Microscope Patents (Class 359/368)
  • Patent number: 8542440
    Abstract: A tube for an optical observation device, in particular for a microscope, with a viewing level that is linearly variable in length and/or height, wherein the tube has an optical light path, in which at least two optical elements are disposed, for example, deflecting elements. The tube can be designed, for example, as a swing-in tube, with a base part, wherein a deflecting element is disposed in the base part so that it can rotate around an axis of rotation, and with an eyepiece support that can swing in relative to the base part, wherein a deflecting element is disposed in the eyepiece support so that it can rotate around an axis of rotation. The optical elements may be disposed so that they can move independently of one another in the optical light path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
    Inventors: Nadine Kolster, Alfons Abele, Christian Luecke
  • Patent number: 8542438
    Abstract: A laser scanning microscope includes a stage that moves a sample placed thereon, a laser light source that emits laser light, a line-focus optical system that focuses the laser light into a line shape, a DMD including a plurality of movable micromirrors that are arrayed in the lengthwise direction of the line shape and that reflect the line-focused laser light, an irradiation optical system that irradiates the sample with the laser light reflected by the DMD, and a photodetector in which a plurality of channels for detecting light from the sample are arrayed in one column, wherein the DMD is driven so that a plurality of micromirrors simultaneously reflect the laser light and so that micromirrors that reflect the laser light are sequentially switched, wherein the stage moves the sample in a direction crossing the array direction of a plurality of light spots formed on the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Nakata, Kosuke Takagi
  • Patent number: 8542439
    Abstract: A method and a device for scanning-microscopy imaging of a specimen (28) are described. Provision is made that a plurality of specimen points are scanned by means of a scanning beam (14) in successive scanning time intervals, the intensity of the radiation emitted from the respectively scanned specimen point is repeatedly sensed within the associated scanning time interval, an intensity mean value is determined, as a mean value image point signal, from the intensities sensed in the respectively scanned specimen point, and the mean value image point signals are assembled into a mean value raster image. Provision is further made for additionally determining an intensity variance value, as a variance image point signal, from the intensities sensed in the respectively scanning specimen points, and for assembling the variance image point signals into a variance raster image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Birk, Bernd Widzgowski, Holger Nissle
  • Publication number: 20130242382
    Abstract: A microscope system includes a plurality of actuators configured to cause components of a microscope to operate, a plurality of power drivers configured to drive the plurality of actuators, respectively, an actuator controller configured to control the plurality of actuators through the plurality of power drivers, and a control management unit configured to control the actuator controller to designate any one of the plurality of power drivers to output a start signal for allowing the designated power driver to start operation to the designated power driver, and to control the actuator controller to stop outputting of the start signal to the designated power driver and the other power drivers other than the designated power driver until passage of a settling time in which driving of one of the plurality of actuators in response to the operation of the designated power driver is completed and then enabled again.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiya KOMURO
  • Patent number: 8537461
    Abstract: A method for the optical detection of an illuminated specimen, wherein the illuminating light impinges in a spatially structured manner in at least one plane on the specimen and several images of the specimen are acquired by a detector in different positions of the structure on the specimen. An optical sectional image and/or an image with enhanced resolution is then calculated. The method includes generating a diffraction pattern in the direction of the specimen in or near the pupil of the objective lens or in a plane conjugate to the pupil. A structured phase plate with regions of varying phase delays is dedicated to the diffraction pattern in or near the pupil of the objective lens or in a plane conjugate to said pupil, and different phase angles of the illuminating light are set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Schwertner, Ralf Wolleschensky, Michael Kempe
  • Patent number: 8530824
    Abstract: A scanning microscope is provided with a scan unit that scans a sample, the scanning microscope including: a transmissive VPH grating for dispersing light from the sample; and a photodetector for detecting the light diffracted by the VPH grating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yuya Miyazono, Daisuke Nishiwaki, Shinichi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8532950
