With Illumination And Viewing Paths Coaxial At The Image Field Patents (Class 359/389)
  • Patent number: 8184364
    Abstract: A compact and low cost microscope illuminator capable of generating 3-D optical images includes a first light source and a second light source. The two light sources lead two optical paths: one to illuminate a sample and another to project a pattern onto the focal plane of a microscope objective lens. The two light sources are controlled by a processor and can be turned on and off rapidly. A 3-D optical microscope equipped with said microscope illuminator and a method of creating a 3-D image on said 3-D optical microscope are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Zeta Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: James Jianguo Xu, Ken Kinsun Lee
  • Patent number: 8177394
    Abstract: The invention is a novel stereoscopic illumination system for a microscope which delivers at least two collimated light beams to a subject surface. Each of the two collimated light beams is delivered for an eye of the user. Additionally, a third light beam is provided at an angle oblique to the other two collimated light beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Endure Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Michael Butler, Robert Troy Hewlett, Robert Jeffrey Hewlett, Robert McCoy Hewlett
  • Patent number: 8179433
    Abstract: The microscopic imaging apparatus includes a system controlling unit for obtaining a VD time setting value, and for obtaining the number of electric charge subtracting pulses, a synchronization signal generating unit for generating a vertical synchronization signal on the basis of the VD time setting value output from the system controlling unit and the horizontal synchronization signal, and a timing generating unit for extracting the electric charge of the imaging device by supplying the horizontal synchronization signal by the number of electric charge subtracting pulses to the imaging device as the electric charge subtracting pulses, and for generating a read pulse synchronous with the vertical synchronization signal in order to stop the accumulation of the electric charge of the imaging device after exposure is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Fujiki
  • Patent number: 8169695
    Abstract: An imaging method and system are presented for use in sub-wavelength super resolution imaging of a subject. The imaging system comprises a spatial coding unit configured for collecting light coming from the scanned subject and being spaced from the subject a distance smaller than a wavelength range of said light; a light detection unit located upstream of the spatial coding unit with respect to light propagation from the object, and configured to define a pixel array and a spatial decoding unit, which is associated with said pixel array and is configured for applying spatial decoding to a magnified image of the scanned subject, thereby producing nanometric spatial resolution of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Xceed Imaging Ltd.
    Inventor: Zeev Zalevsky
  • Patent number: 8164623
    Abstract: An unit for switchable arranging an arbitrary optical element on an optical path of fluorescence from among a plurality of types of the optical elements that transmit an excitation beam for exciting a sample and fluorescence emitted from the sample; an unit for picking up the observation image via the optical element arranged; and an unit for determining a type of the optical element arranged on the basis of the observation image picked up are prepared in order to provide a microscope image processing device, a program product, a program transmission medium and a method are provided, by which an optical element such as a fluorescence cube set on a fluorescence microscope can be identified on the basis of a detection result of an image pick up device that picks up an image of a sample to be observed by using the fluorescence microscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichiro Aizaki, Yujin Arai
  • Patent number: 8154796
    Abstract: A microscope apparatus that can observe into the interior of a specimen and that can apply an optical stimulus over a wide area within a short period of time is provided. The microscope apparatus comprises at least one observation scanning optical system including a laser light source for emitting observation laser light, an objective lens, and a scanning optical system for two-dimensionally scanning the observation laser light in a predetermined examination plane of the specimen via the objective lens; and at least one stimulus optical system which includes a lamp light source for emitting light having a wavelength used for optical stimulation and which irradiates the specimen with the light emitted from the lamp light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Araki, Hiroshi Sasaki, Tatsuo Nakata, Makio Ueno
  • Patent number: 8149504
    Abstract: An objective assembly for use with a microscope is provided. The objective has an optical axis that permits an image beam to be emitted through the objective toward the eyepiece of a microscope. A mirror is positioned at an angle to the optical axis of the objective. A laser assembly is positioned on a first side of the mirror for directing a laser beam toward said mirror so that the energy is reflected off the mirror and through the objective in a direction that is substantially aligned with the optical axis of the objective. An indicator assembly including a source of light is positioned with the light incident on the other side of the mirror to reflect a beam of light in a direction opposite to the direction of the laser beam to provide an optical representation at the eyepiece of a microscope of the position of the laser beam being emitted by the objective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Thorne Biosciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas G. Kenny, Diarmaid H. Douglas-Hamilton
