Laser systems and optical devices for laser beam shaping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11378808-B2
Application number	US-201916514295-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2019
Priority date	Jul 18, 2018
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

Various claims of a multi-laser system are disclosed. In some claims, the multi-laser system includes a plurality of lasers, a plurality of laser beams, a beam positioning system, a thermally stable enclosure, and a temperature controller. Various claims of an optical system for directing light for optical measurements such laser-induced fluorescence and spectroscopic analysis are disclosed. In some claims, the optical system includes a beam shaping element configured to generate an illumination profile having a flat top.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An illumination system, comprising:
one or more lasers configured to output light having at least one wavelength;
one or more beam combiners each aligned to receive light from a corresponding one of the one or more lasers, the one or more beam combiners configured to direct the received light along a path;
a focusing optical element configured to receive light from the one or more beam combiners and focus the received light towards a focus point;
a diffuser positioned spaced apart from the focus point to receive defocused light from the focusing element, the diffuser configured to diffuse the received defocused light and output diffused light;
an actuator coupled to the diffuser and configured to vibrate the diffuser;
a collimating optical element configured to receive light output by the diffuser and configured to substantially collimate the light; and
a microlens array configured to receive light output by the diffuser and configured to alter the distribution of light.

2. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more lasers comprises a plurality of lasers.

3. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more beam combiners comprise one or more dichroic mirrors.

4. The illumination system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one filter configured to filter a portion of the light output by a corresponding one of the one or more lasers.

5. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser is positioned between the focusing optical element and the focus point to diffuse the light as the light is converging towards the focus point.

6. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser is positioned between the focus point and the collimating optical element to diffuse the light as the light is diverging away from the focus point.

7. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein diffuser is positioned and the focusing element is configured, so light from the focusing element forms a spot on the diffuser, the spot having a first width along a first direction and a second width along a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction, the first width being larger than the second width, and wherein the actuator is configured to vibrate the diffuser in the first direction.

8. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to vibrate the diffuser in one-dimensional motion.

9. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to vibrate the diffuser in a two-dimensional motion in a plane that is substantially orthogonal to the optical axis of the focusing optical element.

10. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to vibrate the diffuser in a circular motion.

11. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the microlens array is configured to output a substantially flat-top distribution of light.

12. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser is positioned at least about 0.2 mm from the focus point.

13. The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the focusing optical element is configured to focus the light to a spot having a first area at the focus point, and wherein the diffuser is positioned so that the light focused by the focusing optical element forms a spot on the diffuser that has a second area larger than the first area.

14. The illumination system of claim 13 , wherein the second area is at least about 50% larger than the first area.

15. The illumination system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional optical elements configured to receive light from the micro-lens array and focus the received light onto a target.

16. An illumination system comprising:
one or more light sources;
a focusing optical element configured to receive light emitted by the one or more light sources and focus the received light towards a focus point; and
a dynamic diffuser positioned to receive light propagating through the focusing optical element and to vibrate to diffuse the received light, the position of the dynamic diffuser being at a location other than the focus point;
wherein the focusing optical element comprises an aspherical lens.

17. The illumination system of claim 16 , wherein the dynamic diffuser is between the focusing optical element and the focus point so that the light being focused by the focusing optical element impinges on the dynamic diffuser before reaching the focus point.

18. A method of illuminating a target, the method comprising:
receiving light from one or more lasers at one or more beam combiners, each of the one or more beam combiners aligned to receive light from a corresponding one of the one or more lasers;
combining, by the one or more beam combiners, the received light and directing the received light along a common path;
receiving the light propagating along the common path at a focusing optical element and focusing the light towards a focus point;
receiving the focused light at a diffuser positioned at a location spaced apart from the focus point;
diffusing the light, at least in part by vibrating the diffuser, and outputting diffused light;
receiving light output by the diffuser at a collimating optical element and output collimates light; and
receiving the collimated light at a microlens array, and propagate light from the microlens array to a target.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the target comprises a flow cell.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the diffuser is positioned between the focusing optical element and the focus point.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the diffuser is positioned between the focus point and the collimating optical element.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein vibrating the diffuser comprises moving the diffuser in a circular motion.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein vibrating the diffuser comprises moving the diffuser in a two-dimensional motion in a plane.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the two-dimensional motion is substantially orthogonal to an optical axis of the focusing optical element.

25. An illumination system comprising:
one or more light sources;
a focusing optical element configured to receive light emitted by the one or more light sources and focus the received light towards a focus point; and
a dynamic diffuser positioned to receive light focused by the focusing optical element and configured to vibrate to diffuse the received light, the position of the dynamic diffuser being at a location other than the focus point;
wherein light being focused by the focusing optical element forms a spot of light on the dynamic diffuser that is generally elliptical in shape, having a major axis and a minor axis, and wherein the dynamic diffuser is configured to move in at least one dimension in substantially the same direction as the major axis.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the focusing optical element comprises an aspherical lens.

Assignees

• Idex Health & Science Llc

Inventors

• Hargis David E
• O'Shaughnessy John
• Bendick Jeff
• Ly Jeff
• Butterfield William

Classifications

• G02B27/48 Primary

  Laser speckle optics · CPC title

• G01N2021/6471

  Special filters, filter wheel · CPC title

• G02B27/141

  using dichroic mirrors · CPC title

• G01N2021/6465

  Angular discrimination · CPC title

• G01N2021/6463

  Optics · CPC title