Patents by Inventor Thomas Mehner

Thomas Mehner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11880026
    Abstract: A microscope, which includes a color splitter that is reflective to excitation radiation, can switch between a first and a second operating mode. A first apparatus can introduce a first cylindrical optical element into the excitation beam path between a light source and the color splitter, when the microscope is in the first operating mode, and a second apparatus can introduce a second cylindrical optical element into the excitation beam path between the color splitter and a scanning apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: CARL ZEISS MICROSCOPY GMBH
    Inventors: Tiemo Anhut, Daniel Schwedt, Matthias Wald, Thomas Mehner
  • Patent number: 11693198
    Abstract: A fiber plug facilitates optical coupling of a light-guiding fiber to a plug receptacle and includes a plug housing for receiving and locking parts of the fiber plug in position relative to one another. The plug housing has: a fiber inlet and a fiber bearing for the spatially fixed reception of the fiber; optically downstream of the fiber bearing along a beam path, an optical lens for collecting light exiting at an end face of the light-guiding fiber and for collimating the collected light; and a coupling surface with an output of the beam path and with a coupling structure for connection to a receptacle structure that is complementary to the coupling structure. An adjustable optical element is arranged optically downstream of the fiber bearing in the beam path and has a first component of a magnetic coupling consisting of two components and a first component of a kinematic coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: CARL ZEISS MICROSCOPY GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan Wilhelm, Thomas Mehner, Thomas Klos
  • Publication number: 20220137384
    Abstract: A microscope, which includes a color splitter that is reflective to excitation radiation, can switch between a first and a second operating mode. A first apparatus can introduce a first cylindrical optical element into the excitation beam path between a light source and the color splitter, when the microscope is in the first operating mode, and a second apparatus can introduce a second cylindrical optical element into the excitation beam path between the color splitter and a scanning apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Tiemo Anhut, Daniel Schwedt, Matthias Wald, Thomas Mehner
  • Publication number: 20220066111
    Abstract: A fiber plug facilitates optical coupling of a light-guiding fiber to a plug receptacle and includes a plug housing for receiving and locking parts of the fiber plug in position relative to one another. The plug housing has: a fiber inlet and a fiber bearing for the spatially fixed reception of the fiber; optically downstream of the fiber bearing along a beam path, an optical lens for collecting light exiting at an end face of the light-guiding fiber and for collimating the collected light; and a coupling surface with an output of the beam path and with a coupling structure for connection to a receptacle structure that is complementary to the coupling structure. An adjustable optical element is arranged optically downstream of the fiber bearing in the beam path and has a first component of a magnetic coupling consisting of two components and a first component of a kinematic coupling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Stefan Wilhelm, Thomas Mehner, Thomas Klos
  • Patent number: 8420992
    Abstract: In microscopes, particularly laser scanning microscopes, for detecting light coming from a sample, it is known to protect detectors from excessively high light outputs by means of shutters in the detection beam path. Further, in order to measure the light output impinging on the detector when the detection beam path is closed, a portion of the light is coupled out of the detection beam path and directed to a monitor diode. Constructions of this kind are complicated and costly. In the microscope according to the invention, a monitor diode is arranged on the shutter in such a way that the monitor diode is situated in the detection beam path when the shutter is closed. This makes it possible in a simple manner to measure the light output in a microscope when the detection beam path is closed even without additionally coupling light out of the detection beam path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Kuehn, Dietmar Schmidt, Thomas Mehner
  • Patent number: 7933083
    Abstract: A diaphragm device with which individual wavelengths or ranges of wavelengths in the path of a beam of spectrally dispersed light can be suppressed. Such a diaphragm device comprises at least one array of diaphragms, wherein the individual diaphragms of the array are arranged in a definite relation to each other and may be coupled in the path of the beam and each diaphragm of the array in the coupled state is arranged in a given relation to an individual wavelength or a range of wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Steinert, Thomas Mehner, Volker Gerstner
  • Publication number: 20110090561
    Abstract: In microscopes, particularly laser scanning microscopes, for detecting light coming from a sample, it is known to protect detectors from excessively high light outputs by means of shutters in the detection beam path. Further, in order to measure the light output impinging on the detector when the detection beam path is closed, a portion of the light is coupled out of the detection beam path and directed to a monitor diode. Constructions of this kind are complicated and costly. In the microscope according to the invention, a monitor diode is arranged on the shutter in such a way that the monitor diode is situated in the detection beam path when the shutter is closed. This makes it possible in a simple manner to measure the light output in a microscope when the detection beam path is closed even without additionally coupling light out of the detection beam path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Inventors: Peter KUEHN, Dietmar Schmidt, Thomas Mehner
  • Publication number: 20100259844
