123c) of the diaphragm (123) and the inside of the scope joint (130a) engage with each other. In a state in which the outer section (123c) of the diaphragm (123) and the inside of the scope joint (130a) are engaged with each other, a ring screw (133) is meshed with a thread (130b) so that the scope unit (131) and TV camera unit (130) will unitedly be joined with each other. At this time, since the outer section (123c) of the diaphragm (123) is engaged with the scope joint (130a), the diaphragm and TV camera unit can be turned relative to an objective optical system (119) and relay optical system (121) with the optical axis of the relay optical system (121) as an axis of turning. Moreover, a liquid-crystal shutter 124 in the TV camera unit (130) has two interceptive areas (124a, 124b) which can be switched temporally alternately. The interceptive areas (124a, 124b) intercept one of two light beams passing through either of aperture stops (123a, 123b).

An endoscope objective lens includes, in order from an object side, a negative first lens, a first cemented lens, an aperture diaphragm, a positive fourth lens and a second cemented lens. The negative first lens has a concave surface directed to an image side. The first cemented lens is formed by cementing a second lens and a third lens. One of the second and third lenses is positive and. The other is negative. The positive fourth lens includes a flat surface or a surface having a larger absolute value in radius of curvature, directed to the object side. The second cemented lens is formed by cementing a positive fifth lens and a negative sixth lens in order from the object side. The second cemented lens has a positive refractive power as a whole. The endoscope objective lens satisfies the following conditional expressions (1) and (2).f2×v5-v6RA×(Bf+d6 / n6)>10(1)Bf / f>2.5(2)

Methods and devices are disclosed for acquiring depth resolved aberration information using principles of low coherence interferometry and perform coherence gated wavefront sensing (CG-WFS). The wavefront aberrations is collected using spectral domain low coherence interferometry (SD-LCI) or time domain low coherence interferometry (TD-LCI) principles. When using SD-LCI, chromatic aberrations can also be evaluated. Methods and devices are disclosed in using a wavefront corrector to compensate for the aberration information provided by CG-WFS, in a combined imaging system, that can use one or more channels from the class of (i) optical coherence tomography (OCT), (ii) scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, (iii) microscopy, such as confocal or phase microscopy, (iv) multiphoton microscopy, such as harmonic generation and multiphoton absorption. In particular, a swept source (SS) is used that drives both an OCT channel and a coherence gated wavefront sensor, where:a) both channels operate according to SS-OCT principles;b) OCT channel integrates over at least one tuning scan of the swept source to provide a TD-OCT image of the object;c) CG-WFS integrates over at least one tuning scan of the swept source to provide an en-face TD-OCT mapping of the wavefront.For some implementations, simultaneous and dynamic aberration measurements / correction with the imaging process is achieved. The methods and devices for depth resolved aberrations disclosed, will find applications in wavefront sensing and adaptive optics imaging systems that are more tolerant to stray reflections from optical interfaces, such as reflections from the microscope objectives and cover slip in microscopy and when imaging the eye, the reflection from the cornea.

Systems and methods according to embodiments of the present invention facilitate imaging and sectioning of a thick specimen that allow for 3D image reconstruction. An example embodiment employs a laser scanning microscope and sectioning device, where the specimen, and optionally, the sectioning device are affixed to respective programmable stages. The stage normally used for aligning the specimen with the microscope objective is used as an integral component for sectioning the specimen. A specimen is imaged such that the imaging depth is less than the sectioning depth to produce overlap in contiguous sets of images; both acts are repeated until the imaging is completed. A substantially or completely seamless 3D image of the specimen is reconstructed by collecting sets of 2D images and aligning imaged features of structures in overlapping images or portions thereof. Specimen may be from a human, animal, or plant.

A hand-held, compact fixed mounted or mobile optical symbol scanner assembly that employs black-light emitting diodes to illuminate luminescent or fluorescent bar code symbols that are invisibly printed or formed the surface of an article. The scanner employs an array of far blue or UV LEDs or laser diodes. An optional nosepiece or shroud on the distal face of the scanner device limits glare from ambient light and also protects against stray UV light. A filter disposed in advance of the imager device blocks the illuminating wavelength but transmits the luminescent light from the target. With proper selection of optical filters and illumination LED wavelengths, the scanner can be used with inks or dyes that fluoresce when exposed to light in the visible spectrum.

An endoscope objective lens for collecting combined bright field (white light) and fluorescence images includes a negative lens group, a stop, and a positive lens group. The lens has a combination of large entrance pupil diameter (≧0.4 mm) for efficiently collecting weak fluorescence light, large ratio between the entrance pupil diameter and the maximum outside diameter (Dentrance / Dmax larger than 0.2), large field of view (FFOV≧120°) and favorably corrected spherical, lateral chromatic and Petzval field curvature for both visible and near infrared wavelengths.

An imaging fountain flow cytometer allows high resolution microscopic imaging of a flowing sample in real time. Cells of interest are in a vertical stream of liquid flowing toward one or more illuminating elements at wavelengths which illuminate fluorescent dyes and cause the cells to fluoresce. A detector detects the fluorescence emission each time a marked cell passes through the focal plane of the detector. A bi-directional syringe pump allows the user to reverse the flow and locate the detected cell in the field of view. The flow cell is mounted on a computer controlled x-y stage, so the user can center a portion of the image on which to zoom or increase magnification. Several computer selectable parfocal objective lenses allow the user to image the entire field of view and then zoom in on the detected cell at substantially higher resolution. The magnified cell is then imaged at the various wavelengths.

