Multicolor detection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10753873-B2
Application number	US-201816205362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2018
Priority date	Feb 3, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

A multicolor detection device includes: a condensing lens array 17 in which a plurality of condensing lenses 18, each of which turns light emitted from each of a plurality of light emitting points 1 individually into parallel light beams, are arranged, the light emitting points being arranged in a light emitting point array; at least one spectroscopic element on which the parallel light beams are incident in parallel, the at least one spectroscopic element being common; and at least one sensor on which light beams spectrally separated by the spectroscopic element are incident in parallel, the at least one sensor being common.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multicolor detection system comprising:
a condensing-lens array having m condensing lenses that individually condense lights respectively emitted from m light-emitting points that are arranged in a light-emitting-point array and turn the lights into m light beams, where m is an integer greater than or equal to 2;
a dichroic mirror set having n dichroic mirrors including a first dichroic mirror and a second dichroic mirror, arranged substantially in parallel, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; and
one sensor,
wherein:
the m light beams are respectively incident in parallel on the first dichroic mirror, and the first dichroic mirror divides the m light beams into m first transmitted light beams and m first reflected light beams,
the m first reflected light beams are respectively incident in parallel on the second dichroic mirror, and the second dichroic mirror converts the m first reflected light beams into m second reflected light beams, and
the m first transmitted light beams and the m second reflected light beams are respectively incident in parallel on the sensor without being re-condensed.

2. The multicolor detection system according to claim 1 ,
wherein an optical axis direction of each of the m condensing lenses and a sensor surface of the sensor are substantially perpendicular to each other.

3. The multicolor detection system according to claim 1 ,
wherein an array direction of the n dichroic-mirrors is substantially perpendicular to each of an optical axis direction of each of the m condensing lenses and an array direction of the m condensing lenses.

4. The multicolor detection system according to claim 1 ,
wherein provided that an average effective diameter of the m light-emitting points is d, an average focal length of the m condensing lenses is f, an average effective diameter of the m condensing lenses is D, and an average optical distance for the m second reflected light beams between each of the m condensing lenses and the sensor is g,
f≤− 0.20*( d/D )* g+ 2.8 *D

is satisfied.

5. The multicolor detection system according to claim 4 ,
wherein provided that an average array interval of the m light-emitting points is p,
f≥ 0.95*( d/p )* g

is satisfied.

6. The multicolor detection system according to claim 1 ,
wherein provided that an average effective diameter of the m light-emitting points is d, an average array interval of the m light-emitting points is p, an average focal length of the m condensing lenses is f, and an average optical distance for the m second reflected light beams between each of the m condensing lenses and the sensor is g,
f≥ 0.95*( d/p )* g

is satisfied.

7. The multicolor detection system according to claim 1 ,
wherein provided that an average array interval of the m light-emitting points is p, an average effective diameter of the m condensing lenses is D, an effective diameter of the n dichroic mirrors in an array direction of the m light-emitting points is DM 1 , and an effective diameter of the n dichroic mirrors in a direction orthogonal to the array direction of the m light-emitting points is DM 2 ,
p *( m −1)+ D≤DM 1 and √2 *D≤DM 2

are satisfied.

8. The multicolor detection system according to claim 1 ,
wherein optical axes of the m condensing lenses are not parallel to each other.

9. The multicolor detection system according to claim 1 , further comprising a third dichroic mirror that is not included in the dichroic mirror set,
wherein:
m irradiation light beams are respectively incident in parallel on the third dichroic mirror, and the third dichroic mirror converts the m irradiation light beams into m third reflected light beams,
the m third reflected light beams are individually condensed by the m condensing lenses and the m light emitting points are individually irradiated with the m third reflected light beams, and
the m light beams are the lights emitted from the m light-emitting points that are then individually condensed by the m condensing lenses and are further transmitted in parallel through the third dichroic mirror.

10. A multicolor detection system comprising:
a condensing-lens array having m condensing lenses that individually condense lights respectively emitted from m light-emitting points that are arranged in a light-emitting-point array and turn the lights into m light beams, where m is an integer greater than or equal to 2;
a dichroic mirror set having n dichroic mirrors including a first dichroic mirror and a second dichroic mirror, arranged substantially in parallel, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2; and
one sensor,
wherein:
the m light beams are respectively incident in parallel on the first dichroic mirror, and the first dichroic mirror divides the m light beams into m first transmitted light beams and m first reflected light beams,
the m first transmitted light beams are respectively incident in parallel on the second dichroic mirror, and the second dichroic mirror converts the m first transmitted light beams into m second reflected light beams, and
the m first reflected light beams and the m second reflected light beams are respectively incident in parallel on the sensor without being re-condensed.

11. The multicolor detection system according to claim 10 ,
wherein an optical axis direction of each of the m condensing lenses and a sensor surface of the sensor are substantially perpendicular to each other.

12. The multicolor detection system according to claim 10 ,
wherein an array direction of the n dichroic-mirrors is substantially perpendicular to each of an optical axis direction of each of the m condensing lenses and an array direction of the m condensing lenses.

13. The multicolor detection system according to claim 10 ,
wherein provided that an average effective diameter of the m light-emitting points is d, an average focal length of the m condensing lenses is f, an average effective diameter of the m condensing lenses is D, and an average optical distance for the m second reflected light beams between each of the m condensing lenses and the sensor is g,
f≤− 0.20*( d/D )* g+ 2.8 *D

is satisfied.

14. The multicolor detection system according to claim 13 ,
wherein provided that an average array interval of the m light-emitting points is p,
f≥ 0.95*( d/p )* g

is satisfied.

15. The multicolor detection system according to claim 10 ,
wherein provided that an average effective diameter of the m light-emitting points is d, an average array interval of the m light-emitting points is p, an average focal length of the m condensing lenses is f, and an average optical distance for the m second reflected light beams between each of the m condensing lenses and the sensor is g,
f≥ 0.95*( d/p )* g

is satisfied.

16. The multicolor detection system according to claim 10 ,
wherein provided that an average array interval of the m light-emitting points is p, an average effective diameter of the m condensing lenses is D, an effective diameter of the n dichroic mirrors in an array direction of the m light-emitting points is DM 1 , and an effective diameter of the n dichroic mirrors in a direction orthogonal to the array direction of the m light-emitting points is DM 2 ,
p *( m −1)+ D≤DM 1 and √2 *D≤DM 2

are satisfied.

17. The multicolor detection system according to claim 10 ,
wherein optical axes of the m condensing lenses are not parallel to each other.

18. Th

Assignees

• Hitachi High Tech Corp
• Hitachi High-Tech Corp

Inventors

• Anazawa Takashi
• Takahashi Satoshi
• Yamazaki Motohiro
• Kodama Yoshitaka

Classifications

• G01J3/14

  using refracting elements, e.g. prisms (G01J3/18, G01J3/26 take precedence {prisms per se G02B5/04}) · CPC title

• G01J2003/1217

  Indexed discrete filters or choppers · CPC title

• G01J3/18

  using diffraction elements, e.g. grating (gratings per se G02B) · CPC title

• G01J3/0208

  using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction · CPC title

• G01J3/021

  using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or particular reflectors · CPC title