Arrangement of aperture diaphragms and/or filters, with changeable characteristics for optical devices

• US 20060291031A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Axel Zibold, Bernd Geh, Klaus Boehm, Peter Schaeffer, Thomas Engel, Wolfgang Harnisch
• Original Assignee: Axel Zibold, Bernd Geh, Klaus Boehm, Peter Schaeffer, Thomas Engel, Wolfgang Harnisch
• Inventors: Geh, Bernd, Schaeffer, Peter, Engel, Thomas, Zibold, Axel, Harnisch, Wolfgang, Boehm, Klaus
• Application Number:
  US11/429,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20060291031A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/279
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/24 Base structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/007 the movable or deformable optical element controlling the colour, i.e. a spectral characteristic, of the light
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/005 Diaphragms for cameras G03B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/701 Off-axis setting using an aperture

Abstract

An arrangement making use of two-dimensional arrays consisting of individually controllable elements, for forming aperture diaphragms in the beam paths of optical devices. In an arrangement of diaphragm apertures and/or filters, in which the form, position and/or optical characteristics can be changed, for use in optical devices, at least one two-dimensional array, consisting of individually controllable elements, is arranged for forming the diaphragm apertures and/or filters in the optical imaging and/or illumination beam paths and is connected with a control unit for controlling the individual elements In this way, the geometry, the optical characteristics and/or the position of the aperture diaphragms and/or the filters can be controlled very quickly. These changes can also be made “online” during the process of measurement or adjustment in the sense of optical fine tuning. Furthermore, using these systems, the elaborate and time consuming preparation of the diaphragm apertures with geometric forms can be omitted.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with an optical device, the apparatus comprising:

at least one of an imaging path and an illumination beam path;

at least one two-dimensional array made up of a plurality of individual controllable elements for forming aperture diaphragms and/or filters, wherein the array is arranged in at least one of the imaging path and the illumination beam path; and

a control unit for controlling the individual elements.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which the at least two-dimensional array comprises individually controllable elements arranged in an aperture plane of the imaging path and/or illumination beam path.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which two-dimensional reflective arrays are used to form the diaphragm apertures and/or filters.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which two-dimensional transmissive arrays are used to form the diaphragm apertures and/or filters.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which two-dimensional phase-shifting or phase-modulating arrays are used to form the diaphragm apertures and/or filters.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which two-dimensional polarization-preserving, polarization-modifying or polarization-modulating arrays are used to form the diaphragm apertures and/or filters.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which two-dimensional self-illuminating arrays are used to form the diaphragm apertures and/or filters so that a separate source of light can be omitted.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a zoom optics arranged in the imaging path and/or the illumination beam path for continuous variation of the size of the diaphragm aperture and/or filter constituting the two-dimensional array.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the optical device is a microscope.

10. An apparatus for use with an optical device, the apparatus comprising:

an imaging path;

an illumination beam path; and

at least one two-dimensional array made up of a plurality of individual controllable elements for forming aperture diaphragms arranged at least one of the illumination beam path and the imaging path.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a control unit for controlling the individual elements.

12. An apparatus for use with an optical device, the apparatus comprising:

an imaging path;

an illumination beam path; and

at least one two-dimensional array made up of a plurality of individual controllable elements for forming aperture filters arranged in at least one of the illumination beam path and the imaging path.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a control unit for controlling the individual elements.