Macrolens system for emission microscopy

Claim 2

A multiple lens element macrolens system operative as a single lens with a high light transmission value therethrough, the system comprising: an object group of multiple lens elements having a common central optical axis and extending therealong by a distance l o and providing a numerical aperture (NAO) value in the range of from 0.32 to 0.40, a field of view of at least 15 mm×15 mm of an object to be viewed in an object plane, and an object working distance (wd) in the range of from 20-32.33 mm, the object group of lens elements producing at an output thereof substantially collimated rays of light from rays of light originating from the object in the object plane at a point on the central optical axis of the system; and an image group of multiple lens elements disposed along the common central optical axis and extending therealong by a distance l i , a first lens element of the image group separated from a last element of the object group by a gap dimension of at least 95 mm along the central optical axis, the image group accepting at an input thereof the substantially collimated rays of light provided by the object group, and providing a focal point at a back focal distance (bfd) of at least 47 mm onto an image plane at a total magnification in the range of from 0.8 to 1.0 whereby a light transmission value sufficient for emission microscopy is achieved through the macrolens system.

Claim 3

The macrolens system of claim 1, wherein the curvature of each curved surface of each one of the multiple lens elements of the object group and of the image group is a spherical curvature.

Claim 4

The macrolens system of claim 1, wherein the object group has multiple lens elements A-E and the image group has multiple lens elements F-J, with lens element surfaces, lens element radii, lens element thicknesses along the central optical axis, refractive index and Abbe number values of lens element materials, and lens element air spacings along the central optical axis defined as follows: __________________________________________________________________________ SURFACE ELEMENT ELEMENT ELEMENT ELEMENT SURFACE RADIUS THICKNESS REFRACTIVE ABBE SPACING ELEMENT # (mm) (mm) INDEX Number (air; mm) __________________________________________________________________________ OBJECT INFINITY 25.0000 A 1 -30.7079 14.8400 1.805 25.4 2 INFINITY 7.717901 B 3 INFINITY 22.0000 1.803 46.7 4 -43.8521 0.1000 C 5 194.4769 10.0000 1.640 60.1 6 -113.1900 3.367135 D 7 -52.6291 7.0000 1.805 25.4 8 -171.7000 0.2000 E 9 370.1525 18.0000 1.620 60.3 10 -152.030 100.1000 F 11 INFINITY 10.9000 1.803 46.7 and 12 -48.7682 2.7600 1.699 30.1 G 13 66.6458 3.085487 H 14 155.0679 10.0000 1.803 46.7 15 -136.0800 0.10000 I 16 49.1775 4.2000 1.805 25.4 and 17 29.9493 17.0000 1.803 46.7 J 18 159.4050 50.1130 IMAGE INFINITY __________________________________________________________________________

Claim 5

The macrolens system of claim 1, wherein the object group has multiple lens elements K-O and the image group has multiple lens elements P-U, with lens element surfaces, lens element radii, lens element thicknesses along the central optical axis, refractive index and Abbe number values of lens element materials, and lens element air spacings along the central optical axis defined as follows: __________________________________________________________________________ SURFACE ELEMENT ELEMENT ELEMENT ELEMENT SURFACE RADIUS THICKNESS REFRACTIVE ABBE SPACING ELEMENT # (mm) (mm) INDEX Number (air; mm) __________________________________________________________________________ OBJECT INFINITY 32.3300 K 21 -20.5903 18.6250 1.883 40.8 22 -29.6330 0.3000 L 23 177.8360 10.0000 1.883 40.8 24 -63.1010 5.9470 M 25 -39.3695 5.0000 1.805 25.4 26 -60.5975 4.6380 N 27 -35.0600 4.0000 1.805 25.4 and 28 50.2278 24.0010 1.788 47.4 O 29 -46.3268 100.0000 P 30 96.006 5.0000 1.755 27.5 31 62.228 1.3430 Q 32 76.3130 18.4630 1.788 47.4 and 33 -36.9815 4.0000 1.805 25.4 R 34 -171.6000 2.5510 S 35 -82.6930 4.0000 1.805 25.4 36 2624.0500 1.2610 T 37 98.8796 7.2000 1.883 40.8 38 775.9220 0.3000 U 39 96.5610 5.8680 1.883 40.8 40 INFINITY 50.2400 IMAGE INFINITY __________________________________________________________________________

Claim 6

The macrolens system of claim 1, wherein the object group of multiple lens elements is disposed in a first lens barrel mountable on a first turret of an optical instrument, and the image group of multiple lens elements is disposed in a second lens barrel mountable on a second turret of the optical instrument, the first and second turrets rotatable so that the object group and the image group are aligned along the common central optical axis when the macrolens system is to be operative in the optical instrument.

