Optical air lens system

An optical lens system operative on a light ray comprising:

• a first optical medium having a first refractive index,
• a second optical medium having a second refractive index,
• a plurality of pockets which contain said first optical medium,
• a third optical medium having a third refractive index configured to define said pockets and being contiguous to said first and second optical mediums,
• said third refractive index being higher in [valve] value than said second refractive index and said second refractive index being higher in value than said first refractive index,
• a plurality of optical surfaces having coincident optical axes and being defined by the interface between said first and third optical mediums and said second and third optical mediums,
• an object located substantially at an aplanatic point of at least one surface within or contiguous to said first optical medium,
• selected optical surfaces from among said plurality of optical surfaces through which said light ray emanating in a direction from said object toward said plurality of pockets is refracted when passing from high to low refractive index mediums being so arranged and constructed relative to said object to refract said ray aplanatically thereby substantially eliminating aberration and coma, and
• all said optical surfaces other than said selected optical surfaces are so constructed and arranged to pass said light ray substantially without refraction.

An optical lens system operative on a light ray for viewing an object within or contiguous to a liquid medium from a medium of lower refractive index such as air, comprising:

• a plurality of light transmissive air lenses formed from a thin walled optical material,
• structural wall support means for holding and positioning in fixed relationship said plurality of air lenses so that the optical axes of all of said air lenses are parallel and coincident,
• each said air lens having a first and second optical surface defined by the interface between said air and said liquid formed by said thin walled optical material,
• said thin walled optical material having walls of a thickness to have negligible refracting effect on the ray,
• an object positioned in an object plane relative to said plurality of air lenses such that the center of curvature of one surface of at least one of said air lenses lies in said object plane,
• selected optical surfaces from among said first and second optical surfaces through which said light ray emanating in a direction from said object toward said plurality of air lenses is refracted when passing from high to low refractive index medium being so constructed and arranged relative to said object to refract said ray aplanatically thereby substantially eliminating spherical aberrations and coma, and
• all said optical surfaces other than said selected surfaces are so constructed and arranged to pass said light ray substantially without refraction.

An optical lens system operative on a light ray comprising:

• a first optical medium having a first refractive index,
• a second optical medium having a second refractive index of a higher value than said first refractive index,
• a single pocket formed in said second optical medium containing said first optical medium, said pocket having first and second optical surfaces at the interfaces between said first and second optical mediums,
• an object located substantially at an aplanatic point of at least one of said optical surfaces within or contiguous to said second optical medium,
• a surface selected from said first and second optical surfaces through which said light ray when emanating in a direction from said object toward said [at least one] pocket is refracted when passing from high to low refractive index mediums so constructed and arranged relative to said object to refract said ray aplanatically thereby substantially eliminating spherical aberration and coma, and
• said optical surface other than said selected surface is so constructed and arranged to [pass said light ray substantially without refraction] refract said light ray so as to substantially minimize spherical aberration and coma while tending to complete collimation of said ray .

[32. The optical lens system of claim 29, wherein said surface other than said selected surface is so constructed and arranged to have its center of curvature substantially coincident with the image formed by the selected

• optical surface.] 33. The optical lens system of claim 29 wherein said second optical medium is a light-transmissive, isotropic, monolithic solid, said object being embedded in or contiguous to said second optical
• medium. 34. The optical lens system of claim 29 wherein said first optical
• medium is a gas. 35. The optical lens system of claim 29, wherein said object is an optical sensor and wherein said optical surfaces defined by said pocket are so arranged and constructed to optimize light gathering at
• said optical sensor. 36. The optical lens system of claim 29, wherein said second optical medium is a light transmissive, isotropic solid, said object is a light emitting source and said optical surfaces defined by said pocket are so arranged to collimate said light ray emanating from said optical system relative to the optical axis of said optical system.

An optical lens system operative on a light ray comprising:

• a first optical medium having a first refractive index,
• a second optical medium having a second refractive index,
• a pocket which contains said first optical medium,
• a third optical medium having a third refractive index configured to define said pocket and being contiguous to said first and second optical mediums,
• said third refractive index being higher in value than said second refractive index and said second refractive index being higher than said first refractive index,
• first, second, third and fourth optical surfaces having coincident optical axes, said first and fourth surfaces being defined by the interfaces between said second and third optical mediums and said second and third surfaces being defined by the interfaces between said first and third optical mediums,
• an object located substantially at an aplanatic point of said second surface within or contiguous to said second optical medium,
• said first surface being so constructed and arranged to pass said light ray substantially without refraction,
• said second surface being so arranged and constructed relative to said object to refract said light ray aplanatically thereby substantially eliminating aberration and coma, and
• said third and fourth surfaces being so constructed and arranged to refract said light ray so as to substantially minimize spherical aberration and coma while tending to complete collimation of said ray.