LOW COST BEAM-EXPANDING RELAY LENS

LOW COST BEAM-EXPANDING RELAY LENS

Researchers at CZ Biohub San Francisco have developed a laser scanning microscope, with significantly reduced complexity and cost, at great benefit to researchers and instrument manufacturers.

Optical intervention accompanied with image acquisition of a biological sample using a laser beam scanning microscope is a popular method. Laser beam scanning in 2-dimensional space in a microscope is typically done using two galvanometer scanning mirrors. Currently, to achieve an ideal alignment in which the laser beam focuses on the mirror surface, either a large optics footprint or a galvanometer scanner with custom-designed lenses is required. These methods increase the costs, complexity and footprint of the associated instrument.

Stage of Research

The inventors have developed a laser scanning microscope where beam scan relay and expansion are achieved in the same optical path, while the beam alignment is still close to optimal. The techniques developed here allow for the use of a 2-axis galvanometer scanning lens while achieving beam expansion and maintaining a minimal focal length mismatch for the two scanning mirrors by only using four cylindrical lenses and a significantly reduced optics footprint. By placing all four cylindrical lenses in the same optical path, (rather than, for instance, positioning the lenses on perpendicular paths), the entire structure requires significantly less space, thereby resulting in a much smaller footprint than conventional laser scanning microscopes.

Applications

Placement of the cylindrical lenses to form a beam expansion between the pairs of lenses.
Placement of the cylindrical lenses to create the same or different focal lengths.
Placement of the cylindrical lenses so that they may be fused or otherwise joined together.
A certain configuration of the cylindrical lenses to allow for the possibility of using smaller scanning mirrors.
A certain configuration for both scanning and detection including two pairs of fused or joined cylindrical lenses.

Advantages

A smaller footprint and less overall structural space is required by this method and design.
Reduced costs and complexity associated with this design compared to conventional scanning laser microscopes.

Stage of Development

Research – in vitro

Publications

WO2022/245473