    Abstract: In a method for calibrating a stage-camera system, a travel distance of a stage is determined in a first coordinate system and an object displacement distance of at least one object is determined in a second coordinate system. A calibration measure for calibrating the coordinate systems is computed from the travel distance and the object displacement distance. The object displacement distance is determined by registering a calibration image with a reference image based on the at least one object. The method enables an automatic and accurate calibration of the stage-camera system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellchaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Dirk Steckhan, Matthias Elter, Thorsten Zerfass
  • Patent number: 8531762
    Abstract: A confocal microscope apparatus comprises a first optical scanning system which obtains a scan image of a sample using a laser beam from a first laser light source, a second optical scanning system which scans specific regions of a sample with a laser beam from a second laser light source that is different from the first laser light source, thereby causing a particular phenomenon, and a beam diameter varying mechanism which can change the beam diameter of the laser beam of at least one of the first optical scanning system and the second optical scanning system. With this configuration, the apparatus further comprises an excitation light intensity distribution calculator which calculates and stores the excitation light intensity distribution along a depth direction on the sample surface from the beam diameter of the laser beam output from the beam diameter varying mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuo Nakata
  • Publication number: 20130229706
    Abstract: A positioning unit for positioning an optical unit (12, 13) comprising at least one optical element in a beam path (20) of a microscope between an objective lens of a microscope and in front of an eye to be monitored is provided, wherein the positioning unit comprises a connection device (21), wherein the connection device (21) can couple the positioning unit can be coupled to the microscope, wherein the positioning unit is formed, at least in part, of plastics material. The invention also relates to a monitoring device (10) comprising a positioning unit (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: OCULUS OPTIKGERAETE GMBH
    Inventors: Carsten Feiertag, Guenter Pfeiffer, Rainer Kirchhuebel
  • Patent number: 8526105
    Abstract: In accordance with the invention, there are imaging interferometric microscopes and methods for imaging interferometric microscopy using structural illumination and evanescent coupling for the extension of imaging interferometric microscopy. Furthermore, there are coherent anti-Stokes Raman (CARS) microscopes and methods for coherent anti-Stokes Raman (CARS) microscopy, wherein imaging interferometric microscopy techniques are applied to get material dependent spectroscopic information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: STC.UNM
    Inventors: Steven R. J. Brueck, Yuliya Kuznetsova, Alexander Neumann
  • Patent number: 8514488
    Abstract: A tube of a surgical microscope has a base part, intermediate part pivotable about a rotational axis on the base part, and an ocular part pivotable about a rotational axis on the intermediate part. The imaging beam path is guided through the base part, intermediate part and pivotable ocular part. The tube has a tube lens system which transfers a parallel imaging beam path into an intermediate image. The parallel imaging beam path enters via an opening in a connecting piece of the base part. The tube has a first displaceable mirror element movable about the rotational axis on the base part. The tube has a further displaceable mirror element movable on the intermediate part about the rotational axis. The first mirror element directs the imaging beam path to the further mirror element. The first mirror element and further mirror element are mounted in the imaging beam path between a lens unit having positive refractive power and a lens unit having negative refractive power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
    Inventors: Christian Lücke, Hartmut Gärtner, André Müller, Martin Schneider, Alfons Abele, Nadine Kolster, Dirk Holzmann, Wolfgang Robra, Bernd Rudisile, Michael Czerwinski
  • Patent number: 8503077
    Abstract: A tube unit for microscopes which has a tube lens, including two components with an intermediate, large air separation, and an overall positive refractive power. The air separation is at least half the size of the focal length f of the tube lens. A roof edge mirror or another suitable deflection element is arranged between the two components of the tube lens. The roof edge mirror includes two mirrors, which can be tilted with respect to one another, and which is able to be tilted around its roof edge. The tilting movement or the tilting angle of the tiltable mirror or deflection element corresponds to half the tilt or half the tilting angle of the tube or eyepiece viewing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microimaging GmbH
    Inventors: Rolf Wartmann, Hubert Wahl
  • Patent number: 8503076
