Hello!
I’m new when it comes to optics, and was wondering for the infinity corrected optics module where exactly the 12.7 mm achromatic lense would be placed in relation to the pi sensor, filter cube, and objective. A diagram would be helpful but any help would be appreciated! I’ll be using an Olympus Plan Achromatic Objective (stock number 86-815) from Edmund optics if that information helps!
Hello,
Here you have a diagram of the explode microscope.
https://openflexure.org/projects/microscope/interactive-view
And the assembly instruction is a good source too.
https://build.openflexure.org/openflexure-microscope/v6.1.2/docs/#/2b_high_resolution_optics_module
Looking at the diagram and instructions, there’s no mention of the addition of the filter cube, so I’m assuming it would only be able to perform bright field microscopy (unless I’m mistaken). Also from what I thought, that was just for the finite-conjugate objective and not the infinity corrected. If I’m wrong let me know! That’s just my interpretation of it.
I think the assembly is the same for either the infinity or the finite module. Optically there is still a lens, but it is in a different place. That is dealt with in the part dimensions. Similarly, the version with the filter cube is also assembled in the same way, you just need the right optics module printed. I think it would be optics_m12_rms_infinity_f50d13_beamsplitter for what you describe with reflection_illuminator and lens_tool. Assembly of the filter cube itself is in the ‘reflection illumination’ part of the manual that @Gris74 linked.
Thank you for the clarification! I just wanted to make sure I was understanding it right, I’ve never set up my own optics before (although I’ve read a fair amount on the topic) and wanted to make sure everything was good before assembly! Thank you again.
@WilliamW is right that you would want the _infinity_f50d13_beamsplitter version of the optics, though you may want the picamera version rather than the m12 version if you’re using a Raspberry Pi Camera module. For the infinity-corrected version, the lens wants to be about 50mm from the sensor, so that parallel rays are focused onto the sensor. In reality, the distance isn’t quite 50mm, because the lens has a finite thickness, and so the plane that needs to be 50mm away from the sensor is inside the lens. That means the less curved side of the lens wants to be slightly less than 50mm from the sensor.
The optics modules with and without fluorescence are identical except that the beamsplitter-compatible one has a hole where you can slide in a filter cube. This allows you to couple in the excitation light using a dichroic mirror. It’s worth giving a word of caution here - the mounting for the fluorescence illumination is definitely the least nice part of the microscope at present! We are working on improving it; probably it will use the same optical components, but we’re trying to mount them a bit more solidly.