Claim 7

The macrolens system of claim 1, wherein the system has a modulation transfer function (MTF) across the image plane of at least 25% at a spatial frequency of 20 cycles per millimeter throughout an equally weighted spectral range extending over about 550 nm to about 1,000 nm.

Claim 8

The macrolens system of claim 1, wherein the system has a modulation transfer function (MTF) across the image plane of at least 25% at a spatial frequency of 20 cycles per millimeter throughout an equally weighted spectral range extending within 380 nm to 1800 nm and wherein said spectral range occupies bands in which the ratio of long to short wavelengths at opposite ends of each said band is about 1.8.

Claim 9

The macrolens system of claim 1, wherein the system has a modulation transfer function (MTF) across the image plane of at least 25% at a spatial frequency of 20 cycles per millimeter throughout an equally weighted spectral range extending within 380 nm to 1800 nm and wherein said spectral range occupies bands from about 380 nm to 684 nm and about 1000 nm to 1800 nm.

Claim 10

A multiple lens element macrolens system operative as a single lens with a high light transmission value therethrough, the system comprising: an object group of multiple lens elements having a common central optical axis and extending therealong by a distance l o , an image group of multiple lens elements disposed along the common central optical axis and extending therealong by a distance l i , a first lens element of the image group separated from a last element of the object group by a gap along the central optical axis, the image group accepting at an input thereof the substantially collimated rays of light provided by the object group, and providing a focal point at a back focal distance (bfd) onto an image plane; and the system having the following relationships expressed as the following approximate ratios: gap/flobj≧1.2; gap/flimg≧1.5 gap/wd≦4.1; gap/bfd≦2.0 flobj/wd≦3.3; flimg/bfd≦1.33 where flobj=EFFECTIVE FOCAL LENGTH OF OBJECT GROUP flimg=EFFECTIVE FOCAL LENGTH OF IMAGE GROUP wd=AN OBJECT WORKING DISTANCE.

Claim 11

A multiple lens element macrolens system operative as a single lens with a high light transmission value therethrough, the system comprising: an object group of multiple lens elements having a common central optical axis and extending therealong by a distance l o , an image group of multiple lens elements disposed along the common central optical axis and extending therealong by a distance l i , a first lens element of the image group separated from a last element of the object group by a gap along the central optical axis, the image group accepting at an input thereof the substantially collimated rays of light provided by the object group, and providing a focal point at a back focal distance (bfd) onto an image plane; and the system having the following relationships expressed as the following approximate ratios: gap/flobj≧1.2; gap/flimg≧1.5 gap/wd≦4.1; gap/bfd≦2.0 flobj/wd≦3.3; flimg/bfd≦1.33 where flobj=EFFECTIVE FOCAL LENGTH OF OBJECT GROUP flimg=EFFECTIVE FOCAL LENGTH OF IMAGE GROUP wd=AN OBJECT WORKING DISTANCE.

Claim 12

A multiple lens element macrolens system operative as a single lens with a high light transmission value therethrough, the system comprising: an object group of multiple lens elements having a common central optical axis and extending therealong by a distance l o , an image group of multiple lens elements disposed along the common central optical axis and extending therealong by a distance 1 i , a first lens element of the image group separated from a last element of the object group by a gap along the central optical axis, the image group accepting at in input thereof substantially collimated rays of light provided by the object group, and providing a focal point at a back focal distance (bfd) onto an image plane; and the system having the following relationships expressed as the following approximate ratios: gap/flobj≧1.2; gap/flimg≧1.50 gap/wd≦3.1; gap/bfd≦2.0 flobj/wd≦2.5; flimg/bfd≦1.33 where flobj=EFFECTIVE FOCAL LENGTH OF OBJECT GROUP flimg=EFFECTIVE FOCAL LENGTH OF IMAGE GROUP wd=AN OBJECT WORKING DISTANCE.

Claim 13

A multiple lens element macrolens system operative as a single lens with a high light transmission value therethrough, the system comprising: an object group of multiple lens elements having a common central optical axis and extending therealong by a distance l o , an image group of multiple lens elements disposed along the common central optical axis and extending therealong by a distance 1 i , a first lens element of the image group separated from a last element of the object group by a gap along the central optical axis, the image group accepting at in input thereof substantially collimated rays of light provided by the object group, and providing a focal point at a back focal distance (bfd) onto an image plane; and the system having the following relationships expressed as the following approximate ratios: gap/flobj≧1.2; gap/flimg≧1.50 gap/wd≦3.1; gap/bfd≦2.0 flobj/wd≦2.5; flimg/bfd≦1.33 where flobj=EFFECTIVE FOCAL LENGTH OF OBJECT GROUP flimg=EFFECTIVE FOCAL LENGTH OF IMAGE GROUP wd=AN OBJECT WORKING DISTANCE.