Unit magnification microscope
AssigneeOmek Optics Ltd.
InventorShai Eisenberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A unit magnification microscope includes a first lens assembly (20) with a number of lenses forming an infinity-corrected objective and a second lens assembly (22), identical to the first lens assembly, deployed in an opposite orientation along a light path. A physical stop (26) is located at a central point along the light path between the lens assemblies. A focal plane array image sensor (28) is mounted at the external focal plane of the second lens assembly, such that light from an object at an object plane (30) is focused with unit magnification on the focal plane array image sensor after passing along the light path through the first lens assembly, the physical stop and the second lens assembly. A beam splitter (34) may be used to introduce illumination along the light path.
Claims16
A unit magnification microscope comprising:
- (a) a first lens assembly comprising a plurality of lenses forming an infinity-corrected objective for receiving light from an object located at an external focal plane of the first lens assembly;
- (b) a second lens assembly comprising a plurality of lenses, said second lens assembly being identical to said first lens assembly, said second lens assembly being mounted relative to said first lens assembly in an opposite orientation along a light path;
- (c) a physical stop located at a central point along the light path between said first lens assembly and said second lens assembly;
- (d) a beam splitter cube and a compensating element deployed in the light path, said beam splitter cube being deployed to allow introduction of illumination directed towards the object into the light path, wherein said beam splitter cube and said compensating element have similar optical properties and are located on opposite sides of said physical stop;
- and
- (e) a focal plane array image sensor mounted at an external focal plane of the second lens assembly, such that light from the object is focused with unit magnification on said focal plane array image sensor after passing along the light path through said first lens assembly, said physical stop and said second lens assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.