Abstract: A microscope includes a column which stands upright on a base, an LED light source, a stage for placing a specimen irradiated with light from the LED light source, a lens barrel which is arranged to face the specimen on the stage, and has an observation optical system for acquiring the observation image of the specimen, an image sensing element which is arranged at the imaging position of the observation optical system of the lens barrel, and senses the observation image of the specimen, a monitor for displaying the observation image sensed by the image sensing element, and a recording unit for recording image data of the observation image sensed by the image sensing element. At least the LED light source, stage, observation optical system, and image sensing element are arranged along the optical axis of the observation optical system, and supported along the column.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a single lens instantaneous 3D image taking device for the application in digital image taking. The digital image taking device contains a lens, an aperture disk and a single sensor installed and aligned in a straight line. The aperture disk has three off-optical-axis apertures with different angular coordinates that are installed with red, blue, and green filters, respectively, for light to pass through. When light passes through the lens and the three apertures on the aperture disk, it will be projected onto the sensor, giving image and color information from three different perspectives. Finally, through color separation and image correlation, a precise 3D range image and color information can be obtained.

Abstract: A double mirror objective lens system uses a three optical surface refractor incorporating a convex mirror into a right surface thereof that reflects incident light to a concave mirror, which reflects the light back through the refractor and on toward a focal point of the system. This arrangement yields better resolution images with low spherical aberration, minimal chromatic aberration, and long working distance. A variation of the invention includes another refractor, a right surface of which carries the concave mirror to form a Mangin mirror. This variation on of the invention has even less aberration over increased wavelength range due to better corrected chromatic aberration.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, the quality of hard gold is determined by Raman vibrational spectroscopy. A sample of the hard gold is provided, a monochromatic light beam is directed onto the sample, and the frequency and intensity of the light scattered by the sample is analyzed for the vibrational frequencies of polymer molecules. Scattering frequencies offset from the initial beam frequency by about 2132 cm−1 and about 2182 cm−1, for example, are indicative of high quality nickel-hardened gold.

Abstract: A trinocular apparatus is provided for sighting and photographing subjects in the field. The trinocular apparatus comprises a binocular viewing system and a third barrel focusing a common image on an image capturing device mounted to the binocular viewing system. Focusing for both the binocular system and the third barrel is managed by a common focusing apparatus. In a preferred embodiment images are captured electronically, and the trinocular apparatus includes apparatus for storing and transferring captured images.