Anywhere Light Goes™ Blog
A blog about optical design, build, test and more.
Introducing Microscope Objective Testing Services at Optikos IQ Lab
Bought an off-the-shelf microscope objective and not seeing the expected optical performance? Unsure if your objective prototype was assembled correctly? Need to measure your microscope objective for quality testing? Not seeing the clarity or definition you expected from your microscope objective?Whether it’s a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) objective or a custom microscope objective, the IQ Lab can measure it. Steph Smith, IQ Lab engineer explains, “Most people are doing their wavefront measurements with a monochromatic laser-source interferometer. This new addition to our measurement suite enables you to see the performance of your objective at multiple laser wavelengths. Customers can get a wider characterization of their objective and where improvements can be made.” We offer the following on-axis measurements of your microscope objective...
Lens Alignment as a Service at Optikos
What is active lens alignment? Active alignment is a process in which lenses are individually manipulated to bring them into alignment with a defined axis. Generally, this axis is based off of mechanical datums of a lens barrel. Each lens is then manipulated into position using fine-pitched pusher screws. Using an Opto-Alignment LAS-P or similar device, the lens centration and tilt can be measured during this process. Realtime feedback allows the position of the lens element to be centered to single-digit-micron level (design dependent). Once the lens is in position, it can be held with retainers, adhesives, or a combination of both. This process is done one lens at a time until the entire lens stack is centered to the common...
Time for a checkup! How IQ Lab™ Services Keep Your Lenses and Cameras Healthy
It’s that time again – time to head to your doctor’s office for a checkup. You arrive and a medical assistant calls you to the back. Before your doctor comes in, you have your blood pressure checked, your heart rate measured, temperature taken, and maybe even have some blood drawn. These are part of a vitals check that provides data to your doctor so they can interpret the findings and help determine your care plan. At IQ Lab™ Services, our team performs similar vitals checks, but for cameras and lenses. These observations and data points are what help our metrology experts view the system holistically. We refer to this lens vitals check as the IQ Lab Measurement Suite. Depending on...
What is a Microscope Objective? An introduction to objective lenses.
A microscope objective refers to the lens(es) closest to the object in a microscope. The term microscope objective is often used interchangeably with objective lens, or known simply as an objective. The objective works with the tube lens and/or eyepiece to project the image of the subject into an image sensor or the viewer’s eye, respectively. Microscope objectives are typically a complex assembly of lenses, often made of glass. The lens design is crucial to correcting against blurriness, color distortion, or other aberration through lens curvature, spacing, glass type, and other adjustments. Beyond magnification, objective lenses are classified by their Numerical Aperture (NA), and Working Distance. Numerical Aperture describes the light-capturing capabilities of the objective. The higher the NA, the...
Highlights from Photonics West 2025
We are proud to have joined 24,000 optics and photonics professionals from more than 75 countries at this year’s SPIE Photonics West 2025. It was an excellent show highlighting new research, industry trends, and many technical presentations. Our own Kevin Sweeney celebrated achievements in metrology in his featured lecture "The measurement of object distance for projected virtual objects using a scanning pentaprism and digital alignment telescope." The highlight for our team was meeting many technical experts at our booth. It was an opportunity the discuss design ideas for their projects as well as introduce new testing and manufacturing capabilities available at our facility in Wakefield, MA. In talking with the organizers of the event, Optikos Director of Operations Dennis Fantone...
