What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:
1. A camera arrangement comprising
A. a camera configured to record an image defined by rays directed thereto; and
B an optical element configured to deflect rays from a scene to the camera for recording thereby, the optical element being further configured to deflect the rays such that, if the rays were undeflected, the rays would instead be tangent to a viewing device of predetermined shape.
2. A camera arrangement as defined in claim 1 in which the viewing device is in the shape of a curve.
3. A camera arrangement as defined in claim 2 in which the curve is a closed continuous curve.
4. A camera arrangement as defined in claim 3 in which the closed continuous curve is a circle
5. A camera arrangement as defined in claim 1 in which the viewing device is in the shape of a polygon.
6. A camera arrangement as defined in claim 1 in which the optical element is in the form of a curved mirror.
7. A camera arrangement as defined in claim 1 in which the optical element is in the form of a lens.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A process for cutting sections from a probe for microscopic analysis by using an ultramicrotome device having a blade with a cutting edge, the cutting edge in a non-vibrated position extending at least approximately in a first direction, the process comprising the steps of:
vibrating the blade in the first direction;
vibrating the probe;
between successive cuts, effecting relative movement between the probe and the blade in a second direction in a stepwise manner, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction; and
during each cut, effecting relative movement between the probe and the blade in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, whereby the probe is cut in sections.
2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the probe is cut in sections having a thickness of about 10 to about 100 nm.
3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the blade is vibrated with a maximum amplitude of about 1 \u03bcm.
4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the ultramicrotome device includes a block holding the blade, wherein the process further comprises the step of applying force to the block.
5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the probe is vibrated in the third direction.
6. The process according to claim 5, wherein the blade is vibrated in a first frequency and the probe is vibrated in a second frequency, the second frequency being about twice the first frequency.
7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the probe is vibrated at least approximately parallel to the first direction.
8. The process according to claim 7, wherein the probe and the blade are vibrated, such that when the blade reaches its reversal points, the probe is still moving and vice versa.
9. The process according to claim 8, wherein the probe and the blade are vibrated at the same frequency, but in a different phase.
10. The process according to claim 7, wherein, during each cut, relative movement between the vibrating probe and the vibrating blade in the third direction is effected with a substantially constant cutting speed over a distance larger than a cross-sectional dimension of the probe in the third direction.
11. The process according to claim 5, wherein the probe is vibrated with an amplitude bo of vibration with
bo\u2267vc2\u03c9,
wherein \u03c9 is the frequency in radians per second of the vibration of the blade and vc is the cutting speed in the third direction.
12. The process according to claim 1, wherein the blade is vibrated with an amplitude ao of vibration with
ao\u226710 vc\u03c9,
wherein \u03c9 is the frequency in radians per second of the vibration of the blade and vc is the cutting speed in the third direction.
13. The process according to claim 1, wherein a diamond blade is used.
14. The process according to claim 1, wherein during each cut, relative movement between the vibrating probe and the vibrating blade in the third direction is effected with a substantially constant cutting speed.
15. The process according to claim 1, wherein the blade is vibrated in the first direction with a frequency above about 15 kHz.