This course will cover the optical engineering principles necessary to understand the working principles of microscopes and to develop a design suited to your own application. The basic components common to any microscope are defined. Seidel and chromatic aberrations which determine image quality are reviewed. The composition of the glass elements are related to chromatic aberrations. The contrast sensitivity function of human vision as it relates to microscopy is described. The effects of numerical aperture (NA) are described in terms of diffraction and lateral coherence. The numerous definitions of Nelson, Critical, and Kohler illumination are resolved by reference to the original designs of the 1890s. Edge sharpening by the use of critical illumination is described.

This course will cover the optical engineering principles necessary to understand the working principles of microscopes and to develop a design suited to your own application. Fundamental concepts in optics relating to microscopes will be reviewed: paraxial optics, stops, wave-optics, depth-of-focus, illumination, and the important parameters of CCD sensors. Effects of optical aberrations upon image contrast will be quantified. Mathematical expressions for practical application will be provided for future reference.

This course provides the student with fundamental knowledge required for modeling the image contrast of an optical system. Expressions are developed for practical application. Competing sources of light are modeled with the following origins: the object of interest, the background scene, and the collection path of the optics. Noise originating from the detector is modeled as another source of light. Optical systems are modeled by measurable parameters. Methods for maximizing contrast are discussed.