Abstract: A method by which the illumination radiation to be coupled into the illumination beam path of a microscope can be exactly monitored and/or adjusted. In the method for adjusting a light source for a microscope, an imaging optical reflection unit, instead of the objective, is coupled to the microscope in order to image the light of the light source on a detector in such a way that a monitoring of the focus position and/or the position and/or an adjustment of the laser light source with respect to the focus position and/or the position can be carried out. Provided is an approach for monitoring and adjusting a laser beam to be coupled into the illumination beam path of a microscope particularly for using TIRF effects. It can also be used in principle for other solutions in which the parallelism of illumination beams must be monitored and/or adjusted.

Abstract: The invention is directed to illumination optics for an optical device for observing a sample, particularly for TIRF microscopy (Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy), wherein the sample is positioned on the side of a carrier glass remote of the illumination optics and the illumination light exiting from the illumination optics is shaped into an illumination beam bundle which encloses an angle not equal to 90° with the normal to the surface of the carrier glass. According to the invention, the illumination optics of the type mentioned above comprise at least two optically active elements which influence the shape and direction of the illumination beam bundle and which are arranged outside of the detection beam path that guides light coming from the sample to a detector. The optically active elements are preferably constructed as annular lenses and are arranged concentrically around the detection beam path.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method by which the illumination radiation to be coupled into the illumination beam path of a microscope can be exactly monitored and/or adjusted. In the method according to the invention for adjusting a light source for a microscope, an imaging optical reflection unit, instead of the objective, is coupled to the microscope in order to image the light of the light source on a detector in such a way that a monitoring of the focus position and/or the position and/or an adjustment of the laser light source with respect to the focus position and/or the position can be carried out. The proposed solution for monitoring and adjusting a laser beam to be coupled into the illumination beam path of a microscope is provided particularly for using TIRF effects, but can also be used in principle for other solutions in which the parallelism of illumination beams must be monitored and/or adjusted.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a stereoscopic microscope objective. A microscope objective of this kind contains five lenses. The first lens, considered from the object side, has a focal length between ?2.11f and ?1.20f; f is the total focal length of the microscope objective. This is followed by a second lens with a focal length between 1.30f and 1.45f, a third lens with a focal length between 1.15f and 1.37f, a fourth lens with a focal length between 0.65f and 1.7f, and a fifth lens with a focal length between ?0.96f and 0.48f. Combined, the amount of the refractive power of the last two lenses is less than 0.31f. In the first lens and fifth lens, at least 80% of the refractive power is concentrated on the image-side surfaces. In the second lens, at least 60% of the refractive power is concentrated on the image-side surface. In the third lens, at least 60% of the refractive power is concentrated on the object-side surface.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a stereoscopic microscope objective. A microscope objective of this kind contains five lenses. The first lens, considered from the object side, has a focal length between ?2.11f and ?1.20f; f is the total focal length of the microscope objective. This is followed by a second lens with a focal length between 1.30f and 1.45f, a third lens with a focal length between 1.15f and 1.37f, a fourth lens with a focal length between 0.65f and 1.7f, and a fifth lens with a focal length between ?0.96f and 0.48f. Combined, the amount of the refractive power of the last two lenses is less than 0.31f. In the first lens and fifth lens, at least 80% of the refractive power is concentrated on the image-side surfaces. In the second lens, at least 60% of the refractive power is concentrated on the image-side surface. In the third lens, at least 60% of the refractive power is concentrated on the object-side surface.