Sensor device with double telecentric optical system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9268121-B2
Application number	US-201113990251-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2011
Priority date	Dec 1, 2010
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A sensor device and a method for a double telecentric optical system includes a single focusing element, such as a lens. The device and method further include a mirror element arranged at a focal point of the single focusing element to reflect incoming light rays back to the single focusing element. The incoming and reflected light rays pass through different parts of the single focusing element to allow for a spatially separated arrangement of an object and its image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for generating an image of an object, said method comprising acts of:
illuminating an object provided at a sensing region with a light source;
focusing with a single focusing element light rays coming from the object to a focal point, said light rays coming from the object to the focal point being focused light rays; and
reflecting with a mirror the focused light rays back to the single focusing element, said focused light rays back to the single focusing element being reflected light rays, wherein a plane of at least one of the object and of the image is tilted with respect to an optical axis of the single focusing element,
wherein the single focusing element consists of one of a single lens and a single concave mirror,
wherein the light source is configured to illuminate the sensing region by total internal reflection, and
wherein light rays emitted from the light source contact the sensing region at an incident angle of illumination that is larger than a critical angel of the total internal reflection.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the focused light rays coming from the object and reflected light rays reflected by the mirror element encounter different parts of the single focusing element.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said different parts are arranged symmetrically with respect to the optical axis of the single focusing element.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mirror element comprises a stop.

5. A sensor device, comprising:
a sensing region at which a sample can be provided;
an image sensor;
a double telecentric optical system configured to image the sensing region onto the image sensor, the double telecentric optical system comprising:
a single focusing element for focusing light rays coming from the sensing region to a focal point, said focusing light rays being focused light rays, and
a mirror element arranged at said focal point for reflecting the focused light rays back to the single focusing element, said focused light rays reflecting back being reflected light rays; and
a light source for illuminating the sensing region wherein a plane of at least one of an object and of an image is tilted with respect to an optical axis of the single focusing element,

wherein the single focusing element consists of one of a single lens and a single concave mirror,
wherein the light source is configured to illuminate the sensing region by total internal reflection, and
wherein light rays emitted from the light source contact the sensing region at an incident angle of illumination that is larger than a critical angel of the total internal reflection.

6. The sensor device according to claim 5 , wherein the single lens of the single focusing element is a converging lens.

7. The sensor device according to claim 5 , wherein the single concave mirror of the single focusing element is one of a spherical mirror and a parabolic mirror.

8. The sensor device according to claim 5 , further comprising an additional mirror disposed in an optical path of the reflected light rays between the single focusing element and the image sensor.

9. The sensor device according to claim 5 , wherein the illuminating of the sensing region is by evanescent waves.

10. The sensor device according to claim 5 , wherein an incident angle of illumination at the sensing region and an angle of the reflected light rays at the image sensor are a same angle.

11. A method for at least one of a molecular diagnostics, a biological sample analysis, a chemical sample analysis, food analysis, and a forensic analysis, the method using a sensor device, the method comprising:
illuminating an object provided at a sensing region with a light source;
focusing with a single focusing element light rays coming from the object to a focal point, said light rays coming from the object to the focal point being focused light rays; and
reflecting with a mirror the focused light rays back to the single focusing element, said focused light rays back to the single focusing element being reflected light rays,
wherein a plane of at least one of the object and of the image is tilted with respect to an optical axis of the single focusing element,
wherein the single focusing element consists of one of a single lens and a single concave mirror,
wherein the light source is configured to illuminate the sensing region by total internal reflection, and
wherein light rays emitted from the light source contact the sensing region at an incident angle of illumination that is larger than a critical angel of the total internal reflection.

12. A sensor device, comprising:
a sensing region at which a sample can be provided;
an image sensor;
a double telecentric optical system configured to image the sensing region onto the image sensor, the double telecentric optical system comprising:
a single focusing element for focusing light rays coming from the sensing region to a focal point, said focusing light rays being focused light rays, and
a mirror element arranged at said focal point for reflecting the focused light rays back to the single focusing element, said focused light rays reflecting back being reflected light rays; and
a light source for illuminating the sensing region wherein a plane of at least one of an object and of an image is tilted with respect to an optical axis of the single focusing element,

wherein the single focusing element consists of one of a single lens and a single concave mirror, and
wherein the light source is configured to illuminate the sensing region by frustrated total internal reflection.

13. A method for generating an image of an object, said method comprising acts of:
illuminating an object provided at a sensing region with a light source;
focusing with a single focusing element light rays coming from the object to a focal point, said light rays coming from the object to the focal point being focused light rays; and
reflecting with a mirror the focused light rays back to the single focusing element, said focused light rays back to the single focusing element being reflected light rays, wherein a plane of at least one of the object and of the image is tilted with respect to an optical axis of the single focusing element,
wherein the single focusing element consists of one of a single lens and a single concave mirror, and
wherein the light source is configured to illuminate the sensing region by frustrated total internal reflection.

14. A method for at least one of a molecular diagnostics, a biological sample analysis, a chemical sample analysis, food analysis, and a forensic analysis, the method using a sensor device, the method comprising:
illuminating an object provided at a sensing region with a light source;
focusing with a single focusing element light rays coming from the object to a focal point, said light rays coming from the object to the focal point being focused light rays; and
reflecting with a mirror the focused light rays back to the single focusing element, said focused light rays back to the single focusing element being reflected light rays,
wherein a plane of at least one of the object and of the image is tilted with respect to an optical axis of the single focusing element,
wherein the single focusing element consists of one of a single lens and a single concave mirror, and
wherein the light source is configured to illuminate the sensing region by frustrated total internal reflection.

Assignees

• Van Den Eerenbeemd Jacobus Maria Antonius
• Neijzen Jacobus Hermanus Maria
• Koninkl Philips Nv

Inventors

• Van Den Eerenbeemd Jacobus Maria Antonius
• Neijzen Jacobus Hermanus Maria

Classifications

• G02B17/008

  Systems specially adapted to form image relays or chained systems · CPC title

• G02B13/26

  for reproducing with unit magnification · CPC title

• G02B13/22

  Telecentric objectives or lens systems · CPC title

• G02B17/00 Primary

  Systems with reflecting surfaces, with or without refracting elements · CPC title

• G01N21/552 Primary

  Attenuated total reflection · CPC title