    Abstract: A light detector for use in a line scanning microscope and a microscope comprising such a light detector are described. The light detector comprises a line array of avalanche semiconductor detectors; and an electronic trigger circuit that is adapted to operate the avalanche semiconductor detectors in at least one of a Geiger mode with internal charge amplification and in a linear mode. The trigger circuit further comprises a parallel counter that is designed to read out in parallel light pulses detected by the avalanche semiconductor detectors. The parallel counter is adapted to accumulate the light pulses detected by the avalanche semiconductor detectors over a preset counting time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Birk, Volker Seyfried
  • Publication number: 20130194660
    Abstract: A microscope objective lens has an aspheric-surface lens, and a first lens nearest to an object side is a negative lens. It is desirable that at least any one surface of the first lens nearest to the object side is an aspheric surface. Moreover, it is desirable that the microscope objective lens satisfies the following conditional expression (1) ?20<f1/f<?0.1??(1) where, f1 denotes a focal length of the first lens nearest to the object side, and f denotes a focal length of the overall microscope objective lens system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Olympus Corporation
  • Patent number: 8497463
    Abstract: A device for counting photons includes a detector unit that is configured to generate an detected signal. A switching unit is configured to be impinged upon by the detected signal and to trigger a switching state for each detection pulse so as to generate a state signal. A sampling unit is configured to sample the state signal at a predetermined sampling frequency. A serial-parallel converter unit is configured to parallelize the serially generated sampled data by grouping successive sampled data into a sampled data packet. An evaluation unit is configured to evaluate the binary values of sampled data packets so as to identify a partial counter result indicating the number of switching state changes occurring in the switching unit, and to add partial counter results identified in individual clock cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
    Inventor: Bernd Widzgowski
  • Patent number: 8497464
    Abstract: To increase the sensitivity of detector arrangements, it is known that light deflection elements in the form of a line arrays having spherical elements may be used to focus incident light onto light-sensitive regions of the detector. Manufacturing such line arrays is complex and cost intensive, especially in small lot numbers. The increased sensitivity of the detector array can be achieved easily and inexpensively by using a novel light deflection element. The detector arrangement therefore has a light deflection element having light entrance surfaces, deflecting incident light by refraction onto light-sensitive regions of the detector. Light entrance surfaces of the light deflection element are inclined with respect to one another and are designed as planar surfaces. The detector arrangement is suitable in particular for detection of light emanating from a specimen in a microscope, preferably in a laser-scanning microscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Bathe, Michael Goelles, Mirko Liedtke
  • Patent number: 8498048
    Abstract: A focusing apparatus for use with an optical system having a high NA objective lens includes an image forming and capturing mechanism for forming an image in an intermediate image zone and for capturing an image by receiving and refocusing light from a selected focal plane within the intermediate image zone, and a focus adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the selected focal plane within the intermediate image zone. The image forming and capturing mechanism includes at least one high NA lens. In use, spherical aberration introduced by the high NA objective lens is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Isis Innovations Limited
    Inventors: Tony Wilson, Rimvydas Juskaitis, Martin James Booth, Edward Botcherby
  • Patent number: 8487989
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image stabilization device which is particularly space-efficient and has a quick response time, and which is integrated into an image capture device for an image capture system of a surgical microscope, including a carrier substrate (101, 102) defining a sensor plane, a plurality of optoelectronic image capturing cells (110) arranged, in particular, in a matrix array; and at least one moving means (120) for moving the optoelectronic image capturing cells (110) relative to the carrier substrate (101, 102).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems (Schweiz) AG
    Inventor: Ulrich Sander
  • Patent number: 8486085
    Abstract: A surgical microscopy system comprises microscopy optics for generating an image of an eye under surgery. A pattern generator generates a pattern to be superimposed with the image. An eye-tracker is provided for tracking a position of the superimposed pattern with respect to the image in case of a movement of the eye. The superimposed pattern comprises pattern elements that are equally distributed on first and second circles of different sizes, in order to give assistance when placing a suture during a corneal transplant. The superimposed pattern may also provide an assistance for orientating a toric intra-ocular lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Moeller, Anja Seiwert, Michel Perez, Peter Amend
  • Patent number: 8488238