A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus (110) is designed for immersion operation in which an immersion liquid (134) adjoins a photosensitive layer (126). The refractive index of the immersion liquid is greater than the refractive index of a medium (L5; 142; L205; LL7; LL8; LL9). that adjoins the immersion liquid on the object side of the projection objective (120; 120′; 120″). The projection objective is designed such that the immersion liquid (134) is convexly curved towards the object plane (122) during immersion operation.

An auto-focusing method and device are presented for determining an in-focus position of a sample supported on a substrate plate made of a material transparent with respect to incident electromagnetic radiation. The method utilizes an optical system capable of directing incident electromagnetic radiation towards the sample and collecting reflections of the incident electromagnetic radiation that are to be detected. A focal plane of an objective lens arrangement is located at a predetermined distance from a surface of the substrate, which is opposite to the sample-supporting surface of the substrate. A continuous displacement of the focal plane relative to the substrate along the optical axis of the objective lens arrangement is provided, while concurrently directing the incident radiation towards the sample through the objective lens arrangement to thereby focus the incident radiation to a location at the focal plane of the objective lens arrangement. Reflected components of the electromagnetic radiation to a location objective lens arrangement are continuously detected. The detected reflected components are characterized by a first intensity peak corresponding to an in-focus position of said opposite surface of the substrate, and a second intensity peak spaced in time from the first intensity peak and corresponding to an in-focus position of said sample-supporting surface of the substrate. This technique enables imaging of the sample when in the in-focus position of the sample-supporting surface of the substrate.

To provide an endoscope objective lens which has a lens constitution of a relatively small number of three pieces, a short total length of lens, and various kinds of good optical performances starting with curvature of field. It is constituted of a first lens L1 directing its concave surface to the image side, a second lens L2 made of a positive meniscus lens directing its convex surface to the image side, and a third lens L3 made of a planoconvex lens directing its convex surface to the object side arranged sequentially from the object side, and a stop placed between said first lens L1 and said second lens L2. It also satisfies the following Conditional Expressions:2.00<|f1 / f|<3.00,  (1)0.50<|f2 / f3|<0.70,  (2)2.00<|f1 / d1-2|<5.00 ,  (3)0.40<|R2R / R2F|<0.60 .  (4)Note that f is the focal length of the whole system, f1–f3 the focal lengths of the first-third lenses, respectively, d1-2 the air distance between the first lens and the second lens, R2F the radius of curvature of the object-side surface of the second lens, and R2R the radius of curvature of the image-side surface of the second lens.

The invention is applicable to the field of optics, biomedicine, life science and the like, and provides a two channel-based multi-spectrum fluorescent imaging microscopic system and method, wherein the two channel-based multi-spectrum fluorescent imaging microscopic system comprises a picosecond pulse laser device, a fluorescent excitation and collection light path, a microscopic objective lens, a light beam lens, a double-ICCD detector, and a control and processing module. The invention further discloses a method for performing multi-spectrum imaging by utilizing the two channel-based multi-spectrum fluorescent imaging microscopic system. According to the two channel-based multi-spectrum fluorescent imaging microscopic system and method, the limitation of the existing fluorescent microscope and a fluorescent life imaging microscopic system only can acquire single wavelength fluorescent signal with one-time detection can be effectively solved, the simultaneous acquisition of the multi-spectrum fluorescent strength and fluorescent light image aiming at the dynamic process of fluorescent intensity-related detection limited in biomedicine and life science can be performed, so that the research and application ranges of biophotonics can be extended.

PCT No. PCT / JP88 / 00804 Sec. 371 Date Feb. 5, 1990 Sec. 102(e) Date Feb. 5, 1990 PCT Filed Aug. 12, 1988 PCT Pub. No. WO89 / 01603 PCT Pub. Date Feb. 23, 1989A scanning tunnel microscope is arranged by a combination of an optical microscope and a tunnel scanning unit. The scanning tunnel unit includes a probe held to be spaced apart from a sample placed on a sample table by a predetermined interval in an axial direction, and an actuator for axially moving the sample table and the probe to a tunnel region and relatively and three-dimensionally driving the sample table and the probe. An objective lens and the probe are arranged such that the axis of the probe of the scanning tunnel unit is aligned with an optical axis of the objective lens of the optical microscope. The sample and the probe are axially moved and brought into the tunnel region, and the sample is scanned in its surface direction while the sample and the probe are finely moved in the axial direction and a tunnel current is kept constant, thereby performing an STM observation of an observation surface of the sample. The objective lens of the optical microscope is axially moved to obtain an in-focus state, and the field of the STM observation surface is observed as an optical microscopic image through an eyepiece lens.

A diffraction grating produces the first diffraction light in a symmetrical direction with respect to the 0-th diffraction light and the optical axis. Each light flux forms two flux interference patterns on a sample surface through a second objective lens and a first objective lens, and a sample is illuminated by spatially modulated illumination light. Fluorescence is generated on the sample by structured illumination light as excitation light. The fluorescence caught by the first objective lens forms a modulated image of the sample on a sample conjugate surface through an objective optical system comprised of the first objective lens and the second objective lens. The modulated image is further modulated through the diffractive grating. Fluorescence from the further modulated image passes through a lens and a dichroic mirror, enters into a single light path of an observation optical system, passes through a fluorescent filter, and forms an enlarged image of the further modulated image through a lens.

An endoscope is described in which the diameter of the image relay assembly is less than that of the objective lens assembly. An endoscope sheath is also described for sheathing the endoscope and housing or directing optical fibers for use in illuminating the endoscope view of view. An endoscope-sheath system is further described comprising the combination of the endoscope and the endoscope sheath.