High performance catadioptric imaging system

The tube lens comprising:

• at least one focusing lens arrangement configured to receive light energy from an objective employing lenses all having diameters less than approximately 25 millimeters and focus preliminary light energy to an internal field;
• at least one lens positioned in proximity to the internal field and configured to receive the preliminary light energy from the at least one focusing lens and form altered light energy;
• and
• at least one collimating lens arrangement configured to receive the altered light energy from the at least one lens and transmit output light energy to a pupil external to the tube lens;
• wherein said tube lens when employed in combination with the objective employing lenses all having diameters less than approximately 25 millimeters, is configured to image using a field size excess of approximately 0.4 millimeters.

The tube lens arrangement, comprising:

• a focusing lens arrangement configured to receive light energy from an objective employing lenses all having diameters less than approximately 25 millimeters and focus light energy received from the objective to an internal field;
• a lens positioned proximate the internal field and configured to receive preliminary light energy from the focusing lens arrangement;
• and
• a collimating lens configured to receive resultant light energy from the lens and transmit output light energy to a pupil, the pupil external to the tube lens arrangement;
• wherein said tube lens arrangement, when employed in combination with the objective employing lenses all having diameters less than approximately 25 millimeters, is configured to provide a field size in excess of approximately 0.4 millimeters and residual aberrations are corrected when the tube lens arrangement is employed with the objective employing lenses all having diameters less than approximately 25 millimeters.