    Abstract: A microscope cube includes a housing including a first opening on a first wall of the housing and a second opening on a second wall of the housing, the first wall adjacent to the second wall; an excitation filter disposed within the first opening; an emission filter disposed within the second opening; and a dichroic mirror positioned within the housing. In one aspect, the dichroic mirror has a thickness greater than or equal to 1.5 mm. In another aspect, the excitation filter is positioned at an angle relative to the first wall of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Chroma Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Charles Michael Stanley
  • Publication number: 20130170021
    Abstract: Provided is a microscope optical system in which the occurrence of flare due to unnecessary-order diffracted light exited from a diffractive optical element is suppressed. A microscope objective lens MS is configured by including an objective lens OL which has a diffractive optical element GD and converts light from an object into a substantially parallel light flux, and a second objective lens IL which forms an image of the object by focusing the substantially parallel light flux from the objective lens OL, and is configured such that, in case where an m-th order of diffracted light from the diffractive optical element GD is used for the image formation, the following expression is satisfied: |?|>tan?1(0.06/0) when the light of a maximum NA emitted from the object located on an optical axis enters the diffractive optical element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: NIKON CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 8476581
    Abstract: An apparatus adapted for confocal imaging of a non-flat specimen comprising a coherent light source for producing a light beam, imaging optics adapted to focus the light beam into at least one spot on a surface of a specimen, and a detector adapted to receive and detect light reflected from the specimen surface. The imaging optics comprise at least one optical component located so that the light reflected from the specimen surface passes therethrough on its way to the detector. The optical component is movable so as to move the at least one spot, within a range of movement, to a number of distinct locations in a plane perpendicular to the apparatus' optical axis, within the detector's integration time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Cadent Ltd.
    Inventors: Noam Babayoff, Yossef Atiya, Tzvi Philipp
  • Patent number: 8472111
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for performing optical microscopy are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the apparatus includes a deep ultraviolet light source configured to generate light having a wavelength within a window in the deep ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum within which a local minimum in the absorption coefficient of Oxygen occurs. Further, the apparatus includes a lens device that receives at least a first portion of the generated light, directs at least some of the first portion of the generated light toward a location, receives reflected light from the location, and directs at least some of the reflected light toward a further location. Additionally, the apparatus includes a camera device that is positioned at one of the further location and an additional location, where the camera device receives at least a second portion of the reflected light, whereby an image is generated by the camera device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignees: The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Invent Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Barry Gelernt, Thomas D. Milster
  • Publication number: 20130148184
    Abstract: A confocal optical scanner includes: a plurality of condenser elements each configured to concentrate illumination light to be applied on a sample to produce fluorescence from the sample; a plurality of optical scanning units including a plurality of openings each configured to allow the illumination light concentrated by the condenser element to pass the opening, the optical scanning units each configured to scan the sample with the illumination light that has passed through the opening; a moving mechanism configured to move the optical scanning units to select one of the optical scanning units; and an incident-angle adjusting part configured to adjust the incident angle of the illumination light incident on the optical scanning unit selected from the optical scanning units according to the selected optical scanning unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 8462355
    Abstract: A scanning microscope includes an acousto-optic scanner that produces a scanned beam. A beam separator based on total internal reflection or angle tuning of a dielectric filter separates an unscanned portion of an excitation light flux from a scanned portion. The scanned beam is directed to a specimen, and optical radiation generated in response to the scanned beam is directed to a detector that produces a detected signal that can be used to determine an image. The scanned beam can be directed to the specimen without formation of any intermediate focusing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
    Inventors: Dejan Vucinic, Terrence J. Sejnowski
  • Publication number: 20130141782
    Abstract: A microscope, comprising a stage onto which is placed an item, a lens having a tunable acoustic gradient index of refraction (TAG lens) sufficiently proximate to said stage to magnify an image of the item, a viewing point for providing for viewing of the magnified image, and a pulsed illuminator capable of illuminating the stage and synchronously pulsed with an operating frequency of the TAG lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventors: Christian Theriault, Craig B. Arnold
