Immersion Reflection Microscope Objective

The standard reflection objective is designed to work in air with reasonably high resolution. It is a lightweight, simple structure (only one or two mirrors are needed) with little chromatic dispersion and a relatively long working distance. However, it cannot be used in an immersion medium other than air. Otherwise, the light passing through the objective will suffer from considerable aberrations, and those will reduce resolution at the sample. There is a need to have a reflective objective that can be designed to be used with more than one type of immersion medium without causing distortions. The new design is insensitive to the immersion medium, and therefore a single objective can be used with air, water, oil, or a high refractive index clearing agent.

This new reflection microscope objective design permits use with any immersion medium (e.g., air, water, oil, or high refractive index clearing agent) by the inclusion of a meniscus lens in the standard reflection objective (a Schwarzschild objective). A small, lightweight meniscus (or convex-concave) lens is positioned below the first spherical mirror, and the immersion medium directly contacts a lower surface of the meniscus lens. The upper surface of the meniscus lens has a surface curvature that reduces the overall spherical aberration of the reflection objective. The lower surface of the meniscus lens is concentric with the focal point of the reflection objective, allowing the light rays to pass perpendicular to the lens-­‐medium interface. This geometry eliminates light refraction and image distortion regardless of the immersion medium.

Advantages:

• It can be used with any immersion medium.
• It does not need to be tuned or adjusted when switching between media.
• It offers a higher resolution than the conventional Schwarzschild Objective when a medium other than air is used.

Application:

• Use of a variety of high refractive index clearing agents for deep-tissue imaging.
• Allows for versatile imaging capabilities with a single objective.

Opportunity:

Free for Non-Profit Research and available for Commercial License

For inquiries, please reference:

Janelia 2009-003