An autofocus device includes a stage, a magnifying optical system, a light source device, an iris which is arranged at a position opposite to a sample of the magnifying optical system and configured to limit a light beam emitted from the light source device, and an AF camera which receives, via the magnifying optical system, a reflected light beam which is reflected from a reflection surface after the light beam reaches a glass member via the iris and the magnifying optical system. The light source device emits the light beam at a non-zero angle relative to the axis of the magnifying optical system. The control unit adjusts the position of the stage so as to match the position of a captured image of a shield with a target position. With such a configuration, it is possible to achieve the autofocus at high speed.

An autofocus device includes a stage, a magnifying optical system, a light source device, an iris which is arranged at a position opposite to a sample of the magnifying optical system and configured to limit a light beam emitted from the light source device, and an AF camera which receives, via the magnifying optical system, a reflected light beam which is reflected from a reflection surface after the light beam reaches a glass member via the iris and the magnifying optical system. The light source device emits the light beam at a non-zero angle relative to the axis of the magnifying optical system. The control unit adjusts the position of the stage so as to match the position of a captured image of a shield with a target position. With such a configuration, it is possible to achieve the autofocus at high speed.

A laser processing apparatus includes a laser light output section, a first scanner and a second scanner, a distance measurement light emitting section, a reference member which is arranged at a position which is the other end of a correction optical path formed with the distance measurement light emitting section as one end of the correction optical path and is arranged such that an optical path length of the correction optical path is a predetermined reference distance, a distance measurement light receiving section which receives distance measurement light reflected by the workpiece or the reference member, a distance measuring section which measures a distance to the workpiece or the reference member, and a distance correcting section which compares a measurement result of the distance to the reference member with the reference distance stored in advance to correct the measurement result obtained by the distance measuring section.

A laser processing apparatus includes a laser light output section, a first scanner and a second scanner, a distance measurement light emitting section, a reference member which is arranged at a position which is the other end of a correction optical path formed with the distance measurement light emitting section as one end of the correction optical path and is arranged such that an optical path length of the correction optical path is a predetermined reference distance, a distance measurement light receiving section which receives distance measurement light reflected by the workpiece or the reference member, a distance measuring section which measures a distance to the workpiece or the reference member, and a distance correcting section which compares a measurement result of the distance to the reference member with the reference distance stored in advance to correct the measurement result obtained by the distance measuring section.

An electronic device includes at least one optical lens assembly. The optical lens assembly includes four lens elements, and the four lens elements are, in order from an outside to an inside, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element and a fourth lens element. The first lens element has an outside surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element has an inside surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The fourth lens element has an inside surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof, wherein at least one of an outside surface and the inside surface of the fourth lens element includes at least one critical point in an off-axis region thereof.

An optical system can include an optical arrangement supported by an optical chassis. A flexure arrangement can support the optical chassis relative to a separate structure to maintain a calibrated distance between optical components of the optical arrangement.

In one aspect, an imaging assistance apparatus includes: a laser light projection device having a laser light source that generates laser light and a laser head provided with an optical element that projects the laser light as patterned light having a determined pattern; a reception device that receives a first operation; a projection instruction device that instructs the laser light projection device during laser light projection to end the projection of the patterned light, on the basis of the first operation; and an imaging instruction device that instructs an imaging device to image a subject on which focusing control is performed, on the basis of the first operation.

An autofocus device is disclosed, including a focusing lens which is movable. A laser beam passes through the focusing lens toward a focal plane; and a detector collects laser scatter from a nonfocal position outside of the focal plane. The device determines, from the collected laser scatter, the nonfocal position of the scattering source, and moves the focusing lens, based on the determined nonfocal position, such that the scattering source is at an origin of the focal plane.

Focus system (1) comprising an imaging objective (10) with an optical element (100), two emitters (20) for emitting a beam (200) respectively, wherein the imaging objective (10) is arranged to depict an object (3) located in an object plane (30) in an image plane (31), the optical element is arranged to adjust a distance (300) from the object plane (30) to the imaging objective (10), the beams (200) are transmitted through or reflected by the optical element (20), and the beams (200) intersect at the object plane (30).

A method and system for autofocusing an objective lens in a microscope system are disclosed. A decentered aperture is disposed in an optical path between an objective lens and an image plane of an image capturing device and a plurality of reference images are captured. Each reference image is captured when the objective lens is positioned at a corresponding z-position of a plurality of z-positions along an axis of travel of the objective lens and the optical path is at least partially occluded by the decentered aperture. At least one reference image of the plurality of the reference images is associated with a best focus position. The plurality of reference images are analyzed to develop a plurality of pattern locations, wherein each pattern location represents a position of a pattern formed on the image plane when a corresponding reference image was captured. The objective lens is positioned in accordance with the best focus position and the plurality of pattern locations.