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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Microfabrication of Implantable Optics Integrated in a Microstructured Imaging Window for Advanced In Vivo Imaging

Microfabrication of Implantable Optics Integrated in a Microstructured Imaging Window for Advanced In Vivo Imaging

Published on: April 11, 2025

Completely integrated, thermo-pneumatically tunable microlens.

Wei Zhang¹, Khaled Aljasem, Hans Zappe

¹Laboratory for Micro-optics, Department of Microsystems Engineering – IMTEK, University of Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 102, 79110 Freiburg, Germany. wei.zhang@imtek.uni-freiburg.de

|March 4, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study presents an integrated tunable microlens with adjustable focal length. The adaptive optical microsystem uses thermo-pneumatic actuation for efficient, low-power operation without external controllers.

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Area of Science:

Optics and Photonics
Micro-optics
Adaptive optics

Background:

Tunable microlenses are crucial for compact optical systems.
Existing tunable lenses often require bulky external components or high power consumption.

Purpose of the Study:

To present an integrated tunable microlens with variable focal length.
To demonstrate a low-power, self-contained adaptive optical microsystem.

Main Methods:

Fabrication using silicon, glass, and polymers.
Thermo-pneumatic actuation with integrated thermal actuators and sensing elements.
Liquid-filled cavity bounded by a distensible polydimethyl-siloxane membrane.

Main Results:

Achieved tunable focal length from 3 to 15 mm with power consumption below 250 mW.
Demonstrated minimal temperature gradients (<4 °C vertical, <0.2 °C lateral) within the optical aperture.
Optical transfer function cutoff frequency varied from 30 to 65 lines/mm, with numerical aperture changing from 0.067 to 0.333.

Conclusions:

The developed microlens offers efficient, integrated focal length tunability.
The adaptive optical microsystem is suitable for applications requiring compact and low-power optical adjustments.
Stable long-term control of focal length was successfully demonstrated.