Abstract: A microscope, including: an illumination optical system that irradiates a specimen with illumination light from an oblique direction; an observation optical system including an objective lens; and a controller that moves at least one of a stage to hold the specimen and the objective lens in a same direction as an optical axis of the objective lens. The controller changes, when moving at least one of the stage and the objective lens, an incident angle of the illumination light with respect to the specimen.

Abstract: A microscope, including: an illumination optical system that irradiates a specimen with illumination light from an oblique direction; an observation optical system including an objective lens; and a controller that moves at least one of a stage to hold the specimen and the objective lens in a same direction as an optical axis of the objective lens. The controller changes, when moving at least one of the stage and the objective lens, an incident angle of the illumination light with respect to the specimen.

Abstract: A modulation contrast microscope that affords good view of sperm in ICSI, in particular, good view during sperm manipulation in ICSI, by improving contrast of the end portion of the tail includes the modulation contrast microscope comprises an aperture member having a partial aperture disposed at or near the front focal plane of a condenser lens, and a modulator disposed at a plane substantially conjugate with the aperture member, at or near the rear focal plane of a first objective lens or a conjugate plane thereof. The transmittance T(%) of a region of the modulator, corresponding to the partial aperture, satisfies the condition 1 £ T £ 8. Good viewing for ICSI sperm manipulation can be obtained as a result.

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.

Abstract: A microscope system is characterized in comprising a transmission illumination optical system having a light source (11) and a condenser lens (13); a first dry objective (15a) having a magnification of from 20 or higher to 40 or lower and capable of viewing by at least one of a differential interference viewing method and a modulation contrast viewing method; and a second dry objective (15b) having a magnification of from 60 or higher to 100 or lower and capable of viewing by a differential interference viewing method; the first objective (15a) and the second objective (15b) being exchangeable.

Abstract: A microscope system includes a transmission illumination optical system having a light source and a condenser lens; a first dry objective having a magnification of from 20 or higher to 40 or lower and capable of viewing by at least one of a differential interference viewing method and a modulation contrast viewing method; and a second dry objective having a magnification of from 60 or higher to 100 or lower and capable of viewing by a differential interference viewing method; the first objective and the second objective being exchangeable.

Abstract: A microscope for introducing light from a light source via an objective lens to a sample so that a user observes the sample via the objective lens includes: a minute opening arranged in an optical path between the light source and the objective lens and on a focal plane of the image side of the objective lens or at a position conjugate with its conjugate plane; position adjusting means for adjusting the position of the minute opening so that the light from the light source via the minute opening is incident to the sample at the Brewster's angle; an polarizing element arranged in the optical path between the light source and the objective lens for extracting rectilinear polarized light from the light from the light source and applying the rectilinear polarized light to the sample.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a zoom microscope of a simple structure which can expand a variable-power range. In order to achieve the object thereof, the zoom microscope includes a replaceable infinity correction objective lens, an aperture stop, an afocal zoom system, and an imaging optical system which are arranged in this order from a specimen side. Further, the aperture stop is disposed on or near a rear focal plane of the objective lens.

Abstract: A microscope system is characterized in comprising a transmission illumination optical system having a light source (11) and a condenser lens (13); a first dry objective (15a) having a magnification of from 20 or higher to 40 or lower and capable of viewing by at least one of a differential interference viewing method and a modulation contrast viewing method; and a second dry objective (15b) having a magnification of from 60 or higher to 100 or lower and capable of viewing by a differential interference viewing method; the first objective (15a) and the second objective (15b) being exchangeable.

Abstract: A modulation contrast microscope that affords good view of sperm in ICSI, in particular, good view during sperm manipulation in ICSI, by improving contrast of the end portion of the tail includes the modulation contrast microscope comprises an aperture member having a partial aperture disposed at or near the front focal plane of a condenser lens, and a modulator disposed at a plane substantially conjugate with the aperture member, at or near the rear focal plane of a first objective lens or a conjugate plane thereof. The transmittance T(%) of a region of the modulator, corresponding to the partial aperture, satisfies the condition 1 £ T £ 8. Good viewing for ICSI sperm manipulation can be obtained as a result.

