Imaging system comprising a concave mirror
AssigneeAndor Technology Limited
InventorPeter Lindblom
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention concerns a system for achieving an optical image of an object (136), and/or for achieving optical collimation (137) of light from a light source (130), comprising a concave mirror (131, 134), the surface normal of which forms an angle with the incident light in a beam. A negative lens (132, 133) that co-operates with the concave mirror is arranged in the incident and/or exit beam paths such that an image with eliminated or reduced imaging aberrations is achieved in a focal plane (135), and/or that the exit light from a light source (130) is collimated (137).
Claims14
A system for achieving an optical image of an object, and/or for achieving optical collimation of light from a light source (130;), comprising a concave mirror (100;
- 131;
- 134), or equivalent means, in an arrangement in which the surface normal (101) of the said mirror forms an angle (97) with the incident light (104) in a beam path, characterised in that at least one lens (112;
- 124;
- 132;
- 133) that co-operates with the concave mirror, or equivalent means, is applied in the incident beam path (104), and/or in the exit beam path (137), such that the normals (115, 118) to both surfaces of the said lens (112) form in the said beam an angle (117) with the central ray in the said beam (104), whereby the said mirror (100;
- 131;
- 134) and the said co-operating lens (112;
- 124;
- 132;
- 133) are arranged such that they not only achieve an image of the said object in a focal plane (116;
- 130;
- 135) outside of the said incident beam (104, 137), but also eliminate or reduce imaging aberrations in the said image, and/or that the said mirror (131) and co-operating lens (132) are arranged such that they collimate the exit light from a light source (130) located at the said image.
A system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the surface form of the concave mirror is spherical.
A system according any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lens is convex-concave.
A system according any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lens is prismatic.
A system according any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the co-operating lens (112) is placed at an angle opposite to the angle of the mirror (100) relative to a central ray in the incident beam (104).
A system according to any one of the preceding characterised in that an additional tilted lens (124) is arranged in the beam path from the mirror (100) to the focal plane (116), or in the beam path from the light source to the mirror.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.