Direct imaging with printed microlens arrays

We propose a new direct microlens array imaging system without additional refractive optics. A diffuse led light source and a hot embossed micro lens array enable a compact and very low cost structure for portable devices. A light source aperture acts as a field stop for microlenses, and separate micro apertures are not required by individual lenses. The area scalability achieved with polymeric lenslet arrays enables fast screening of large sample areas by removing the need for spatial scanning. A light field rendering method based on mosaicing was developed, and the performance of polymer microlenses is compared to glass microlenses with the suggested system. The utilized polycarbonate lenses enabled 8.8 μm resolution.