IP Library Granted Patent US 11,054,565
Granted Patent B2
US 11,054,565 · App. 16/101,551 · Granted Jul 6, 2021

Optical fiber scanning apparatus for adjusting a driving frequency of the optical fiber

Inventors: Atsuyoshi Shimamoto (Tokyo, JP); Soichiro Koshika (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
G02B6/0008A61B1/00006A61B1/00172G02B23/24G02B26/103G02B2006/0098
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,054,565
App. No.
16/101,551
Granted
Jul 6, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical scanning apparatus including: an optical fiber that is configured to guide light from a light source to emit the light from a distal end thereof; a driver that is configured to oscillate the distal end of the optical fiber at a driving frequency in a direction intersecting a longitudinal axis of the optical fiber; a resonance-frequency detector that is configured to detect a resonance frequency of the distal end of the optical fiber; and a driving-frequency adjustor that is configured to adjust the driving frequency so that the ratio between the resonance frequency detected by the resonance-frequency detector and the driving frequency becomes constant.

Claims (27)

1. An optical scanning apparatus comprising:

an optical fiber configured to guide light from a light source to emit the light from a distal end of the optical fiber;

an actuator configured to oscillate the distal end of the optical fiber at a driving frequency in a direction intersecting a longitudinal axis of the optical fiber; and

a controller comprising hardware, the controller being configured to:

detect a resonance frequency of the distal end of the optical fiber; and

adjust the driving frequency so that the ratio between the detected resonance frequency and the driving frequency becomes constant;

wherein:

the actuator is configured to drive the distal end of the optical fiber in two directions orthogonal to each other, and

the controller is configured to:

detect the resonance frequencies in the two drive directions,

adjust the driving frequency so that the ratio between the driving frequency and, among the detected two resonance frequencies, the resonance frequency in the drive direction corresponding to the resonance frequency at which the ratio of the driving frequency thereto is closer to 1 becomes constant, and

adjust the driving frequency when a difference between the detected resonance frequency and the reference resonance frequency stored in a memory exceeds a prescribed threshold.

2. An optical scanning apparatus comprising:

an optical fiber configured to guide light from a light source to emit the light from a distal end of the optical fiber;

an actuator configured to oscillate the distal end of the optical fiber at a driving frequency in a direction intersecting a longitudinal axis of the optical fiber;

a controller comprising hardware, the controller being configured to:

detect a resonance frequency of the distal end of the optical fiber;

adjust the driving frequency; and

a memory configured to store a reference resonance frequency and a reference driving frequency, which are set in advance, or the value of a ratio thereof,

wherein the controller is configured to:

adjust the driving frequency so that the ratio between the detected resonance frequency and the driving frequency becomes equal to the value of the ratio stored in the memory, and

adjust the driving frequency when a difference between the detected resonance frequency and the reference resonance frequency stored in the memory exceeds a prescribed threshold.

3. An optical scanning apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the actuator is configured to drive the distal end of the optical fiber in two directions orthogonal to each other, and

the controller is configured to detect the resonance frequency in at least one of the drive directions.

4. An optical scanning apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to:

detect the resonance frequencies in the two drive directions, and

adjust the driving frequency so that the ratio between the driving frequency and, among the detected two resonance frequencies, the resonance frequency in the drive direction corresponding to the resonance frequency at which the ratio of the driving frequency thereto is closer to 1 becomes constant.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 13, 2018
From: SHIMAMOTO, ATSUYOSHI; KOSHIKA, SOICHIRO
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046622/0389 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2016059363 · Mar 24, 2016
Related Publication 20190004233A1 · Jan 3, 2019