Abstract: A polarization compensation optical system includes: a light source 1 that illuminates a sample 4 with illumination light through a polarizer P, a collector lens 2, a condenser lens 3, an objective lens 5 that converges light from the sample 4 and forms an image through an analyzer A, and a polarization compensation optical element C (C1, C2) that is disposed at least one of a space between the polarizer P and the sample 4, and a space between the sample 4 and the analyzer A, divided into a plurality of areas within an effective diameter, and corrects rotation of polarization direction and phase difference generated by optical elements disposed between the polarizer P and the analyzer A at each area, and the division number of the areas of the polarization compensation optical element C (C1, C2) is 8 or more.

Abstract: A microscope for introducing light from a light source via an objective lens to a sample so that a user observes the sample via the objective lens includes: a minute opening arranged in an optical path between the light source and the objective lens and on a focal plane of the image side of the objective lens or at a position conjugate with its conjugate plane; position adjusting means for adjusting the position of the minute opening so that the light from the light source via the minute opening is incident to the sample at the Brewster's angle; an polarizing element arranged in the optical path between the light source and the objective lens for extracting rectilinear polarized light from the light from the light source and applying the rectilinear polarized light to the sample.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a zoom microscope of a simple structure which can expand a variable-power range. In order to achieve the object thereof, the zoom microscope includes a replaceable infinity correction objective lens, an aperture stop, an afocal zoom system, and an imaging optical system which are arranged in this order from a specimen side. Further, the aperture stop is disposed on or near a rear focal plane of the objective lens.

Abstract: Providing a microscope apparatus capable of observing phase variation of a phase object with sufficient contrast with a white light source having an area such as a halogen lamp and a mercury lamp commonly used in a microscope.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a zoom microscope of a simple structure which can expand a variable-power range. In order to achieve the object thereof, the zoom microscope includes a replaceable infinity correction objective lens, an aperture stop, an afocal zoom system, and an imaging optical system which are arranged in this order from a specimen side. Further, the aperture stop is disposed on or near a rear focal plane of the objective lens.

Abstract: A minute particle optical manipulation method and a minute particle optical manipulation apparatus are capable of simply strengthening a trapping force in an optical-axis direction and expanding a range where the trapping for acts in the optical-axis direction without requiring an optical element such as a special prism etc., and obtaining the trapping force enough to trap the particle even when the minute particle exists deep within a medium while keeping the trapping force when the minute particle is in a shallow position within the medium.

Abstract: In a differential interference microscope, polarized light having a predetermined direction of oscillation is incident on a birefringent optical member so as to be separated into two linearly polarized light components having directions of oscillation orthogonal to each other, and the two linearly polarized light components thus separated are directed via an objective lens to a sample to be observed, and the two linearly polarized light components reflected from the sample are guided via the objective to the birefringent optical member so as to be synthesized into single light, and two linearly polarized light components of the synthesized light flux are caused to interfere so that an image of the sample is formed by the objective lens from the light flux that have interfered.

Abstract: A minute particle optical manipulation method and a minute particle optical manipulation apparatus are capable of simply strengthening a trapping force in an optical-axis direction and expanding a range where the trapping for acts in the optical-axis direction without requiring an optical element such as a special prism etc., and obtaining the trapping force enough to trap the particle even when the minute particle exists deep within a medium while keeping the trapping force when the minute particle is in a shallow position within the medium.

Abstract: An interference microscope includes an illumination optical system for making two light beams fall on a subject, an observation optical system for forming an interference image by causing interference between the two light beams from the subject, a detection unit for detecting the interference image, and a calculation unit for calculating a phase difference between the two light beams from a result of the detection by the detection unit. The two light beams contain light having a plurality of wavelengths. The detection unit detects light intensities with respect to the light having the plurality of wavelengths that is contained in the interference image. The calculation unit obtains such a wavelength as to minimize the light intensity from the light intensities of the light having the plurality of wavelengths which are detected by the detection unit, and sets, as the phase difference, a magnitude of the obtained wavelength.

Abstract: A minute particle optical manipulation method and a minute particle optical manipulation apparatus are capable of simply strengthening a trapping force in an optical-axis direction and expanding a range where the trapping for acts in the optical-axis direction without requiring an optical element such as a special prism etc, and obtaining the trapping force enough to trap the particle even when the minute particle exists deep within a medium while keeping the trapping force when the minute particle is in a shallow position within the medium.