# US 2014/0153087 A1 · Optical Device

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0153087 A1
- Document ID: US20140153087A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/235,621
- Filed: 2012-07-27
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-29
- Assignees: Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; The University of Bristol
- Inventors: Joanne Hutchings; John Charles Clifford Day
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153087A1

## CPC

- G02B 23/2476: {Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports}
- B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- G01J 3/0208: {using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction}
- G01J 3/0256: {Compact construction}
- G01J 3/44: Raman spectrometry; Scattering spectrometry {; Fluorescence spectrometry}
- G02B 7/003: {Alignment of optical elements (G02B7/001, G02B7/002 take precedence; for mirrors G02B7/1822)}
- G02B 21/0004: {specially adapted for specific applications}
- B22F 12/55: Two or more means for feeding material
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- G02B 6/32: having lens focusing means {positioned between opposed fibre ends (with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262)}
- G02B 6/3624: {Fibre head, e.g. fibre probe termination (optical details of light guide terminations G02B6/241; reshaping of light guides G02B6/2552; optical details of coupling light into or out of fibre end G02B6/262)}
- G02B 6/3636: {the mechanical coupling means being grooves (G02B6/3652 takes precedence)}
- G02B 6/3652: {the additional structures being prepositioning mounting areas, allowing only movement in one dimension, e.g. grooves, trenches or vias in the microbench surface, i.e. self aligning supporting carriers}
- G02B 7/006: {Filter holders}
- G02B 21/16: adapted for ultraviolet illumination {; Fluorescence microscopes (G02B21/0076 takes precedence)}
- G02B 23/2461: {Illumination}
- Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency
- Y10T 29/49826: Assembling or joining
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An optical device with a first sub-assembly and a second sub-assembly. The first sub-assembly has: an input lens for collimating illuminating light, the input lens having an optical axis, an output lens for focusing collimated light received from a sample, the output lens having an optical axis which is offset and substantially parallel with the optical axis of the input lens, and a first support piece which houses and supports the input lens and the output lens. The second sub-assembly has: an input filter for filtering the collimated illuminating light, an output filter for filtering the collimated light received from the sample, and a second support piece which houses and supports the input filter and the output filter. The first and second support pieces are joined together by a liquid-tight joint.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical device comprising a first sub-assembly and a second sub-assembly,
wherein the first sub-assembly comprises: an input lens for collimating illuminating light, the input lens having an optical axis, an output lens for focusing collimated light received from a sample, the output lens having an optical axis which is offset and substantially parallel with the optical axis of the input lens, and a first support piece which houses and supports the input lens and the output lens;
wherein the second sub-assembly comprises: an output filter for filtering the collimated light received from the sample, and a second support piece which houses and supports the output filter; and
wherein the first and second support pieces are joined together by a joint.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 wherein the second sub-assembly further comprises an input filter for filtering the collimated illuminating light.

### Claim 3

(canceled)

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 wherein the filter and lenses are housed within a liquid-tight chamber which is at least partially formed by the first and second support pieces.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 further comprising a spectrometer for generating a spectrum from the light received from the sample.

### Claim at position 6

6-9. (canceled)

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 further comprising an excitation fibre for directing light into the input lens, the excitation fibre having an exit aperture; and an output fibre for receiving light from the output lens, the output fibre having an entrance aperture, wherein the exit aperture of the excitation fibre is confocal with the entrance aperture of the output fibre.

### Claim 11

A method of manufacturing an optical device, the method comprising:
growing a support piece by a process of additive fabrication in which the support piece is built up as a series of layers, each layer adhering to a previous layer, and each layer being formed in its final shape in accordance with a computer model before addition of the next layer; and
supporting two or more optical components with the support piece, each optical component engaging the support piece and being aligned by the support piece relative to the other component(s).

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein the computer model comprises an array of voxels arranged in a grid having one or more axes; and wherein two or more of the optical components have optical axes which are aligned by the support piece so that they lie substantially parallel with an axis of the grid.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein each optical component is aligned by a groove or channel in the support piece.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 wherein the support piece comprises two or more grooves or channels, each groove or channel aligning one or more of the optical components.

### Claim at position 12

15-17. (canceled)

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein the computer model comprises an array of voxels arranged in a grid having three orthogonal axes; and wherein each optical component engages a substantially planar surface of the support piece which lies substantially parallel with two of the grid's orthogonal axes.

### Claim at position 14

19-20. (canceled)

### Claim 21 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 further comprising inserting a pushing member into the support piece, and using the pushing member to push one of the optical components into firm engagement with the support piece.

### Claim at position 16

22-24. (canceled)

### Claim 25 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein each optical component is aligned by a groove or channel in the support piece, the (or each) groove or channel has a pair of side walls which each engage a respective side of an optical component, and the support piece further comprises an end stop which engages an end of the optical component.

### Claim 26

(canceled)

### Claim 27

An optical device comprising:
a support piece; and
a plurality of optical components supported by the support piece, each component engaging the support piece and being aligned by the support piece relative to the other components,
wherein the support piece has been formed by a process of additive fabrication in which the support piece is built up as a series of layers, each layer adhering to a previous layer and each layer being formed in its final shape in accordance with a computer model before addition of the next layer.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The device of claim 27 wherein at least some surfaces of the support piece have a voxellated shape comprising a series of regular steps.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The device of claim 27 wherein each optical component engages a substantially planar surface of the support piece.

### Claim at position 22

30-35. (canceled)

### Claim 36 (depends on 27)

The device of claim 27 wherein the support piece comprises: a base which engages the optical components; and a cover, wherein the cover and the base together fully enclose each optical component when viewed in cross-section transverse to its optical axis.

### Claim 37 (depends on 27)

The device of claim 27 wherein each optical component is aligned by a groove or channel in the support piece, the (or each) groove or channel has a pair of side walls which each engage a respective side of an optical component, and the support piece further comprises an end stop which engages an end of the optical component.

### Claim 38 (depends on 27)

The device of claim 27, wherein:
the optical components comprise an input lens for collimating illuminating light, the input lens having an optical axis; and an output lens for focusing collimated light received from a sample, the output lens having an optical axis which is substantially parallel with the optical axis of the input lens; and
wherein the support piece comprises:
a base with a pair of substantially parallel grooves, each groove supporting a respective one of the lenses; and
a cover, wherein the cover and the base together fully enclose each lens when viewed in cross-section transverse to its optical axis.

### Claim 39 (depends on 38)

The device of claim 38 further comprising a spectrometer for generating a spectrum from the light received from the sample.

### Claim at position 27

40-42. (canceled)

### Claim 43 (depends on 27)

The device of claim 27 wherein at least some surfaces of the support piece have a voxellated shape resulting from having been formed by a process of additive fabrication.

### Claim at position 29

44-49. (canceled)