Condensing optical system, confocal optical system, and scanning confocal endoscope
US7338439B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 3, 2004 |
| Grant date | Mar 4, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 11, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B21/0024
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A condensing optical system, suitable for a scanning confocal optical system (having a composition for scanning a beam spot on a subject surface by swinging a point source of light) and capable of satisfactorily suppressing various aberrations and reducing loss of light quantity, is provided. The condensing optical system, installed in a scanning confocal optical system for obtaining images of a subject surface by scanning a beam emitted from a point source of light by moving the point source which serves as a pinhole for confocal observation, is configured to satisfy the following condition0.1<|m×NA|<0.2where “m” denotes magnification of the condensing optical system and “NA” denotes a numerical aperture of the condensing optical system on its subject surface side.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.