Other

Be Here Corporation

Integrated Endoscopy, Inc.

Jan Hoogland

Edward C Driscoll, Jr

Willard Curtis Lomax

John K Landre

The unsuitability of the retina of the eye as a reflective projection screen for image observation causes objective optometry to be expensive and of limited accuracy. The subjective assessment of image quality is the only way to make full use of the resolution capability of the eye. A subjective optometer for home use is disclosed with ample accuracy and confidence for mail order of prescription glasses. It overcomes the disadvantages of subjective optometry and is able to measure the refractive errors to the resolution limit of the eye, which is of great importance for the present state and relief of ametropia. Electronic recording and connectivity can be provided as an option.

Subjective optometer for home use

Optical systems for endoscopes, borescopes, dental scopes, and the like which are characterized by having three groups of lenses of positive optical power and an external entrance pupil. Typically, all three groups of lenses are displaced from the pupil and focal planes. As a consequence, the displaced groups take part in the image transfer as well as in the pupil transfer. The optical power requirements can thus be shifted from one group to another, distributing as well as reducing the overall power requirement. Moreover, the aberration correction can also be shared between these groups. The first group, which conventionally has the highest optical power, and consequently a large amount of aberrations to be corrected, can in this way transfer some of the optical aberration correction to the other groups. The sharing of the optical functions and aberration correction results in a fully integrated optical system. The reduction in the total amount of optical power is so large that a line-of-sight deviating prism can be readily accommodated between the entrance pupil and the first lens group. The resulting simplicity of the optical system makes it suitable as a disposable item.

Integrated optical system for endoscopes and the like

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a panoramic imaging arrangement comprising a transparent component and a reflective material. The transparent component has a first surface about a vertical axis of revolution, a second surface about the axis of revolution, and an opening formed therein to define a third, internal surface about the axis of revolution. The third surface has a concave profile in a plane of the axis of revolution. The reflective material is located on the second surface to provide a reflective surface against the second surface. The first surface, the reflective surface and the third surface are positioned relative to one another so that light from a 360&deg; surrounding panoramic scene enters the transparent component through the first surface, whereafter the light is reflected from the reflective surface, whereafter the light exits the transparent component through the third surface.

Panoramic imaging arrangement

Optical systems for endoscopes, borescopes, dental scopes, and the like which are characterized by having three groups of lenses of positive optical power and an external entrance pupil. Typically, all three groups of lenses are displaced from the pupil and focal planes. As a consequence, the displaced groups take part in the image transfer as well as in the pupil transfer. The optical power requirements can thus be shifted from one group to another, distributing as well as reducing the overall power requirement. Moreover, the aberration correction can also be shared between these groups. The first group, which conventionally has the highest optical power, and consequently a large amount of aberrations to be corrected, can in this way transfer some of the optical aberration correction to the other groups. The sharing of the optical functions and aberration correction results in a fully integrated optical system. The reduction in the total amount of optical power is so large that a line-of-sight deviating prism can be readily accomodated between the entrance pupil and the first lens group. The resulting simplicity of the optical system makes it suitable as a disposable item.

An endoscope relay optics design that reduces the number of air surfaces while maintaining high levels of correction. A lens assembly for incorporation into an optical transfer system (where two such assemblies define an optical transfer module for transferring an image between successive image planes) is of unitary construction. The assembly comprises five elements including a central rod-like element of high index material, a pair of negative elements of relatively low index, high dispersion material cemented to opposite ends of the central element, and a pair of positive end elements of high index, low dispersion material cemented to the negative elements. The powers of the elements are determined by requiring the Petzval sum to assume a desired low value, with index difference being the primary contributor to the correction. The two exposed surfaces are flat or mildly concave and include an aspheric component to correct spherical aberration.

Endoscope relay optics

An endoscope whose magnification may be continuously varied from zero to a microscopic magnification of 40.times. or more while providing full correction for aberrations at widely different magnifications. The objective comprises a positive lens group in a microscope objective configuration, and a front group which typically includes a negative lens generally near the focal plane of the positive lens group. To achieve high magnification, the objective is moved away from the transfer optics, and placed in contact with the object to be viewed. In such a configuration, the positive lens group functions as a microscope objective while the negative lens group's contribution to the aberrations is small. At low magnification, the negative lens group cooperates with the positive lens group to provide a wide angle lens. Pupil stabilization is achieved by placing the physical stop so that when the endoscope is used in the microscope mode, the physical stop between the positive and negative lens groups is ineffective or marginally effective. This permits the maximum numerical aperture consistent with the physical diameter of the positive lens group. However, the physical stop between the positive and negative lens groups comes into play when the object plane moves away from the negative lens group. The field lens located at the image plane receives the marginal chief ray at a nearly constant small angle over the entire range of magnification. This allows image transfer to be achieved with conventional means such as alternating field and relay lenses.

Variable magnification endoscope

An endoscope whose magnification may be continuously varied from zero to a microscopic magnification of 40x or more while providing full correction for aberrations at widely different magnifications. The objective comprises a positive lens group in a microscope objective configuration, and a front group which typically includes a negative lens and a physical stop in front of the positive lens group generally near the focal plane of the positive lens group. To achieve high magnification, the objective is moved away from the transfer optics, and placed in contact with the object to be viewed. In such a configuration, the positive lens group functions as a microscope objective while the negative lens group's contribution to the aberrations is small. At low magnification, the negative lens group cooperates with the positive lens group to provide a wide angle lens. Pupil stabilization is achieved by placing the physical stop so that when the endoscope is used in the microscope mode, the physical stop between the positive and negative lens groups is ineffective or marginally effective. This permits the maximum numerical aperture consistent with the physical diameter of the positive lens group. However, the physical stop between the positive and negative lens groups comes into play when the object plane moves away from the negative lens group. The field lens located at the image plane receives the marginal chief ray at a nearly constant small angle over the entire range of magnification. This allows image transfer to be achieved with conventional means such as alternating field and relay lenses.

A flat field lens system wherein the Petzval sum is corrected without requiring many spaced high powered elements or sharply bent elements. This is achieved by having the Petzval sum correction dominated by the index difference. In an embodiment suitable for use in endoscope transfer optics where medium or high aperture is required, the spherical aberration is best corrected by use of an aspheric surface on the low index material. Where high aperture is not required, as for example in a photographic wide angle objective, spherical aberration is kept low by using a relatively small aperture.

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Grants Pass, OR, United States of America

Jan Hoogland