Abstract: An improved operating microscope includes a beamsplitter for splitting a portion of the visible image of the object, and an image enhancement device for performing image enhancement techniques on the split portion of the visible image. The enhanced visible image is then combined in real time with the unenhanced visible image so that a surgeon using the operating microscope sees the combined image. The combination provides automatic correlation of the enhanced image with the visible image. The present invention may be retrofit to existing microscopes, which in a preferred embodiment are binocular stereoscopic operating microscopes.

Abstract: An improved microscope features real time generation of combined visible and converted images. The converted image is of an object which is obscured by a layer of material which is opaque to visible light, but which is substantially transparent to non-visible penetrating radiation. In an operating microscope application, the invisible penetrating radiation may be radiation of wavelength greater than 620 nm, to which blood is transparent. The converted visible image made using the reflected penetrating radiation will show tissues underlying a layer of blood, which otherwise would obscure the tissues from being viewed by a surgeon. The converted and visible images are combined to generate a combined image which is more useful than would be the reflected penetrating radiation image alone. Image enhancement techinques may be employed to enhance the converted image.