Fixture for microscope component alignment
AssigneeSchlumberger Technologies, Inc.
InventorNeal T. Sullivan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fixture and method is provided for aligning optical elements in a microscope. The fixture attaches to an objective lens plane of the microscope and supports an alignment optical element. During optical component alignment, an alignment beam is directed along the illumination and imaging paths of the microscope through the objective lens port and into the fixture for reflection by the alignment optical element. The fixture allows an alignment optical element positioned in a single location to be used for aligning the microscope components and for adjusting the microscope objective lens.
Claims22
A fixture for use in the alignment of optical components of a microscope having an objective lens plane, an objective lens port and a sample plane distally spaced from the objective lens plane, said fixture comprising:
- a base defining a mounting region for mounting the fixture to the objective lens plane at the objective lens port, said base having an optical port for receiving light from the microscope through the objective lens port and for passing light to the microscope through the objective lens port;
- side wall connected to said base and extending away from said base toward the sample plane when said fixture is mounted to the objective lens plane;
- and
- a reference optical element mount positioned on an inner side of said side wall for releasably securing a reference optical element to receive light from the objective lens port and to reflect the received light back to the objective lens port, so that when said fixture is mounted to the objective lens plane, the reflected light is used to align optical components of the microscope.
A method of aligning optical components in a microscope having an illumination port, an imaging port, and an objective lens port, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a fixture at the objective lens port of the microscope, said fixture having a base for releasable attachment of said fixture to an objective lens plane containing the objective lens port, and a side wall connected to and extending away from the base and away from the objective lens plane;
- positioning an alignment beam source for generating an alignment beam at one of the microscope illumination port and microscope imaging port for passing the alignment beam through the microscope objective lens port and into said fixture;
- disposing a reference optical element in said fixture and within a path of the alignment beam for reflecting the alignment beam toward said alignment beam source;
- and
- aligning optical components in the microscope relative to the reflected alignment beam.
A method of aligning optical components in a microscope having an illumination port, an imaging port, and an objective lens port, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a fixture at the objective lens port of the microscope, said fixture having a base for releasable attachment of said fixture to an objective lens plane containing the objective lens port, and a side wall connected to and extending away from the base and away from the objective lens plane;
- positioning an alignment detector at one of the microscope illumination port and microscope imaging port for receiving a test light from said fixture;
- disposing a transmissive reference optical element in said fixture and within a path of the test light for passing the test light through the objective lens port toward said alignment detector;
- and
- aligning optical components in the microscope relative to the test light transmitted through the objective lens port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.