BEAM COMBINER AND A LIGHT SOURCE WITH SUCH A BEAM COMBINER

• US 20100177375A1
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leica Microsystems Gmbh (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Leica Microsystems Gmbh (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Seyfried, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 8,259,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/305
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0032 Optical details of illumination, e.g. light-sources, pinholes, beam splitters, slits, fibers G02B21/0036 - G02B21/008; means for illumination of specimens in general G02B21/06
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/06 Means for illuminating specimens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1006 for splitting or combining different wavelengths G02B27/1086, G02B27/141 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/14 operating by reflection only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/141 using dichroic mirrors

Abstract

A beam combiner for combining at least two light beams (1, 2) into one combined light beam (3), in particular in the beam path of an optical arrangement, preferably of a microscope, is with respect to a flexible beam combination with structurally simple means characterized by an acousto-optical element (4) in which a mechanical wave or sound wave for deflecting or bending light beams can be generated, so that a first light beam (1) entering the acousto-optical element (4) and at least a second light beam (2) entering the acousto-optical element (4) exit the acousto-optical element (4) in a collinear manner as a combined light beam (3). Further, a light source with such a beam combiner is specified.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A beam combiner for combining at least two light beams into a combined light beam, in particular in the beam path of an optical arrangement, preferably of a microscope, characterized by an acousto-optical element in which a mechanical wave or sound wave for deflecting or bending light beams can be generated in such a manner that a first light beam entering the acousto-optical element and at least one second light beam entering the acousto-optical element exit the acousto-optical element in a collinear manner as a combined light beam.

31. The beam combiner according to claim 30, wherein the first light beam can pass through the acousto-optical element such that the mechanical wave or sound wave does not deflect or bend the first light beam and that the mechanical wave or sound wave deflects or bends the at least one second light beam such that the first light beam and the at least one second light beam exit the acousto-optical element in a collinear manner as a combined light beam.

32. The beam combiner according to claim 30, wherein the acousto-optical element is an AOTF (acousto optical tunable filter).

33. The beam combiner according to claim 30, wherein the beam combiner has a compensation element for compensating the spatial splittings or chromatic or polarization-dependent aberrations caused by the acousto-optical element.

34. The beam combiner according to claim 33, wherein the compensation element is a further acousto-optical element.

35. The beam combiner according to claim 33, wherein the compensation element is a preferably passive AOTF.

36. The beam combiner according to claim 30, wherein the beam combiner is designed for combining light beams from a light source with tunable or selectable wavelengths, preferably from an OPO, from a white light laser with selective element or from a dye laser etc., with light beams from a further light source, preferably from a solid state laser, from a diode laser or a gas laser etc.

37. The beam combiner according to claim 30, wherein—

in the case of light beams from a light source with tunable or selectable wavelengths—

an acousto-optical element, preferably an AOTF, is used as a selective element and this acousto-optical element is the acousto-optical element combining the light beams.

38. The beam combiner according to claim 30, wherein a controllable beam splitter, preferably as a main beam splitter of a confocal microscope, is arranged downstream of the beam combiner.

39. The beam combiner according to claim 30, wherein upstream and/or downstream of the beam combiner at least one element varying the light intensity, preferably an AOTF, is arranged.

40. The beam combiner according to claim 30, wherein the beam combiner has temperature stabilizing means.

41. The beam combiner according to claim 30, wherein the first or the second light beam has light of different wavelengths or light with different spectral portions.

42. The beam combiner according to claim 30, wherein the beam combiner is arranged in a housing of one of the light sources generating the light beams or laser light sources.

43. A light source with a beam combiner according to claim 30.