  • Patent number: 8456738
    Abstract: An ultrahigh-resolution fiber-optic confocal microscope has an illumination system; three single-mode optical fibers, each optically coupled to a fiber coupler; a sample support stage arranged to receive illumination radiation from an end of one of the single-mode optical fibers; a detector arranged to receive output radiation from one of the single-mode optical fibers; and a lock-in amplifier electrically connected to the detector and the illumination system. The illumination system is adapted to provide illumination radiation that has a time-varying strength that is correlated with the detector by the lock-in amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Ilko K. Ilev, Ronald W. Waynant, Israel Gannot, Amir H. Gandjbakhche
  • Patent number: 8456739
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a microscope (1), preferably a dental microscope, including a microscope body (15) and a stand (2) formed by a plurality of components to provide a supporting function or to enable positioning of the microscope (1) in the room (11), the microscope body (15) and the stand (2) having cavities (16) therein. It is a feature of the present invention that at least one cavity (16) of the microscope body (15) and/or the stand (2) has a light source (17) provided therein whose light (17a, 17b, 17c) can pass outwardly through passage openings (18, 24, 27).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems (Schweiz) AG
    Inventors: Herbert Stuettler, Christophe Apothéloz, Andreas Tedde, Urban Wenk
  • Patent number: 8451533
    Abstract: A fluorescence microscope 100 includes an illumination optical system 120 that illuminates a sample with excitation light, fluorescence detection optical systems 130, 140 and 150 that detect fluorescence from the sample, optical members 8, 12, 13, 16, 17 and 20 that are disposed on an optical path of the illumination optical system and on an optical path of the fluorescence detection optical system, have different wavelength characteristics with each other, and are included in the illumination optical system and in the fluorescence detection optical system, a memory 23 that stores the wavelength characteristic of each of the optical members, and a display 23a that displays each of the wavelength characteristic read out from the memory on the same frame, and displays fluorescence detection wavelength range of a detectable fluorescent dye added to the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Yutaka Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8446667
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method of locating a specimen with a microscope, the microscope including two point light sources, a transparent specimen holder, a digital imaging device, a processor, and a display. The method includes sequentially illuminating the two point light sources through the specimen holder, across the specimen, and onto the digital imaging device to create shadows associated with each of the two point light sources. Optical images of the specimen are received on the digital imaging device associated with each shadow from the light sources, and a disparity signal is output containing a horizontal, vertical, and depth position of the specimen relative to the digital imaging device. Location of the specimen is determined based on the disparity signal. The specimen is allowed to move freely throughout the transparent specimen holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Barton A. Smith, Thomas G. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 8446668
    Abstract: A microscope apparatus includes an illumination optical system that illuminates a sample with illumination light from a light source; an imaging optical system that converges light emitted from the sample to form a sample image by an objective lens; an aperture member disposed in the illumination optical system in the vicinity of a conjugate plane of a rear focal plane of the objective lens and having an aperture for limiting illumination light; and a filter member that includes a phase plate disposed in the imaging optical system in the vicinity of the objective lens rear focal plane or in the vicinity of the conjugate plane of the objective lens rear focal plane and having first and second phase areas introducing a 180-degree phase difference into the light from the sample; a phase boundary portion between the first and second phase areas being disposed in a conjugate aperture of the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kumiko Matsui
  • Publication number: 20130120550
    Abstract: An extended depth of field microscope system for phase object detection includes an imaging optical module and a phase/intensity converting module. The imaging optical module has an object lens group, in which an axial symmetric phase coding is added, to produce an axial symmetric spherical aberration. A point spread function (PSF) and an image with extended depth of field can be obtained with a predetermined level of similarity. The phase/intensity converting module converts the phase change of the light passing the phase object, into an image light with change of light intensity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Yung-Lin Chen, Hsin-Yueh Sung, Chir-Weei Chang
