Patent ID: 7511891
Filing Date: 2009-03-31
Classification: G01J,G02B

Abstract:
1. A miniaturized optically imaging system with high lateral and axial resolution for endomicroscopic applications, comprising: at least one GRIN lens system with radial refractive index profile which generates a microscopic optical imaging of near-surface areas of an object in an image plane for an optical transmission system with a small diameter compared to the transmission length; a refractive plano-convex lens in the form of a homogeneous optical spherical lens element being provided and, together with the GRIN optics, forms an optical system; a plane side of the spherical lens element defining a plane entrance surface of the optical system, said plane entrance surface being oriented orthogonal to an optical axis common to both the optical system and a downstream transmission system; said spherical lens element being followed by a first GRIN lens for reducing divergence of a highly divergent light bundle from the spherical lens element; and a second GRIN lens for adapting the light bundle transmitted by the first GRIN lens to the aperture and object field of said downstream transmission system being arranged along the optical axis downstream of the first GRIN lens.