Optical Design of Microscopes (SPIE Tutorial Text Vol. TT88) (SPIE Tutorial Texts)

Knowledge of microscope design is rapidly becoming more important. Microscopes are used in critical applications such as drug development, clinical tests, and genomics. Considerable expertise is required for the evaluation, design, and manufacture of these instruments. Several subsystems must be integrated: the source, the illumination optics, the specimen, the objective lens, the tube optics, and the sensor. The large numerical aperture of a microscope is essential for small spot size and high brightness; however, the large numerical aperture also presents difficult issues in optical design and fabrication.

The book comprises three groups of chapters. The early chapters describe the structure and function of basic components in a microscope. The middle chapters describe essential knowledge for optical design, such as Seidel aberrations, the origins of refractive index, and wave propagation. The latter chapters review more than 20 optical prescriptions with real glass types. Examples of prescriptions include 10X achromat, 40X fluor, 60X TIRF, 100X aplanat, 10X Schwarzschild, and 10X Erfle. The final chapters also discuss glass types. The effects of lead, lanthanum, titanium, and fluoride are related to refractive index and spectrum length. This discussion of glass types should appeal to all students of optics.

This book provides a foundation for developing design expertise through education, practice, and exploration. It is suitable for lens designers, optical engineers, and students with a basic knowledge of microscope structure.

- Optical Design Concepts
- Basic Microscope Concepts
- Geometric Optics
- Aberrations
- Basic Physical Optics
- Fluorescence
- Optical Design Metrics
- Image Contrast
- Microlens Formats
- Illumination Systems
- Cover Strata
- Objective Lenses
- Tube Elements
- Ocular Lens
- Sensors
- Human Vision
- Optical Materials
- Composition and Spectra of Materials
- Advanced Concepts
- Appendix: Prescriptions
- Works Consulted
- Recommended Reading for an Optical Engineer
- References
- Index