    Abstract: A diaphragm device with which individual wavelengths or ranges of wavelengths in the path of a beam of spectrally dispersed light can be suppressed. Such a diaphragm device comprises at least one array of diaphragms, wherein the individual diaphragms of the array are arranged in a definite relation to each other and may be coupled in the path of the beam and each diaphragm of the array in the coupled state is arranged in a given relation to an individual wavelength or a range of wavelengths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Inventors: Jörg Steinert, Thomas MEHNER, Volker GERSTNER
  • Patent number: 7706090
    Abstract: A diaphragm device with which individual wavelengths or ranges of wavelengths in the path of a beam of spectrally dispersed light can be suppressed. Such a diaphragm device comprises at least one array of diaphragms, wherein the individual diaphragms of the array are arranged in a definite relation to each other and may be coupled in the path of the beam and each diaphragm of the array in the coupled state is arranged in a given relation to an individual wavelength or a range of wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microimaging GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Steinert, Thomas Mehner, Volker Gerstner
  • Patent number: 7498561
    Abstract: An arrangement for the detection of the illumination radiation in a laser scanning microscope, wherein a portion of the illumination radiation is coupled out and detected at the main color splitter, wherein light transmitted through the main color splitter is advantageously detected and/or a portion of the illumination radiation is coupled out and detected before coupling into a light-conducting fiber and/or a portion of the illumination radiation is coupled out and detected at a beam splitter arranged downstream of a light-conducting fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Mehner, Stefan Wilhelm, Ulrich Meisel, Mirko Liedtke
  • Publication number: 20070146900
    Abstract: A diaphragm device with which individual wavelengths or ranges of wavelengths in the path of a beam of spectrally dispersed light can be suppressed. Such a diaphragm device comprises at least one array of diaphragms, wherein the individual diaphragms of the array are arranged in a definite relation to each other and may be coupled in the path of the beam and each diaphragm of the array in the coupled state is arranged in a given relation to an individual wavelength or a range of wavelengths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventors: Jorg Steinert, Thomas Mehner, Volker Gerstner
  • Publication number: 20060255237
    Abstract: An arrangement for the detection of the illumination radiation in a laser scanning microscope, wherein a portion of the illumination radiation is coupled out and detected at the main color splitter, wherein light transmitted through the main color splitter is advantageously detected and/or a portion of the illumination radiation is coupled out and detected before coupling into a light-conducting fiber and/or a portion of the illumination radiation is coupled out and detected at a beam splitter arranged downstream of a light-conducting fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Inventors: Thomas Mehner, Stefan Wilhelm, Ulrich Meisel, Mirko Liedtke
  • Publication number: 20050072913
    Abstract: Laser scanning microscope with at least four separate input-coupling locations for wavelength ranges in the UV region, in the visible region and in the IR region, and advantageously with at least two individually displaceable collimators for achieving a maximum flexibility in the selection of dyes and evaluating methods, preferably for displaying cellular calcium and the associated receptors in living tissue over long periods of time (time lapse) with infrared lasers and UV lasers, wherein fluorescence detection and uncaging are applied, for releasing drugs (uncaging) and IR illumination with transmission detection, for the realization of applications with fluorescing proteins of the (G)FP family, including photoactivation of GFP and CFP/YFP-FRET, for the use of CY 5.5 dyes in the dark-red region (laser 675 nm) for tumor research.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventors: Ralph Lange, Thomas Mehner, Stefan Wilhelm, Ralf Wolleschensky, Ralf Engelmann
  • Publication number: 20050035281
    Abstract: An arrangement for the detection of the illumination radiation in a laser scanning microscope, wherein a portion of the illumination radiation is coupled out and detected at the main color splitter, wherein light transmitted through the main color splitter is advantageously detected and/or a portion of the illumination radiation is coupled out and detected before coupling into a light-conducting fiber and/or a portion of the illumination radiation is coupled out and detected at a beam splitter arranged downstream of a light-conducting fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Publication date: February 17, 2005
    Inventors: Thomas Mehner, Stefan Wilhelm, Ulrich Meisel, Mirko Liedtke
  • Patent number: 5727185
    Abstract: A method for dynamic management of a free store of a computer system, the free store being subdivided into at least two logical store areas with different access characteristics. Each logical store area of the at least two logical stores is separately managed. A segment is assigned size to a logical store area of the free store, the segment size corresponding to a maximum size described as a maximum in a buddy algorithm. In the event of a store request regarding a first logical store area of the at least two logical store areas, a segment from the free store is assigned to the first logical store area if there is no store segment of sufficient size available. In the event of a store request regarding a second logical store area of the at least two logical store areas, a segment from the free store which has not been assigned to any other logical store area is assigned to the second logical store area and which is adjacent to already assigned segments if no store segment of sufficient size is available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Thomas Mehner