Flexible fluidic mirror and hybrid system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10133056-B2
Application number	US-201715608745-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2017
Priority date	Oct 27, 2005
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A flexible fluidic mirror system and a hybrid fluidic optical system is disclosed herein. The flexible fluidic mirror system generally includes a flexible fluidic mirror having an outer housing and a flexible membrane supported within the outer housing, and a fluid control system operatively coupled to the flexible fluidic mirror. A portion of the flexible membrane comprises a reflective coating or film or nanoparticles disposed thereon or sprayed on. The hybrid fluidic optical system generally includes a hybrid fluidic optical device (i.e., a lens or mirror) having an outer housing and a flexible membrane supported within the outer housing, and a fluid control system operatively coupled to the hybrid fluidic optical device. The hybrid fluidic optical device further includes a magnetically actuated subsystem configured to selectively deform the flexible membrane so as to increase or decrease the convexity of the flexible membrane of the hybrid fluidic optical device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flexible fluidic mirror system, comprising:
a flexible fluidic mirror having an outer housing and a flexible membrane supported within the outer housing, the flexible membrane at least partially defining a chamber that receives a fluid therein, a portion of the flexible membrane comprising a reflective coating of nanoparticles adhered to the flexible membrane that reflects one or more incoming light beams, and the flexible membrane of the flexible fluidic mirror being disposed within a front aperture of the outer housing, and wherein the outer housing of the flexible fluidic mirror comprises a solid, rigid rear wall that is disposed generally opposite to the flexible membrane, the solid, rigid rear wall of the outer housing of the flexible fluidic mirror having a flat peripheral portion and a convexly-shaped central portion projecting outwardly from the flat peripheral portion, the convexly-shaped central portion of the solid, rigid rear wall of the outer housing accommodating the flexible membrane being deformed into a concave shape;
a fluid control system operatively coupled to the flexible fluidic mirror, the fluid control system configured to insert an amount of the fluid into the chamber of the flexible fluidic mirror, or remove an amount of the fluid from the chamber of the flexible fluidic mirror, in order to change the shape of the flexible fluidic mirror in accordance with the amount of fluid therein; and
a Shack-Hartmann sensor assembly operatively coupled to the fluid control system, at least one of the one or more incoming light beams reflected by the flexible fluidic mirror being transmitted to the Shack-Hartmann sensor assembly, the Shack-Hartmann sensor assembly by means of the fluid control system automatically controlling the amount of the fluid in the chamber of the flexible fluidic mirror, thereby automatically changing the shape of the flexible fluidic mirror based upon the at least one of the one or more incoming light beams that is transmitted to the Shack-Hartmann sensor assembly, and the Shack-Hartmann sensor assembly further controlling the focal point of the flexible fluidic mirror by means of a data processing device operatively coupled to the fluid control system.

2. The flexible fluidic mirror system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible membrane of the flexible fluidic mirror comprises a front surface that is generally circular, rectangular, or elliptical in shape, and wherein the front aperture of the outer housing of the flexible fluidic mirror is circular, rectangular, or elliptical in shape so as to form the generally circular, rectangular, or elliptical shape of the flexible membrane front surface.

3. The flexible fluidic mirror system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid control system comprises a pump and one or more fluid distribution lines, at least one of the one or more fluid distribution lines fluidly coupling the pump to the flexible fluidic mirror so that the pump is capable of adjusting concavity and/or convexity of the flexible fluidic mirror.

4. The flexible fluidic mirror system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid disposed in the chamber of the flexible fluidic mirror is in the form of a polymerizable substance that is cured after the flexible fluidic mirror is formed into a desired concave or convex shape.

5. The flexible fluidic mirror system of claim 4 , wherein the polymerizable substance disposed in the chamber of the flexible fluidic mirror is cured by the application of at least one of: (i) ultraviolet radiation, and (ii) microwaves.

6. The flexible fluidic mirror system of claim 5 , wherein the nanoparticles forming the reflective coating of the flexible membrane are painted on the flexible membrane or sprayed on the flexible membrane after the polymerizable substance is cured and the desired concave or convex shape of the flexible fluidic mirror is achieved.

7. The flexible fluidic mirror system of claim 4 , wherein the polymerizable substance disposed in the chamber of the flexible fluidic mirror comprises a liquid polymer and a chemical crosslinker initiator, and wherein the flexible fluidic mirror is affixed into the desired concave or convex shape by mixing the liquid polymer with the chemical crosslinker initiator so as to solidify the flexible membrane and achieve the desired curvature.

8. The flexible fluidic mirror system of claim 1 , further comprising a valve for regulating a flow of the fluid into, or out of, the chamber of the flexible fluidic mirror.

9. The flexible fluidic mirror system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid control system comprises a single pump and one or more fluid distribution lines, a single one of the one or more fluid distribution lines fluidly coupling the single pump to the outer housing of the flexible fluidic mirror so that the single pump is capable of adjusting concavity and/or convexity of the flexible fluidic mirror, the single pump configured to both insert an amount of the fluid into the chamber of the flexible fluidic mirror, and remove an amount of the fluid from the chamber of the flexible fluidic mirror.

10. The flexible fluidic mirror system of claim 9 , wherein the data processing device is operatively coupled to the single pump of the fluid control system and the Shack-Hartmann sensor assembly, and wherein the data processing device controls an operation of the single pump of the fluid control system based upon one or more output signals from the Shack-Hartmann sensor assembly.

11. The flexible fluidic mirror system of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles forming the reflective coating of the flexible membrane are selected from the group consisting of iron nanoparticles, aluminum nanoparticles, zinc nanoparticles, and gold nanoparticles.

12. The flexible fluidic mirror system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible membrane of the flexible fluidic mirror comprises a front surface with a periphery that is generally elliptical in shape, and wherein the front aperture of the outer housing of the flexible fluidic mirror is elliptical in shape so as to form the generally elliptical shape of the flexible membrane front surface.

13. A flexible fluidic mirror system, comprising:
a flexible fluidic mirror having an outer housing and a flexible membrane supported within the outer housing, the flexible membrane at least partially defining a chamber that receives a fluid therein, a portion of the flexible membrane comprising a reflective coating of nanoparticles adhered to the flexible membrane that reflects one or more incoming light beams, and the flexible membrane of the flexible fluidic mirror comprising a front membrane portion disposed within a front aperture of the outer housing and a rear membrane portion disposed within a rear aperture of the outer housing such that the flexible fluidic mirror is in the form of a biconvex fluidic mirror;
a fluid control system operatively coupled to the flexible fluidic mirror, the fluid control system configured to insert an amount of the fluid into the chamber of the flexible fluidic mirror, or remove an amount of the fluid from the chamber of the flexible fluidic mirror, in order to change the shape of the flexible fluidic mirror in accordance with the amount of fluid therein; and
a Shack-Hartmann sensor assembly operatively coupled to the fluid control system, at least one of the one or more incoming light beams reflected by the flexible fluidic mirror being transmitted to the Shack-Hartmann sensor assembly, the Shack-Hartmann sensor assembly by means of the fluid control system automatically controlling the amount of the fluid in the chamber of the flexible fluidic mirror, thereby automatically changing the shape of the flexible f

Assignees

• Peyman Gholam A

Inventors

• Peyman Gholam A

Classifications

• H04N23/67

  Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title

• G02B7/28

  Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals · CPC title

• G02C7/085

  Fluid-filled lenses, e.g. electro-wetting lenses · CPC title

• A61B1/0019

  characterised by variable lenses · CPC title

• A61F2/1635

  for changing shape · CPC title