Optical design of a light field otoscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10098529-B2
Application number	US-201615197601-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2015
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

Designs for a light field otoscope are disclosed. An example light field otoscope includes an objective lens group, relay optics and a plenoptic sensor (e.g., microlens array and sensor array). The objective lens group images an interior of a human ear and is characterized by a pupil plane and an image plane. The relay optics is positioned between the objective lens group and the plenoptic sensor. It relays the image plane to the microlens array and relays the pupil plane to the sensor array.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light field otoscope comprising:
an objective lens group for imaging an interior of a human ear, the objective lens group characterized by a pupil plane and an image plane;
a plenoptic sensor comprising a microlens array and a sensor array; and
relay optics positioned between the objective lens group and the plenoptic sensor, the relay optics relaying the image plane to the microlens array and relaying the pupil plane to the sensor array, wherein the relay optics comprises:
a first relay lens group that relays the pupil plane to an intermediate pupil plane; and
a second relay lens group that relays the intermediate pupil plane to the sensor array, the first and second relay lens groups together relaying the image plane to the microlens array, and wherein a filter module is insertable at the intermediate pupil plane.

2. The light field otoscope of claim 1 wherein the pupil plane is located ahead of a front lens of the objective lens group.

3. The light field otoscope of claim 1 wherein the objective lens group consists of a doublet followed by a singlet.

4. The light field otoscope of claim 1 wherein the objective lens group is specified substantially according to a lens prescription of:

Surf
Type
Radius
Thickness
Glass
Conic

1
STANDARD
5.33
1.00
N-BK7
−17.08

2
STANDARD
−4
1
N-5F5

3
STANDARD
−3.7
2

4
STANDARD
7
0.92
N-BK7

5
STANDARD
−7
2.2.

5. The light field otoscope of claim 1 wherein the objective lens group consists of a first positive lens group and a second positive lens group, the pupil plane located ahead of both lens groups.

6. The light field otoscope of claim 1 wherein the objective lens group has an object-space numerical aperture of at least 0.05.

7. The light field otoscope of claim 1 wherein the objective lens group has a field of view of at least 16 mm.

8. The light field otoscope of claim 1 wherein the objective lens group has an RMS spot size of not more than 6 microns on-axis.

9. The light field otoscope of claim 1 wherein chief rays in an image space of the objective lens group are telecentric or near-telecentric.

10. The light field otoscope of claim 1 wherein the objective lens group is specified substantially according to a lens prescription of:

Surf
Type
Radius
Thickness
Glass

1
STANDARD
5.38
1
S-PHM52

2
STANDARD
−5.38
1
N-LASF9

3
STANDARD
−20.79
1.2

4
STANDARD
5.26
1.47
N-BK7

5
STANDARD
−3.98
1.03
N-SF5

6
STANDARD
−12.05
0.8

7
STANDARD
7.12
2
N-BAF10

8
STANDARD
−4.22
1
N-SF10

9
STANDARD
−33.66.

11. The light field otoscope of claim 1 wherein the objective lens group consists of a first negative lens group and a second positive lens group separated by the pupil plane.

12. The light field otoscope of claim 1 wherein the objective lens group is specified substantially according to a lens prescription of:

Surf
Type
Radius
Thickness
Glass

1
STANDARD
−1.51
0.5
N-BK7

2
STANDARD
−1.66
0.5

3
STANDARD
Infinity
0

Assignees

• Gao Liang
• To Hacek Over S Ic Ivana
• Bedard Noah
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Gao Liang
• To{Hacek Over (S)}Ić Ivana
• Bedard Noah

Classifications

• H04N23/555

  for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• G02B9/12

  having three components only · CPC title

• G02B13/0095

  Relay lenses or rod lenses (in instruments for viewing the inside of hollow bodies G02B23/2446) · CPC title

• G02B23/2446

  of the image relay (G02B23/26 takes precedence) · CPC title