Microscopy Safety Dome
AssigneeUniversity of Vermont and State Agricultural College
InventorGuy G. Kennedy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser light containment dome providing increased safety to microscopy users while allowing the microscopy instrument to be used in an effective and efficient manner is provided. The laser light containment dome includes a hemisphere or dome shaped enclosure that prevents dangerous intensities of laser light from exiting an objective lens and or microscopy sample holder while still allowing the user to witness and measure the direction of laser light in three dimensions.
Claims20
A microscopy safety dome for protecting users from laser light for interrogating a sample held on a microscope stage, the safety dome comprising:
- a safety dome, the safety dome comprising:
- a hemispherical shell, wherein the hemispherical shell is transparent to visible light, and wherein the hemispherical shell comprises;
- an inner surface, wherein the inner surface comprises:
- an optical coating adjacent to the inner surface for blocking the laser light from passing through the hemispherical shell.
A semi-transparent hemispherical shell for protecting users from laser light for interrogating a sample held on a microscope stage, the semi-transparent hemispherical shell comprising:
- the semi-transparent hemispherical shell, wherein the hemispherical shell is semi-transparent to visible light, and wherein the semi-transparent hemispherical shell comprises an inner surface, wherein the inner surface comprises:
- an optical coating adjacent to the inner surface for blocking the laser light from passing through the semi-transparent hemispherical shell, and wherein the optical coating comprises at least one thin film metal layer, wherein the thin film metal layer reflects laser light while allowing transmittance of the visible light through the semi-transparent hemispherical shell.
A hemispherical shell for protecting users from laser light for interrogating a sample held on a microscope stage, the hemispherical shell comprising:
- an inner surface, wherein the inner surface comprises:
- an optical coating adjacent to the inner surface for blocking the laser light from passing through the hemispherical shell, and wherein the optical coating comprises a plurality of thin film metal layers, wherein the thin film metal layers reflect laser light while allowing transmittance of the visible light, and wherein the plurality of thin film metal layers are interleaved with a plurality of dielectric layers for improving transmittance of the visible light through the semi-transparent hemispherical shell;
- and
- an outer surface, wherein the outer surface comprises reference marks for determining laser light x, y, and z angles of hemispherical shell incidence relative to the microscope stage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.