Abstract: An optical viewer is disclosed which incorporates plastic lenses which reduce the weight and cost of the optical viewer. In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the optical design of the viewer is configured to compensate for the inferior optical characteristics of the plastic lenses to provide an optical viewer with comparable performance relative to optical viewers with glass lenses.

Abstract: The optical system includes a plurality of light modulators, one or more combining filters, and an optical relay system including a filter. Each light modulator modulates a corresponding incident light beam. The one or more combining filters superimpose the modulated light beams from each of the plurality of light modulators. The optical relay system filters the superimposed light and relays the filtered light to an image plane.

Abstract: The optical system includes a plurality of light modulators, one or more combining filters, and an optical relay system including a filter. Each light modulator modulates a corresponding incident light beam. The one or more combining filters superimpose the modulated light beams from each of the plurality of light modulators. The optical relay system filters the superimposed light and relays the filtered light to an image plane.

Abstract: The light-weight clinical viewer includes a two-element objective lens and a single-element eyepiece lens. Use of multiple lenses allows for a more compact package. The doublet objective serves to reduce vignetting while providing a wide field of view and reduced chromatic aberration. Image quality is further enhanced, while keeping the weight of the viewer down, through the use in the objective of light-weight high index glass. Moreover, the invention permits the use of a single mounting barrel assembly for different eyepieces to reduce manufacturing costs.

Abstract: A magnification viewer system includes a pair of magnification viewers adapted to be inserted into apertures in a pair of spectacle lenses to provide a relatively wider field of view and a lighter viewer system. Each magnification viewer includes a two-element objective lens and a single-element eyepiece lens. The doublet objective lens serves to reduce vignetting while providing a wide field of view and reduced chromatic aberration. Image quality may be further enhanced while keeping the weight of the viewer down through the use of light-weight high index glass for the objective lens. Moreover, the invention permits the use of interchangeable eyepiece lenses to provide a series of working distances, as well as interchangeable eyepiece segments to enable the magnification viewers to be corrected to the user's ophthalmic prescription. In order to reduce the criticality of the interpupillary distance, eyepiece lenses are formed with a 16 millimeter (mm) diameter.

Abstract: The light-weight high-magnification clinical viewer includes a three-element objective lens and a two-element eyepiece lens. Use of multiple lenses allows for a more compact package. The doublet eyepiece lens serves to reduce chromatic aberration at high magnification. The triplet objective serves to avoid vignetting while providing a wide field of view and reduced chromatic aberration. Image quality is further enhanced, while keeping the weight of the viewer down, through the use in the objective of light-weight high index glass.

Abstract: A lens aperture of an autostereoscopic camera is moved in a parallax scanning pattern through a plurality of disparity positions offset from the optical axis of the camera lens. Images of a scene being photographed, as viewed through the lens aperture in its various disparity positions, are recorded for subsequent display, which produces a three dimensional illusion when viewed on a conventional display with the unaided eye. The size of the lens aperture and the parallax scanning pattern are adjustable to suit conditions. The lens aperture may be defined by a through-hole in an opaque card, a plurality of interleaved leaf elements, or a planar array of cells switched between transparent and opaque states. In addition to stereoscopic imaging, the moving lens aperture principle of the present invention may be utilized in range-finding and camera image stabilization applications.

Abstract: The light-weight clinical viewer includes a two-element objective lens and a single-element eyepiece lens. Use of multiple lenses allows for a more compact package. The doublet objective serves to reduce vignetting while providing a wide field of view and reduced chromatic aberration. Image quality is further enhanced, while keeping the weight of the viewer down, through the use in the objective of light-weight high index glass. Moreover, the invention permits the use of a single mounting barrel assembly for different eyepieces to reduce manufacturing costs.

Abstract: The light-weight high-magnification clinical viewer includes a three-element objective lens and a two-element eyepiece lens. Use of multiple lenses allows for a more compact package. The doublet eyepiece lens serves to reduce chromatic aberration at high magnification. The triplet objective serves to avoid vignetting while providing a wide field of view and reduced chromatic aberration. Image quality is further enhanced, while keeping the weight of the viewer down, through the use in the objective of light-weight high index glass.

Abstract: A light-weight clinical viewer includes a two-element objective lens and a single-element eyepiece lens. Use of multiple lenses allows for a more compact package. The doublet objective serves to reduce vignetting while providing a wide field of view and reduced chromatic aberration. Image quality is further enhanced, while keeping the weight of the viewer down, through the use in the objective of light-weight high index glass. Moreover, the invention permits the use of a single mounting barrel assembly for different eyepieces to reduce manufacturing costs.

Abstract: An optical projection system is provided wherein a light valve supplies an aperture consisting of spatially separate colors for projection by a plurality of projection lenses to a projection plane. A color correction lens is placed at a selective pupil of the projection system wherein microscopic amounts of selective power are applied to at least one of the spatially seperated colors of the image at the selected pupil to cause a shift of the wavelength to bring all the wavelengths of the spatially separate colors to a common focus.

Abstract: A multiple element lens system for projecting images generated from curved surfaces. A spherical projection lens is provided along a projection axis. An aspheric plate follows the spherical lens, which is followed by a second spherical projection lens. Parfocalizing separate curved image surfaces of different primary colors permits a narrow spectral bandwidth lens system, having an improved speed and resolution, providing combined full color projected images.

Abstract: This invention provides a simplified laser optics system for generating a ring-shaped beam of laser radiation which is used for contouring and severing a curved, particularly a dome-shaped, article such as a silicone elastomer contact lens from a workpiece. The laser optics system consists essentially of a focussing element having a convex surface which receives a circular beam of laser radiation and an opposed conical surface forming an axicon which element transforms the circular beam into a ring-shaped beam of laser radiation. The ring-shaped beam is received by a reflective element having a conical reflective surface which causes the beam to impinge upon the curved workpiece surface, preferably at an angle which is substantially perpendicular to the workpiece surface, to accomplish edge contouring and severing of the article from the workpiece.

Abstract: A projection lens system of the type used in connection with cathode ray tubes, and more specifically a cathode ray tube projection system having an internal lens folding means, useful in projecting an image or series of images on a screen.

Abstract: A zoom optical system utilizes a virtual object relay system in order to obtain compact size in a large aperture instrument while minimizing chromatic aberration. The size may further be reduced by employing limited amounts of special optical materials for some of the lens elements.

Abstract: An aspheric projection lens system utilizes a single element aspheric projection lens for projecting a concave image from a concave cathode ray tube face plate, or the like onto a suitable projection surface.

Abstract: A 180.degree. high resolution fisheye projection lens suitable for projecting images onto a hemispherical dome, such as a planetarium dome, includes a nine-element projection lens and a six-element relay lens. The relay lens serves to increase the distance between the film plane and the lens and eliminates the need for modifying the projector to provide clearance between the lens and the projector shutter mechanism. In addition, the relay lens may be modified to make the fisheye lens compatible with various film sizes without modifying the fisheye lens. A focused iris is used to mask portions of the projected image, and a nonuniformly acting fader is used to reduce back scatter and to stop down the lens to adjust the brightness of the projected image.