# US 2026/0093099 A1 · Long working distance air objective for multiphoton microscopy > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0093099 A1 - Document ID: US20260093099A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/257,345 - Filed: 2025-07-01 - Published: 2026-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2024-07-29 - Assignees: The Regents of the University of California - Applicants: The Regents of the University of California - Inventors: Spencer LaVere Smith; Che-Hang Yu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260093099A1 ## CPC - G02B 21/02: Objectives - G02B 9/64: having more than six components - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract A microscope objective having proximal and distal ends comprises a plurality of lenses including a lens element closest to the proximal end, a lens element closest to said distal end and a plurality of lens elements therebetween. At least one of the lenses has a clear aperture of larger than 35 mm. The microscope objective has a working distance of between 8 mm and 14 mm and a numerical aperture of between 0.55 and 0.65 in air. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A microscope objective having a first proximal end and a second distal end, said distal end configured to be closer to a sample than said proximal end, said microscope objective comprising: a first stage comprising a diverging lens element having negative optical power such that collimated light incident on said diverging lens element is caused by said diverging lens element to diverge as said light propagates away from said diverging lens element in the direction of said distal end of said microscope objective; a second stage comprising a lens configured to receive said diverging beam and to cause the diverging beam to begin to converge from the widest lateral extent of the beam in the microscope objective or be collimated, said second stage more distal than said first stage; a third stage comprising multiple lens elements, said third stage more distal than said second stage such that said lens in said second stage is located between said diverging lens element in said first stage and said multiple lens elements in said third stage; and a fourth stage comprising a distal focusing lens having positive optical power to focus the beam down, said distal focusing lens being the lens that is closest to the focus of said microscope objective where said collimated light incident on the proximal end of said microscope objective will be focused, said fourth stage being more distal than said third stage such multiple lens elements in said third stage is between said lens in said second stage and said distal focusing lens in said fourth stage, wherein said microscope objective has a numerical aperture in the range from 0.55 to 0.65. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said diverging lens element in said first stage comprises first and second surfaces, said first surface more proximal than said second surface, wherein said first surface has the highest curvature of any of the optical surfaces in said microscope objective. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said diverging lens element in the first stage has first and second surfaces, said second surface more distal than said first surface, wherein said second surface comprises a concave surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said diverging lens element has a clear aperture at least 36 mm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said first stage further comprises a positive lens element. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The microscope objective of claim 5, wherein said pair of said diverging lens element and said positive lens element in the first stage together having negative optical power. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The microscope objective of any of claim 5, wherein said positive lens element in the first stage has first and second surfaces, said second surface more distal than said first surface, wherein said first surface comprises a convex surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said lens element in said first stage and/or said lens in said second stage are configured to move with respect to said third stage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said lens in said second stage comprises by biconvex lens. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said lens in said second stage has a thickness of at least 9 mm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said lens in said second stage has a clear aperture of at least 40 mm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said multiple lens elements comprises three lens elements: a first positive lens element, a second negative lens element, and a third positive lens element, with the second negative lens element between the first and third positive lens elements. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein multiple lens elements together has a clear aperture of at least 38 mm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said multiple lens elements together has a clear aperture of at least 40 mm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said distal focusing lens in said fourth stage comprises a meniscus lens. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said distal focusing lens in said fourth stage has a thickness of at least 12 mm. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said microscope objective has a working distance of from 5 mm to 15 mm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, further comprising a housing that has a lateral spatial extent of greater than 60 mm. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said microscope objective is diffraction limited for at least one wavelength. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The microscope objective of claim 1, wherein said microscope objective has a working distance in air of from 7 mm to 12 mm.