Abstract: A centrifuge microscope includes a disk which is rotatable around a rotation axis and which is provided with a sample chamber for accommodating a sample. An observation optical system is provided which includes an objective lens which is positioned such that the sample chamber crosses an optical axis of the objective lens as the disk rotates. A pulsed laser source is provided for emitting a pulsed laser to the sample at a timing at which the sample chamber crosses the optical axis of the objective lens. And a delay time adjusting section is provided for adjusting a delay time of an emission timing of the pulsed laser in accordance with a rotational speed of the disk.

Abstract: A phase contrast microscope including an illuminating optical system, a ring slit arranged at a pupil of the illuminating optical system, an imaging optical system, and a phase plate arranged at a pupil of the imaging optical system which is conjugate with the pupil of the illuminating optical system with respect to a specimen plane on which a specimen under inspection is placed. The phase plate is formed by a liquid crystal and a pair of transparent ring-shaped electrodes arranged on both sides of the liquid crystal. A voltage applied across the liquid crystal via the electrodes is changed such that a phase difference introduced by the phase plate is set to .+-..pi./2 to obtain a dark contrast image and a bright contrast image. A difference between these dark and bright contrast images is derived to obtain a phase contrast image having high contrast and resolution.

Abstract: A high resolution objective lens system for use in the ultraviolet region around 250 nm comprising in order from the object side: a first lens unit comprising a meniscus lens component having an object side concave surface having high curvature and a positive lens component, and having a positive refractive power as a whole; a second lens unit comprising at least two cemented lens components and having a positive refractive power as a whole; and a third lens unit comprising a cemented lens component and having a negative refractive power as a whole: each of the lens elements arranged in the lens units being made of an optical material which has, a thickness of at least 5 mm, and an internal transmittance of at least 50% for a ray having a wavelength of 300 nm.

Abstract: An optical system for microscopes includes an objective lens for collimating beams of light emanating from an object and an imaging lens for forming parallel beams emerging from the objective lens into an image of the object at a predetermined position, and satisfies the equation:0.5 f<W<1.1 fwhere W is the variable amount of spacing from the contact surface of the objective lens to the surface of incidence of the imaging lens and f is the focal length of the imaging lens. Thus, the optical system for microscopes allows a large variable amount to be secured while holding a good imaging condition and is unsurpassed in extensity of the system to be able to accommodate various modes of observation.

Abstract: An objective of some 10 magnifications usable with microscopes, etc. which has an increased numerical aperture and working distance, including a first lens component that is a cemented lens consisting of negative and positive lens elements, a second lens component a third lens component, a fourth lens component consisting of a cemented lens and a fifth lens component having a positive refractive power, characterized by satisfying the following conditions:.nu..sub.I2 -.nu..sub.I1 >20 (1)n.sub.I1 -n.sub.I2 >0.2 (2)wherein:n.sub.I1 is the refractive index of d-line of the negative lens element of the first component,.nu..sub.I1 is the Abbe's number of said negative lens element of the first lens component,n.sub.I2 is the refractive index for d-line of the positive lens element of the first lens component, and.nu..sub.I2 is the Abbe's number of said positive lens element of the first lens component.

Abstract: A microscope optical system having an objective lens, an observing direction converting prism bending a beam of light from the objective lens in a predetermined direction, and an eyepiece for observing an image formed by the beam of light bent in the predetermined direction comprises a first prism having the same bottom angle as the observing direction converting prism, replaceable with respect to the observing direction converting prism, a loop optical path comprised of an odd number of reflecting members for conducting the light beam transmitted by the first prism in the predetermined direction, and a photographic lens provided in the loop optical path. Thus, the microscope optical system has important advantages in practical use that where image recordings are made in photography and video, the field range and the position of a photographic image can be observed as they are through the eyepiece, magnification is variable without rendering the lens barrel large, and the structure is simple with low cost.