  • Patent number: 8427646
    Abstract: A microscope device having dual emission capability, wherein detrimental effects of image-aberrations and -distortions are reduced. By providing the means for reflecting the one beam in a manner so as to invert its handedness and the means for reflecting the second beam in a manner so as to preserve its handedness, a fully symmetrical configuration is obtained, where corresponding image points in both color/polarisation channels all experience the same field-dependent aberrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: FEI Company
    Inventor: Rainer Uhl
  • Publication number: 20130088775
    Abstract: A compound microscope device allowing simultaneous observation of one specimen by a transmission electron microscope and an optical microscope, is provided. A compound microscope device 1 of the present invention has a transmission electron microscope 2 and an optical microscope 4. A specimen 10 and a reflection mirror 41 are disposed on an electron optical axis C of an electron ray. The reflection mirror 41 is inclined from the electron optical axis C toward the optical object lens 43 and the specimen 10. Light from the specimen 10 (fluorescent light, reflection light, and the like) is reflected by the reflection mirror 41 and entered into the optical object lens 43. The electron ray from the electron microscope 2 passes through a mounting center hole 42 of the reflection mirror 41. This makes it possible to observe one specimen simultaneously by the electron microscope 2 and the optical microscope 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Inventors: Kuniaki Nagayama, Yoshihiro Arai, Hirofumi Iijima, Susumu Terakawa
  • Patent number: 8416491
    Abstract: A method and system for three-dimensional polarization-based confocal microscopy are provided in the present disclosure for analyzing the surface profile of an object. In the present disclosure, a linear-polarizing structured light formed by an optical grating is projected on the object underlying profile measurement. By means of a set of polarizers and steps of shifting the structured light, a series of images with respect to the different image-acquired location associated with the object are obtained using confocal principle. Following this, a plurality of focus indexes respectively corresponding to a plurality of inspected pixels of each image are obtained for forming a focus curve with respect to the measuring depth and obtaining a peak value associated with each depth response curve. Finally, a depth location with respect to the peak value for each depth response curve is obtained for reconstructing the surface profile of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignees: Industrial Technology Research Institute, National Taipei University of Technology
    Inventors: Liang-Chia Chen, Shih-Hsuan Kuo, Sheng-Han Chen, Yi-Wei Chang, Hau-Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 8416492
    Abstract: A balancing apparatus for a surgical microscope is suggested for balancing an optics carrier that is held via a pivot support at a stand. The apparatus comprises a Y displacement unit comprising a first slide for displacement of the optics carrier in a Y direction and a Z displacement unit comprising a second slide for displacement of the optics carrier in a Z direction. Both slides are driven by motors. A selector switch enables an operator to select powering either the first motor or the second motor; and a forward-reverse switch enables the operator to select either the forward or the reverse driving mode for the motor powered by the selector switch and consequently establish the forward or the reverse driving mode for the first or second slide, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Stefan Enge
  • Patent number: 8411139
    Abstract: A microscope system includes a microscope, a digital camera and a computer system. The microscope has an automatically adjustable subassembly having an adjustable element. The digital camera acquires image data of an image of a specimen. The computer system has a display and a storage unit configured to store the image data and to store, associated with the image data, data defining a setting of the automatically adjustable subassembly corresponding to the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Paul, Robert Schuermann, Urs Gomez
  • Patent number: 8411357
    Abstract: A motor-operated microscope system has a motor-operated microscope section including an illumination optical system, an electric stage, an image forming optical system having an objective lens and an image forming lens, and an image pickup device; a housing; a control device having a screen display and an arithmetic processing section; and software displaying an operating condition setting screen of the motor-operated microscope section on the screen display and controlling an operation of the motor-operated microscope section in accordance with a set condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichiro Matsuo, Kosuke Takagi
  • Patent number: 8405903
