Optical device

• US 9,772,479 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Government of United Kingdom), University of Bristol
• Original Assignee: Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Government of United Kingdom), University of Bristol
• Inventors: Hutchings, Joanne, Day, John Charles Clifford, Stone, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman, Scott J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deherrera, Kristina
• Application Number:
  US14/235,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20140153087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 359362-398, 359811, 359819, 359822, 359827, 359828, 359829, 359830, 356301, 385 53- 74, 600101, 600121-125, 600129, 600130, 600136-138, 600153, 600160, 600170, 600171, 600175, 600176, 600181, 600182, 362301
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/55 Two or more means for feeding material
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0208 using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0256 Compact construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/44 Raman spectrometry; Scattering spectrometry ; Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0004 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/16 adapted for ultraviolet illumination ; Fluorescence microscopes G02B21/0076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2461 Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3624 Fibre head, e.g. fibre probe termination optical details of light guide terminations G02B6/241; reshaping of light guides G02B6/2552; optical details of coupling light into or out of fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3636 the mechanical coupling means being grooves G02B6/3652 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3652 the additional structures being prepositioning mounting areas, allowing only movement in one dimension, e.g. grooves, trenches or vias in the microbench surface, i.e. self aligning supporting carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/003 Alignment of optical elements G02B7/001, G02B7/002 take precedence; for mirrors G02B7/1822
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/006 Filter holders
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An optical device includes a first sub-assembly having an input lens for collimating illuminating light and having an optical axis. The first sub-assembly also has an output lens for focusing collimated light received from a sample, the output lens having an optical axis which is offset and substantially parallel with the optical axis of the input lens, and further includes a first support piece which houses and supports the input lens and the output lens. The optical device also includes a second sub-assembly having an input filter for filtering the collimated illuminating light, an output filter for filtering the collimated light received from the sample, and a second support piece which houses and supports the input filter and the output filter. The first and second support pieces are joined together by a liquid-tight joint.

Claims

1. An optical device comprising a first sub-assembly and a second sub-assembly,

wherein the first sub-assembly comprises:

an input lens for collimating illuminating light, the input lens having an optical axis, an output lens for focusing collimated light received from a sample, the output lens having an optical axis which is offset and substantially parallel with the optical axis of the input lens, and a first support piece which houses and supports the input lens and the output lens, the first support piece comprising;

a first base which engages the input lens and the output lens, and

a first cover,

wherein the first cover and the first base are integrally formed as a single piece, the first cover and the first base together fully enclose the input lens when viewed in cross-section transverse to an optical axis of the input lens, and the first cover and the first base together fully enclose the output lens when viewed in cross-section transverse to an optical axis of the output lens;

wherein the second sub-assembly comprises;

an output filter for filtering the collimated light received from the sample, and

a second support piece which houses and supports the output filter, the second support piece comprising;

a second base which engages the output filter, and

a second cover,

wherein the second cover and the second base are integrally formed as a single piece, and the second cover and the second base together fully enclose the output filter when viewed in cross-section transverse to an optical axis of the output filter; and

wherein the first and second support pieces are joined together by a joint, and wherein the first and second support pieces each have an outer profile with a substantially circular cross-section, the device further comprising a probe for illuminating and receiving light from a sample, wherein the first and second support pieces each having a maximum outer diameter which is less than 25 mm.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the second sub-assembly further comprises an input filter for filtering the collimated illuminating light.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the filter and lenses are housed within a liquid-tight chamber which is at least partially formed by the first and second support pieces.

4. The device of claim 1 further comprising a spectrometer for generating a spectrum from the light received from the sample.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising an excitation fibre for directing light into the input lens, the excitation fibre having an exit aperture;

and an output fibre for receiving light from the output lens, the output fibre having an entrance aperture, wherein the exit aperture of the excitation fibre is confocal with the entrance aperture of the output fibre.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the joint is a liquid-tight joint.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the first support piece comprises a closed structure which fully encloses the input lens and the output lens when viewed in cross-section transverse to the optical axes of the input lens and the output lens, and the second support piece comprises a closed structure which fully encloses the output filter when viewed in cross-section transverse to the optical axes of the input lens and the output lens.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the joint is a plug and socket joint.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the first support piece comprises a male part which plugs into a socket in the second support piece to form the joint.