Customized Sapphire rod lens cylindrical endoscope rod lens micro rod lens

A Rod lens is a special type of cylinder lens, and is highly polished on the circumference and ground on both ends.  Rod lenses perform in a manner analogous to a standard cylinder lens, and can be used in beam shaping and to focus collimated light into a line. Our rod lenses play a key part in many laser and imaging optical assemblies, and can be used for UV, visible and NIR applications.Our Fused Silica Rod Lens offers particularly high transmission in the UV and through the NIR as well as a low coefficient of thermal expansion, 0.55 x 10E6 per °C. The refractive index of our JGS1 fused silica is 1.4585.

Cut-rod lenses are derived from longer mother rods; the ends are ground to the desired size. This allows us to provide custom sizes as desired, from microsizes to full-sized lenses. As rod lenses are not typically chamfered, you will need to use caution when handling. When the ends of rod lenses are polished they may be used as circular lenses, and will have the same optical properties as a long circular lens with a narrow diameter. These lenses have an important application in rigid endoscopes, medical instruments used to view inside the human body. Unlike a traditional microlens, a rod lens will self-align to the tube diameter. Their unique shape means they can also provide structural support to the endoscope tube. For endoscopy used precision cut lenses and exact surface curvature are essential.