    Abstract: An objective-optical-system positioning apparatus includes a positioning unit interposed between an objective optical system having a small-diameter end section and an examination optical system for examining light collected by the objective optical system; and a substantially cylindrical support unit, one end of which is secured to an organism, and which internally supports the small-diameter end section in a detachable manner. The positioning unit includes a holding part for holding the objective optical system and a moving mechanism supporting the holding part such that the holding part is freely movable in a direction intersecting with a direction of an optical axis of the objective optical system, and the other end of the support unit has a tapered inner surface whose diameter gradually increases toward the tip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Hirata, Masahiro Oba
  • Patent number: 8400709
    Abstract: Fluorescence is generated from an irradiated point on an inspection surface of a sample and the fluorescence is collected by an objective lens. Here, because of the magnification chromatic aberration of the objective lens, the fluorescence going out from the objective lens travels along a path shifted from the irradiation light and changed substantially into a non-scan light by a galvano-scanner. The fluorescence passes through a dichroic mirror and comes into deflection system after light of unnecessary wavelength is removed by a filter. The deflection system is driven in synchronization with the galvano-scanner by a computer and corrects the shift and inclination of the optical axis generated by the magnification chromatic aberration of the objective lens. Then the fluorescence forms an image of the irradiation point of the inspection surface of the sample on a pin hole of a pin hole plate by using a collective lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon, Corporation
    Inventors: Yuki Yoshida, Naoshi Aikawa
  • Patent number: 8395840
    Abstract: An apparatus for positioning optical components in an optical device and a microscope with such an apparatus are described, comprising a holding device having a plurality of receptacles on which the optical components can be fixed. A stepper motor comprises a motor shaft for rotating the holding device via a toothed belt and therefore positions the optical components. This allows to position optical components in the optical beam path with low noise and in a vibration-free manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Ganser, Albrecht Weiss
  • Patent number: 8390682
    Abstract: A microscope system includes a light amount ratio changing unit for changing a ratio of the amount of light directed to a first optical path for directing an optical image of the sample to an eyepiece lens and a second optical path for directing an optical image of the sample to an image capturing unit, an image capturing controlling unit for controlling an exposure time of the image capturing unit, and a controlling unit for obtaining a first exposure time from the image capturing controlling unit, for calculating a second exposure time on the basis of the first exposure time and a second ratio of the amount of light, and for controlling the image capturing controlling unit to set the second exposure time as the exposure time if the light amount ratio changing unit changes to the second ratio of the amount of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Minamide
  • Patent number: 8389893
    Abstract: A method for laser beam machining of a workpiece in which a laser beam is focused by an objective, into or onto the workpiece having a boundary surface, to produce a machining effect by a two-photon process, and the position of the focal point with respect to the workpiece is shifted. To obtain a reference for the position of the focal point, an image of a luminating modulation object is projected through the objective onto the workpiece into the focal plane or so as to intersect it. Reflections of the image occurring at the boundary surface are imaged into an autofocus image plane, and are detected by a camera. The camera image plane either intersects the autofocus image plane when the image of the illuminating modulation object lies in the focal plane, or lies in the autofocus image plane when the image of the modulation object intersects the focal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Nanoscribe GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Kempe, Peter Westphal, Wolfgang Grau, Georg von Freymann
  • Patent number: 8379303
    Abstract: An electric zoom consecutively changes a magnification for a sample within a magnification changeable range. An electric revolver switches an objective lens placed in an observation optical path to intermittently change the magnification for the sample. A control section calculates a total magnification based on the magnification provided by the electric zoom and the magnification of the objective lens currently placed in the observation optical path. The control section controls the electric revolver such that the objective lens placed in the observation optical path is switched when the magnification changed in response to the operation of causing the magnification of the electric zoom to be changed falls outside the magnification changeable range of the electric zoom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Wakamatsu, Akitoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8369010
    Abstract: A microscope includes a microscope main unit including a stage on which a specimen is to be placed; and a light source provided on the microscope main unit and emitting illumination light for illuminating the specimen. The microscope also includes a main power supply operable to be turned on and off; a sensor that senses the presence or absence of a subject in a front or side area of the microscope main unit; a determining unit that determines based on a result of the sensing whether the subject moves; and a control unit that turns on the light source when the main power supply is turned on, maintains the light source in an ON state when the determining unit determines that the subject moves, and turns off the light source when the determining unit determines that the subject does not move and a predetermined period of time passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Masayoshi Karasawa, Keisuke Tamura, Hideaki Endo, Tetsuya Shirota, Tsuyoshi Mochizuki
  • Publication number: 20130027768
    Abstract: A device for attaching a first optical microscope component part to a second part includes an annular receptacle attached to the second part and an annual insertion part. The annular insertion part includes outside-conical retaining projections. The receptacle includes a base ring having a retaining collar with an inside cone tapering away from the base ring and in which a lateral opening is formed, through which the insertion part can be inserted in the receptacle such that it is located on a pre-locking position in which the annular openings overlap. The insertion part and the receptacle can be moved by reciprocal rotation from the pre-locking position into a locking position in which the outside-conical retaining projections of the insertion part are seated against the inside cone of the retaining collar and press the insertion part on the base ring, whereby the insertion part is locked to the receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: CARL ZEISS MICROSCOPY GMBH
    Inventors: Ingo Fahlbusch, Werner Kleinschmidt, Heinrich Bunger, Peter Schnüll, Wolfgang Hartje, Georg Herbst
  • Patent number: 8363316
    Abstract: An optical configuration for a digital holographic microscope and a method for digital holographic microscopy are presented. In one embodiment, digital off-axis holograms are obtained using a cube beam splitter (110) to both split and combine a diverging spherical wavefront emerging from a microscope objective (108). When a plane numerical reference wavefront is used for the reconstruction of the recorded digital hologram, the phase curvature introduced by the microscope objective (108) together with the illuminating wave to the object wave can be physically compensated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignees: Nanyang Technological University, Ngee Ann Polytechnic
    Inventors: Anand Krishna Asundi, Weijuan Qu, Oi Choo Chee
  • Patent number: 8351115
    Abstract: A complex type microscopic device includes a slider unit moving a stage, an optical microscope, a scanning electron microscope with an electron axis intersecting with an optical axis of the optical microscope, an optical measurement/observation unit having a magnification between those of the scanning electron microscope and the optical microscope and co-using an objective lens with the optical microscope, and a control unit controlling the entire device, and a display unit having a display screen. During display of a low-magnification optical microscopic image, the control unit controls the display unit to display, on the image, a representation to designate an area to be observed at a magnification of the optical measurement/observation unit, and to display, on the image, another representation to designate an area to be observed at a magnification of the scanning electron microscope during display of a high-magnification optical microscopic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Hisashi Isozaki, Fumio Ohtomo, Kazuo Nunokawa
  • Patent number: 8350905
    Abstract: A microscope system has a VS image generation means for generating a virtual slide image of a specimen which is constructed by mutually connecting a plurality of microscope images with a first photomagnification photographed and acquired whenever an objective lens and the specimen are relatively moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis and which represents the entire image of the specimen, an object-of-interest set means setting an object of interest with respect to the entire image of the specimen represented by the VS image, and a three-dimensional VS image generation means for generating a three-dimensional VS image which is constructed by connecting the microscope images at different focal positions in accordance with the same focal position and which is constructed from the microscope images with a second photomagnification higher than the first photomagnification and represents the image of the object of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuki Yamada
  • Publication number: 20130003170
    Abstract: A positioning unit for positioning an optical unit (12, 13) comprising at least one optical element in a beam path (20) of a microscope between an objective lens of a microscope and in front of an eye to be monitored is provided, wherein the positioning unit comprises a connection device (21), wherein the connection device (21) can couple the positioning unit can be coupled to the microscope, wherein the positioning unit is formed, at least in part, of plastics material. The invention also relates to a monitoring device (10) comprising a positioning unit (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: OCULUS OPTIKGERAETE GMBH
    Inventors: Carsten Feiertag, Guenter Pfeiffer, Rainer Kirchhuebel