STTR Phase I: Advanced Manufacturing Processes for Multiple Field Freeform Microlens Arrays for Ultra-Low Cost Medical Endoscopy

这个小型企业技术转移研究(STTR)第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是，将使更小、更便宜的医疗内窥镜成为可能，这将使医生能够更好地看到人体内部。这些设备将缩短恢复时间，改进诊断和治疗，将程序从手术室转移到检查室，并降低医疗保健成本。此外，医生将能够在以前无法接触到的身体部分进行可视化。世界各地的卫生保健将得到改善，特别是在发展中国家。这一项目促进了微光学设计及其制造的最先进水平。大量微小但精密的透镜组件将在一次操作中组装起来，从而大幅降低成本。该项目开发的微光学和先进制造技术也将适用于其他成像系统。该项目将开发微光学的新设计，特别是医用内窥镜和新的制造技术。使用多个视场的高性能自由形状光学器件将被设计成在生物医学光学器件可接受的范围内产生图像，并且可以制造。将为这些光学元件开发大批量、高精度的制造工艺。晶片级组装技术将用于组合多个微光学元件阵列。这样生产的透镜系统将进行测试，以确定它们是否符合机械和光学性能的设计规范。将开发光学相机校准和图像处理流水线，以结合多个场和校正像差并产生准确的图像重建。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase I project is that smaller and less expensive medical endoscopes will be made possible, which will allow physicians to see better inside the human body. These devices will shorten recovery times, improve diagnosis and treatment, move procedures from operating rooms to exam rooms, and lower health care costs. In addition, physicians will be able to visualize in parts of the body that were previously inaccessible. Health care will be improved throughout the world, particularly in developing countries. This project advances the state of the art in the design of micro-optics as well as their manufacture. Large arrays of tiny but precise lens components will be assembled in one operation, drastically reducing costs. The micro-optics and advanced manufacturing techniques developed in this project will also be applicable to other imaging systems.This project will develop new designs for micro-optics with a particular emphasis on medical endoscopes and new manufacturing techniques. High performance free-form optics that use multiple fields will be designed to produce images within acceptable limits for biomedical optics and be manufacturable. A high volume, precision manufacturing process will be developed for these optics. Wafer level assembly technology will be used to combine multiple arrays of micro-optic elements. Lens systems thus produced will be tested to determine whether they are within the design specification for mechanical and optical performance. Optical camera calibration and an image processing pipeline will be developed to combine the multiple fields and correct aberrations and produce accurate image reconstruction.