Abstract: A system is provided for supporting and positioning a corneal endothelium microscope to permit: (1) examination of the corneal endothelium of an eye in vivo; and (2) examination of the corneal endothelium of an enucleated eye. The system includes a support mechanism for positioning the microscope relative to the eye in vivo, which mechanism includes means for moving the microscope in a horizontal direction into and out of engagement with the corneal epithelium of such eye. The system also includes apparatus for supporting the same microscope relative to the cornea of an enucleated eye which is positioned in a horizontal plane and for vertically adjusting the position of such cornea relative to the microscope.

Abstract: In a microscope the eyepiece and the objective lenses are separately mounted, the objective being mounted in a cantilever member which is rigidly attached to a rigid portion of a support pillar. The eyepiece is also cantilevered out from the support pillar, the eyepiece cantilever being spaced away from the objective-mounting cantilever and entirely free of contact therewith, except only the remote contact through the pillar. To maintain the most rigid possible relationship between objective and stage, the stage is focusably mounted on a rigid portion of the same support pillar.