Harold Hopkins | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 6 December 1918 Leicester, England, UK |
| Died | 22 October 1994 (aged 75) Reading, England, UK |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Zoom lens Fiberscopes Rod lens endoscopes for keyhole surgery Optics for laserdisc/CD Borescopes Wave Theory of Aberrations |
| Awards | SPIE Gold Medal (1982) Rumford Medal (1984) Lister Medal (1990) Fellow of the Royal Society[1] |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics, Optics, Mathematics |
| Institutions | |
| Notable students | Ashok Sisodia María Yzuel |
Harold Horace Hopkins FRS[1] (6 December 1918 – 22 October 1994)[2] was a British physicist. His Wave Theory of Aberrations, (published by Oxford University Press 1950), is central to all modern optical design and provides the mathematical analysis which enables the use of computers to create the highest quality lenses. In addition to his theoretical work, his many inventions are in daily use throughout the world.[3] These include zoom lenses, coherent fibre-optics and more recently the rod-lens endoscopes which 'opened the door' to modern key-hole surgery. He was the recipient of many of the world's most prestigious awards and was twice nominated for a Nobel Prize. His citation on receiving the Rumford Medal from the Royal Society in 1984 stated: "In recognition of his many contributions to the theory and design of optical instruments, especially of a wide variety of important new medical instruments which have made a major contribution to clinical diagnosis and surgery."[4]
- ^ a b McCombie, C. W.; Smith, J. C. (1998). "Harold Horace Hopkins. 6 December 1918 – 22 October 1994". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 44: 239–252. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1998.0016.
- ^ "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/55032. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ Berci, G. (1995). "Professor Harold H. Hopkins". Surgical Endoscopy. 9 (6): 667–668. doi:10.1007/BF00187935. S2CID 32746621.
- ^ Reading Libraries, Hopkins, Professor Harold Horace (1918–1994), physicist and endoscopist Archived 24 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine