Abstract: A wavefront aberration measuring apparatus comprising: an illumination optical system provided to an incident side of a test lens; and a measuring optical system provided to an exit side of the test lens, the illumination optical system including an aperture stop capable of being opened and closed, and the illumination optical system being movable along an optical axis of the illumination optical system so as to adjust positions of the aperture stop and an entrance pupil of the test lens to have an optically conjugate relation with each other. Accordingly, it becomes possible to provide a wavefront aberration measuring apparatus capable of suppressing errors in measured result.

Abstract: A wavefront aberration measuring apparatus comprising: an illumination optical system provided to an incident side of a test lens; and a measuring optical system provided to an exit side of the test lens, the illumination optical system including an aperture stop capable of being opened and closed, and the illumination optical system being movable along an optical axis of the illumination optical system so as to adjust positions of the aperture stop and an entrance pupil of the test lens to have an optically conjugate relation with each other. Accordingly, it becomes possible to provide a wavefront aberration measuring apparatus capable of suppressing errors in measured result.

Abstract: A wavefront aberration measuring apparatus comprising: an illumination optical system provided to an incident side of a test lens; and a measuring optical system provided to an exit side of the test lens, the illumination optical system including an aperture stop capable of being opened and closed, and the illumination optical system being movable along an optical axis of the illumination optical system so as to adjust positions of the aperture stop and an entrance pupil of the test lens to have an optically conjugate relation with each other. Accordingly, it becomes possible to provide a wavefront aberration measuring apparatus capable of suppressing errors in measured result.

Abstract: A well plate holding a specimen to be observed is placed on a fixed stage, and the specimen is observed through an objective lens disposed below the well plate. A well set on the optical axis is illuminated through transmitted illumination provided by a transmitted illumination device. The transmitted illumination device includes a plurality of LEDs disposed to form a ring shape, and a through hole is formed further inward relative to the LEDs. When injecting a reagent into the well being observed, the reagent is drawn by using a head at a pipette device, and then the head is moved to a point above the well being observed through the hole formed at the transmitted illumination device.

Abstract: A well plate holding a specimen to be observed is placed on a fixed stage, and the specimen is observed through an objective lens disposed below the well plate. A well set on the optical axis is illuminated through transmitted illumination provided by a transmitted illumination device. The transmitted illumination device includes a plurality of LEDs disposed to form a ring shape, and a through hole is formed further inward relative to the LEDs. When injecting a reagent into the well being observed, the reagent is drawn by using a head at a pipette device, and then the head is moved to a point above the well being observed through the hole formed at the transmitted illumination device.

Abstract: An optical apparatus (10) and method for improving the contrast in an image-forming optical apparatus. The optical apparatus of the invention comprises an illumination optical system (26) for illuminating an object (O). An objective optical system (42) is located adjacent the object and has a transform plane (28). A pupil modulation filter F is arranged at the transform plane and has a transmittance distribution which can be varied from a first transmission distribution (T1) to a second transmission distribution (T2) so that first and second images (I1, I2) can be formed at an image plane (14). A detector (54) is located at the image plane and detects the first and second images. An image synthesizer (58) electrically connected to the detector synthesizes a contrast-improved image from the first and second images.

Abstract: A focus point detection device comprises an illuminator that illuminates a specimen obliquely by letting a light flux at an angle to an optical axis of an objective lens enter in such a way that the optical axis and the light flux cross each other in the vicinity of a point in focus at an object side of the objective lens, an image-forming device that forms an image of the observation plane by converging a light from the observation plane of the specimen via the objective lens and a light amount detector that detects amount of light in response to the image formed by the image-forming device with a light sensor, wherein the light amount detector detects a light other than a regular reflection light from a surface of the specimen. Also, a fluorescence microscope comprises the focus point detection device and the infinity objective lens.

Abstract: In the transmission illumination type differential interference microscope, light in a given polarized state is separated by a first birefringent optical member 1 into two linearly polarized light components L1 and L2 and both of the polarized light components are converted into parallel light by means of a condenser lens 13. The object being examined 15 is illuminated by the polarized light components which are then converted into convergent light by an objective 16. Both of the polarized light components are then synthesized into a single light beam by a second birefringent optical element 2 and both of the polarized light components of the synthesized light beam are caused to undergo polarization interference by an analyzer 17 so that an enlarged image 18 of the object being examined 15, is formed.

Abstract: A phase contrast observation device for observing a phase object (O), and phase apertures for same. The device comprises, in order along an optical axis (AX), a light source (LS) capable of providing light (L), an illumination optical system (G2 and G3) for condensing the light and illuminating the object, an aperture stop (AP) having an aperture (AO) therein, arranged in the illumination optical system, an objective lens system (G2 and G3) for converging light from the illuminated object and forming an image of the object. The device also includes one of a number of novel phase apertures (Ph1-Ph4) arranged at a position inside said objective lens conjugate to the aperture stop. The phase apertures of the present invention allow for high-contrast and low-contrast imaging regardless of the phase content of the object.

Abstract: A photographing unit for a microscope has a photometric detector to measure brightness of light from a sample and includes a changing member which changes a brightness of light toward an observation system and a control unit which controls the light based on a detection output of the photometric detector. In addition, the changing member can be controlled based on the presence of an observer. A shielding member can be provided that automatically shields an optical path of the observation system. An illumination system for an index on a reticle can be provided so that the illumination of the reticle can be performed or extinguished at desired times. Additionally, the color of light with which the index is illuminated may be made distinguishable from the color of light from a sample, and the contrast of the index to the sample can be controlled.

Abstract: An inverted microscope having a variable stage position, a compact size, excellent operability, and low cost. The inverted microscope includes a detachable stage unit to support a stage on which a specimen is positioned and to support an objective lens facing the specimen. A microscope housing supports the stage, and includes an imaging lens positioned to image a parallel light beam from the objective lens. An observation unit is positioned on the microscope housing to observe the image formed by the imaging lens. An illumination unit, positioned between the microscope housing and the stage unit, irradiates light having a predetermined wavelength toward the specimen, and includes a fluorescent light unit. The illumination unit is detachably mounted to the microscope housing, and the stage unit is detachably mounted to the illumination unit, and a height of the stage with respect to the microscope housing is variable.

Abstract: A microscope system for observing an image of a sample at desired magnifications includes a first objective lens having an objective side surface which is telecentric, a focusing lens, disposed in an optical path along which optical rays emitted from the first objective lens travel, for focusing the optical rays and forming a sample image and a second objective lens having a magnification factor different from that of the first objective lens. An interchanging member holds the first objective lens and the second objective lens and is used for placing one of the first and second objective lenses in an observational optical path between the sample and the focusing lens. The inequality 0.29<D/fI<0.40 is satisfied, assuming D to be a parfocal length which equals a distance between a surface of the sample and an attachment plane of the objective lens and fI to be a focal length of the focusing lens.

Abstract: A photographing unit for a microscope has a photometric detector to measure brightness of light from a sample and includes a changing member which changes a brightness of light toward an observation system and a control unit which controls the light based on a detection output of the photometric detector. In addition, the changing member can be controlled based on the presence of an observer. A shielding member can be provided that automatically shields an optical path of the observation system. An illumination system for an index on a reticle can be provided so that the illumination of the reticle can be performed or extinguished at desired times. Additionally, the color of light with which the index is illuminated may be made distinguishable from the color of light from a sample, and the contrast of the index to the sample can be controlled.

Abstract: This invention relates to a focal position detection apparatus for detecting a positional shift between the imaging position of an object image formed by a predetermined objective optical system and the detection surface of the object image. This apparatus includes a beam splitter for extracting part of a light beam from the objective optical system, splitting the light beam into at least three light beams, and guiding the split light beams to the light-receiving surface of a photo-sensing device arranged at a predetermined position. This beam splitter guides at least the three split light beams to a standard optical path and a pair of reference optical path and forms a standard image at a predetermined position in the standard optical path and a pair of reference images at predetermined positions in the pair of optical paths, respectively.

Abstract: A microscope apparatus having an objective optical system for condensing a beam emitted from a sample to form an intermediate image; a lens-barrel optical system for focusing a beam from the intermediate image to form an observation image; and an eyepiece optical system for enlarging and projecting a beam from the observation image; wherein the lens-barrel optical system includes a relay lens system for focusing a beam from the intermediate image formed by the objective optical system to form the observation image and guiding a beam from the observation image to the eyepiece optical system; and a beam rotating unit having a plurality of reflecting members three-dimensionally arranged in an optical path between the objective optical system and the observation image, wherein the plurality of reflecting members successively reflect the beam from the objective optical system to invert the beam about an optical axis of the relay lens system, thereby forming the observation image in the form of an inverted image.

Abstract: Apparatus are disclosed that perform, on demand, both near-field microscopy (NFM) and light-microscopy (e.g., bright-field microscopy or phase-contrast microscopy) of a specimen. The apparatus comprises an NFM microscope including an NFM probe, a first condenser lens system that converges a center portion of an illumination-light flux at a first terminus of the NFM probe, and a second condenser lens system that converges an annular portion of the illumination-light flux at a specimen to illuminate the specimen by Kohler illumination. Evanescent light from a distal terminus of the NFM probe passes to a locus on the specimen. Downstream optics capture light transmitted and/or scattered from the specimen from the NFM probe and from the Kohler illumination to produce both a light-microscope image of the specimen and an NFM image of the specimen.

Abstract: A focusing glass and photographic system employing the same are disclosed. The photographic system includes an objective lens operable to form a real image of an object. The focusing glass is adapted to be situated at the real-image position, and comprises a semitransparent region surrounding a fully transmissive photographic zone. The photographic zone defines a region of the field of view of the objective (the field of view being viewable on the focusing screen) defining the metes and bounds of a photographic image obtainable using the photographic system.

Abstract: A lens-barrel optical system of the present invention is a lens-barrel optical system for guiding a beam emerging from an objective optical system in a focused state to an eyepiece optical system, which includes (i) a deflecting prism having three internal reflecting surfaces arranged in a triangular prism, the deflecting prism successively reflecting a beam incident in a first direction parallel to the optical axis of the objective optical system by the three reflecting surfaces to let the beam travel in a substantially M-shaped optical path, thereby letting the beam emerge in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and (ii) a reflector for reflecting the beam emerging from the deflecting prism to guide the beam to the eyepiece optical system.

Abstract: An intermediate lens barrel for a microscope, in which an image is formed only once, the direction of the image does not change when returning to the original optical path, and no pupil aberration occurs. In this intermediate lens barrel, assuming that its round optical path is formed by n pieces of reflecting surfaces R (n being an even number not smaller than 4), an intermediate image is formed once in the round optical path, the angle formed by the normal N.sub.1 of the first reflecting surface R.sub.1 and the normal N.sub.2 of the second reflecting surface R.sub.2 with respect to each other when projected onto a plane orthogonal to the optical axis X.sub.1 reflected by the first reflecting surface R.sub.1 is .alpha..sub.1, the angle formed by the normal N.sub.N of the reflecting surface R.sub.N and the normal N.sub.1 of the reflecting surface R.sub.1 with respect to each other when projected onto a plane orthogonal to the optical axis X.sub.N reflected by the reflecting surface R.sub.N is .alpha..sub.

Abstract: A condenser lens system collects light from a light source to illuminate a sample, which comprises in the named order from the light source side a front group of positive refracting power having at least one lens and a rear group of positive refracting power at least having a positive lens for liquid immersion located closest to the sample and having a flat surface on the sample side.