Confocal optical system-based measurement apparatus and method for manufacturing confocal optical system-based measurement apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10795067-B2
Application number	US-201916369219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2019
Priority date	Apr 26, 2018
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

A confocal optical system-based measurement apparatus includes: a light source; a light projecting optical fiber group; a light receiving optical fiber group; a spectroscope; and a confocal optical system configured to condense each of a plurality of beams from a plurality of light projecting optical fibers to irradiate a sample therewith, and cause a plurality of beams from a plurality of condensing points on the sample to form images on the plurality of light receiving optical fibers, respectively, wherein the light projecting optical fiber group includes the plurality of light projecting optical fibers configured to receive light from the light source, the light receiving optical fiber group includes the plurality of light receiving optical fibers configured to guide received light to the spectroscope, the shape of an end face of the light projecting optical fiber group and the shape of an end face of the light receiving optical fiber group are in a mirror image relationship, and in the light projecting optical fiber group and the light receiving optical fiber group, the shape of an end face of each light projecting optical fiber and the shape of an end face of a light receiving optical fiber corresponding thereto are in a mirror image relationship.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A confocal optical system-based measurement apparatus comprising:
a light source;
a light projecting optical fiber group;
a light receiving optical fiber group;
a spectroscope; and
a confocal optical system configured to condense each of a plurality of beams from a plurality of light projecting optical fibers to irradiate a sample therewith, and cause a plurality of beams from a plurality of condensing points on the sample to form images on the plurality of light receiving optical fibers, respectively,
wherein the light projecting optical fiber group includes the plurality of light projecting optical fibers configured to receive light from the light source,
the light receiving optical fiber group includes the plurality of light receiving optical fibers configured to guide received light to the spectroscope,
the shape of an end face of the light projecting optical fiber group and the shape of an end face of the light receiving optical fiber group are in a mirror image relationship, and
in the light projecting optical fiber group and the light receiving optical fiber group, the shape of an end face of each light projecting optical fiber and the shape of an end face of a light receiving optical fiber corresponding thereto are in a mirror image relationship.

2. The confocal optical system-based measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein each light projecting optical fiber and each light receiving optical fiber include
a core,
a clad that covers the outer circumferential surface of the core, and
a primary coating that covers the outer circumferential surface of the clad.

3. The confocal optical system-based measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light projecting optical fiber group further includes one or more light projecting-side dummy fibers,
the light receiving optical fiber group further includes one or more light receiving-side dummy fibers,
the one or more light projecting-side dummy fibers are located on the central side relative to at least one of the plurality of light projecting optical fibers in the end face of the light projecting optical fiber group, and
the one or more light receiving-side dummy fibers are located on the central side relative to at least one of the plurality of light receiving optical fibers in the end face of the light receiving optical fiber group.

4. The confocal optical system-based measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light projecting optical fiber group further includes one or more light projecting marker optical fibers,
the light receiving optical fiber group further includes one or more light receiving marker optical fibers,
the confocal optical system condenses a marker beam from each light projecting marker optical fiber and a marker beam from each light receiving marker optical fiber to irradiate the sample therewith, and
in the light projecting optical fiber group and the light receiving optical fiber group, the shape of an end face of each light projecting optical fiber and the shape of an end face of a light receiving optical fiber corresponding thereto are in a mirror image relationship.

5. A method for manufacturing a confocal optical system-based measurement apparatus that includes: a light source; a plurality of light projecting optical fibers configured to receive light from the light source; a spectroscope; a plurality of light receiving optical fibers configured to guide received light to the spectroscope; and a confocal optical system configured to condense each of a plurality of beams from the plurality of light projecting optical fibers to irradiate a sample therewith, and cause a plurality of beams from a plurality of condensing points on the sample to form images on the plurality of light receiving optical fibers, respectively the method comprising:
arranging optical fibers;
cutting the optical fibers thus arranged, along a plane that is orthogonal to a direction in which the optical fibers extend, to divide the optical fibers into two optical fiber groups; and
setting optical fibers included in one of the optical fiber groups as the light projecting optical fibers, and setting optical fibers included in the other of the optical fiber groups as the light receiving optical fibers.

Assignees

• Otsuka Denshi Kk

Inventors

• Otsuka Haruka
• Shiraiwa Hisashi
• Mizuguchi Tsutomu

Classifications

• G02B6/0006 Primary

  Coupling light into the fibre (in general G02B6/4298) · CPC title

• G02B21/0032

  Optical details of illumination, e.g. light-sources, pinholes, beam splitters, slits, fibers (G02B21/0036 - G02B21/008; means for illumination of specimens in general G02B21/06) · CPC title

• G01J3/024

  using means for illuminating a slit efficiently (e.g. entrance slit of a spectrometer or entrance face of fiber) · CPC title

• G01J3/0218 Primary

  using optical fibers · CPC title

• G02B6/04

  formed by bundles of fibres (G02B6/24 takes precedence) · CPC title