Abstract: A direct-view stereoscopic confocal microscope including a light source, an aperture plate, image collector, and first and second vibrators. The light source is used for illuminating a portion of a specimen and the aperture plate is used for passing a portion of the light emanating from the light source onto a portion of the specimen. The image collector is optically coupled to the illuminated portion of the specimen and acts to separate the image created by the illuminated portion of the specimen from the light illuminating the specimen. A first vibrator is coupled to the specimen for vibrating the specimen along a first axis and the second vibrator is coupled to the image collector, and synchronized with said first vibrator, for vibrating the collecting means along a second axis.

Abstract: An illumination system and method for increasing resolution, sharpness, depth of field, and perception of depth for a transmitted light microscope including a condenser lens having an optical axis, objective lens having an optical axis, and an eye piece wherein a light beam path shift enables two or more separate light beams to be directed onto the condenser along paths that are not coincident with the condenser lens optical axis and that produce beam exit paths from the condenser lens which are at maximum oblique angles relative to the objective lens axis which are within the objective lens aperture.

Abstract: A stereomicroscope comprising a pair of observation systems each comprising an objective lens and an eyepiece lens, a pair of light sources disposed above the objective lens for emitting a pair of light beams through a pair of beam splitters into the observation systems coaxially therewith, pairs of polarizers disposed on the side of the eyepiece lenses and the side of the light sources respectively so as to have polarizing surfaces perpendicular to each other, a quarter wavelength plate interposed between the objective lens and a sample to be observed, and a pair of light beam deflecting members disposed between the beam splitters and the objective lens.

Abstract: An illumination optical arrangement which uses a laser light source to produce a uniform illumination which is high in brightness and substantially free of interference patterns. The illumination optical arrangement includes light source means for emitting a coherent light beam, optical illuminance distribution uniformizing means for making substantially uniform the intensity distribution in a beam cross-section of illumination by the coherent light beam on a plane to be illuminated, and optical polarizing means for producing from the coherent light beam a plurality of polarized light components which are different in polarized state from each other in such a manner that wavefronts of incident light beams of the polarized light components to the optical illuminance distribution uniformizing means are inclined relative to each other whereby interference patterns produced by the polarized light components are relatively shifted in position in the illuminated plane.

Abstract: A single processing device samples a serial output of a photodetector for detecting a light beam radiated out of a sample and generates a digital image signal, which corresponds to each main scanning line of a light beam irradiated by an optical system onto the sample. Pixel clock pulses are fed into the signal processing device, the period of the pulses being modulated so as to compensate for fluctuations in a speed, at which the optical system is moved by a movement mechanism with respect to a sample supporting member. A timing signal that determines the timing, with which the sampling process is begun, is generated. A grid pattern constituted of light reflecting or blocking members arrayed in the direction, along which the optical system is moved reciprocally with respect to the sample supporting member, is secured to the sample supporting member or the optical system. A light projector is associated with the optical system or the sample supporting member and irradiates a light beam to the grid pattern.

Abstract: A confocal microscope comprises a focusing lens for focusing a light source onto a pin hole. The use of the lens for this purpose, when used within a confocal microscope apparatus, greatly reduces image artifacts and creates an increased transfer efficiently between the light source and the sample.

Abstract: An observation device for use in observation of a first object and a second object onto which a pattern of the first object is to be projected, the observation device includes a light source; a polarization beam splitter provided between the light source and the first object, for receiving light from the light source and for directing the same to the first and second objects; a first phase converting element provided between the first and second objects, for changing the state of polarization of the light from the light source as incident on the first phase converting element; and a second phase converting element provided to be disposed or to be selectively disposed between the first object and the polarization beam splitter, for changing the state of polarization of reflection light from the first object as incident on the second phase converting element; wherein the first and second objects can be observed by detecting, through the polarization beam splitter, reflection light reflected by the second object

Abstract: An improved real-time confocal scanning microscope, and an improved perforated disk for use in such microscope. A preferred embodiment of the inventive microscope includes a polarizing beamsplitting cube and a rotatable Nipkow disk perforted with a hexagonal hole pattern. The disk is preferably mounted so that the scan lines produced as the disk rotates will cross both the sample feature to be imaged and the sensor array in the system's video camera at an angle substantially equal to 45 degrees. This disk orientation ensures that brightness variations caused by a non-uniform scan will not affect the measurements. Rotation of the disk is preferably synchronized with the camera frame rate to prevent any scan errors from causing random (frame to frame) variations in the camera output. The polarizing beamsplitting cube consists of two triangular prisms connected (i.e., cemented) together by a dielectric film.

Abstract: A confocal scanning microscope comprises a light projecting device with which a small light spot of a light beam is formed on a sample, and a scanning mechanism which causes the light spot to scan the sample in main scanning and sub-scanning directions. A light receiving device condenses the light beam, which has passed through the sample, and an image of the condensed light beam is formed as a point image. A shutter array provided with a plurality of small light shutters, which are arrayed two-dimensionally, is located at a plane on which the point image is formed. An operating circuit sets a light shutter corresponding to the position, at which the point image is formed at any given instant, to an open state in synchronization with the main scanning and the sub-scanning with the light spot. A photodetector having a light receiving surface, which faces the whole surface of the shutter array, detects the point image through the light shutter, which has been set to the open state.

Abstract: A beam splitter, a first polarizing plate and a quarterwave plate are provided in that order on the optical axis of an image formation lens between an image formation plane and an objective lens. The first polarizing plate comprises a non-polarizing region for transmitting illuminating light and reflected light and a polarizing region provided to enclose the non-polarizing region for transmitting the illuminating light but limiting the reflected light which is rendered out of phase with the illuminating light by the quarterwave plate. Thus, the angular aperture of the illuminating light can be increased and an irradiated plane can be observed with no hindrance even if the same is inferior in flatness, while illuminance of the irradiated plane can be sufficiently ensured. At the same time, the angular aperture of the objective lens can be reduced, and the depth of focus Q is increased.