Abstract: A fine surface profile meter includes an X-Y stage, supported by a leaf spring, for supporting a sample thereon, a piezoelectric actuator for two-dimensionally scanning the X-Y stage, a positioning table, disposed below the X-Y stage, for positioning the X-Y stage at an arbitrary position, an objective lens disposed above the X-Y stage, an observation optical system for allowing an operator to observe an enlarged sample image, a measurement optical system, an optical axis of which is aligned with an optical path of the objective lens through a beam splitter, the measurement optical system for emitting a laser beam onto the sample through the objective lens and to receive the laser beam reflected by the sample, a calculator circuit for calculating height information of the sample using an output from the measurement optical system and for obtaining a two-dimensional distribution of the height information, a cover for shielding the X-Y stage, the positioning means, the objective lens, the beam splitter, the obs

Abstract: In order to be suited for long-term use in an enclosed space and to enable various modes of illumination by simple procedures and at a low cost without adding special optical components, the illuminating device for microscopes of the invention comprises a surface light source including a plural number of semiconductor light sources arranged in two dimensions, a control circuit selectively lighting some or all of the plural number of semiconductor light sources in conjunction with selection of an illumination mode, and an optical system for condensing and transmitting the light from the surface light source. The illuminating device of the invention makes it possible to observe a sample simultaneously in different illumination modes when the illuminating device is equipped with three surface light sources and the sample is irradiated simultaneously with the lights from the three surface light sources.

Abstract: A microscope apparatus manufacturable at a low cost, and equipped with a photographing device assuring coincidence between an image to be observed and an image to be photographed, correctly photographing the up-down and right-left directions of a sample with no switching operation and permitting correct readout of characters, etc. written on a sample, a macro observation or drawing attachment permitting observation of the entire surface of a sample even of a large size without fail, not degrading operability of the microscope and having a composition to facilitate correction of image rotation, and a data imprinting device providing legible imprinted data images and capable of shifting data imprinting position on the film surface of the photographing device.

Abstract: A schlieren optical device using diode emitting monochromatic light as spot light source so as to have a compact and light-weight design, low calorific power, and low power consumption, and assure high reliability. In said optical device, imaging lens consists of a pair of lens groups arranged with an airspace reserved therebetween, knife edge consists of a light-shielding coating arranged on the surface of one of said lens groups and the other lens group is displaceable along the optical axis. Said optical device comprises a schlieren optical system and an optical system of a transmission type of microscope having optical axes perpendicularly intersecting with each other at the position of a sample, or a pair of schlieren optical systems and an optical system of a transmission type of microscope having optical axes perpendicularly intersecting with one another.

Abstract: An objective lens system for microscopes having a long working distance and aberrations favorably corrected to peripheral portion of visual field comprising a first meniscus lens component, a second positive lens component, a third cemented doublet consisting of a positive lens element and a nagative lens element, a fourth positive lens component and a fifth meniscus lens component.

Abstract: A microscope objective lens system by using a Gauss type lens system, in which the N. A. is large, the working distance is long, the image surface is flat over a wide angle of view and various aberrations are well corrected. The system comprises a first lens component comprising two or three single positive lenses, a second lens component comprising a cemented meniscus lens having its convex surface faced to the object side, a third lens component comprising a cemented meniscus lens having its concave surface faced to the object side, and a fourth lens component comprising a single positive lens.

Abstract: An optical system for microscopes includes an objective lens for collimating beams of light emanating from an object and an imaging lens for forming parallel beams emerging from the objective lens into an image of the object at a predetermined position, and satisfies the equation:0.5 f<W<1.1 fwhere W is the variable amount of spacing from the contact surface of the objective lens to the surface of incidence of the imaging lens and f is the focal length of the imaging lens. Thus, the optical system for microscopes allows a large variable amount to be secured while holding a good imaging condition and is unsurpassed in extensity of the system to be able to accommodate various modes of observation.