US 11,971,535 B2
Optical imaging devices and variable-focus lens elements, and methods for using them
Juliet T. Gopinath, Boulder, CO (US); Emily A. Gibson, Boulder, CO (US); Victor M. Bright, Boulder, CO (US); Richard Weir, Longmont, CO (US); Diego Restrepo, Littleton, CO (US); and Baris Ozbay, Denver, CO (US)
Assigned to The Regents of the University of Colorado, A Body Corporate, Denver, CO (US)
Filed by The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate, Denver, CO (US)
Filed on Apr. 20, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/853,512.
Application 16/853,512 is a continuation of application No. 15/113,303, granted, now 10,634,899, previously published as PCT/US2015/012539, filed on Jan. 22, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/930,349, filed on Jan. 22, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2020/0348505 A1, Nov. 5, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G02B 3/14 (2006.01); G02B 6/06 (2006.01); G02B 21/00 (2006.01); G02B 23/24 (2006.01); G02B 23/26 (2006.01); G02B 26/00 (2006.01); H04N 23/56 (2023.01); H04N 23/50 (2023.01)
CPC G02B 23/243 (2013.01) [G02B 3/14 (2013.01); G02B 6/06 (2013.01); G02B 21/0032 (2013.01); G02B 21/006 (2013.01); G02B 21/0076 (2013.01); G02B 23/2446 (2013.01); G02B 23/2469 (2013.01); G02B 23/26 (2013.01); G02B 26/005 (2013.01); H04N 23/56 (2023.01); H04N 23/555 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical imaging device comprising
a flexible lightguide having a first end and a second end;
a lens assembly attached to and optically coupled to the second end of the flexible lightguide, the lens assembly comprising an electrowetting variable-focus lens element, the electrowetting variable-focus lens element having a tunable focal length and a tunable focal position in a dimension perpendicular to a direction of propagation of radiation from the flexible lightguide through the lens assembly, the electrowetting variable-focus lens element comprising:
a transparent substrate having a surface;
one or more sidewalls extending from the surface of the substrate, the one or more sidewalls having surfaces defining a cavity;
a polar liquid disposed within the cavity;
a second liquid disposed within the cavity, the second liquid being immiscible with the polar liquid and having a different index of refraction than the first liquid, the second liquid being electrically insulating, the polar liquid and the second liquid forming two distinct liquid phases within the cavity;
a plurality of separately-addressable first electrodes disposed along and distributed around the sidewalls of the cavity in a lateral relationship to one another; and
one or more second electrodes electrically isolated from the one or more first electrodes,
the plurality of separately-addressable electrodes being configured such that the focal length of the electrowetting variable-focus lens and the focal position of the electrowetting variable-focus lens element in a dimension perpendicular to a direction of propagation of radiation from the flexible lightguide through the lens assembly can be changed by changing one or more voltage biases on one or more of the plurality of separately-addressable first electrodes; and
a photodetector coupled to the flexible lightguide to detect radiation propagating from the second end toward the first end of the flexible lightguide.