  • Patent number: 8143562
    Abstract: An autofocus device, comprises: a stage for mounting a sample; an objective lens; a focusing unit driving stage or the objective lens in an optical axis direction in order to control the position relative to each other of the stage and the objective lens; a lighting unit onto the sample; a detection unit detecting an optical image; a projection state changing unit being provided in an optical path, changing a state of the optical image projected onto the detection unit; a first in-focus state determination unit determining an in-focus state of the sample on the basis of a detection result; and a first in-focus state adjustment unit controlling a position of the projection state changing unit such that a state in which the stage and the objective lens are held at prescribed positions under control of the driving unit is determined to be an in-focus state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Hideyuki Kawanabe
  • Publication number: 20120038980
    Abstract: A confocal microscope apparatus comprises a first optical scanning system which obtains a scan image of a sample using a laser beam from a first laser light source, a second optical scanning system which scans specific regions of a sample with a laser beam from a second laser light source that is different from the first laser light source, thereby causing a particular phenomenon, and a beam diameter varying mechanism which can change the beam diameter of the laser beam of at least one of the first optical scanning system and the second optical scanning system. With this configuration, the apparatus further comprises an excitation light intensity distribution calculator which calculates and stores the excitation light intensity distribution along a depth direction on the sample surface from the beam diameter of the laser beam output from the beam diameter varying mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: OLUMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuo NAKATA
  • Patent number: 8098279
    Abstract: Providing an imaging apparatus and a microscope capable of taking two-dimensional images of a sample at a plurality of observation positions different in the optical axis direction at the same time. The apparatus includes an image-forming lens 15 that forms images of a sample 4 on a plurality of image-forming places; an optical-path-dividing member 17, 18, 19 that divides an optical path from the same area in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the sample 4 so as to form the plurality of image-forming places; and an optical-path-length-changing member 27, 28, 29 that is provided on at least one optical path between the plurality of image-forming places and the imaging lens 15.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Ichiro Sase, Toshiaki Nihoshi
  • Patent number: 8085434
    Abstract: The appearance of a color print viewed under UV illumination is predicted using a target comprising color patches each printed using a known coverage of printer colorant(s). In one case, the target is illuminated using a UV light source and an electronic image of the target is captured using a digital camera or the like. In another case, a spectrophotometer is used both with and without a UV cutoff filter to measure the target. The captured image data or the spectrophotometric measurements are used to derive a UV printer characterization model that relates any arbitrary combination of printer colorants to a predicted UV color appearance value. Metameric colorant mixture pairs for visible light and UV light viewing can be determined using the UV model together with a conventional visible light printer characterization model. A visual matching task is used to determine a correction factor for the UV printer characterization model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Raja Bala, Yonghui Zhao
  • Patent number: 8072680
    Abstract: A microscope apparatus includes a first optical system which illuminates a sample via an objective lens with light output from a light source and which detects fluorescence emitted from the sample via the objective lens, and a second optical scanning system which irradiates specific regions of the sample with a laser beam output from a laser light source, thereby causing a particular phenomenon. The first optical system may include a rotatable disk to obtain a confocal effect, and the light output from the light source scans the sample via the rotatable disk, and the fluorescence is detected via the rotatable disk. A depth position of a focal plane of the second optical scanning system is generally the same as a depth position of a focal plane of the first optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuo Nakata
  • Patent number: 8063911
    Abstract: A system and method for gamut mapping out-of-gamut signals. A method includes adjusting each color in a color signal, determining a maximum color value of the color signal, in response to a determining that the maximum color value exceeds a maximum displayable color value, scaling color values of colors not having the maximum color value, and setting the color value of the color having the maximum color value to be equal to the maximum displayable color value. The method further includes leaving the color values of the colors in the color signal unchanged in response to a determining that the maximum color value does not exceed the maximum displayable color value. The scaling of color values not equal to the maximum color value results in a maintaining of a proper hue of the color signal, thereby not introducing color artifacts and other forms of color noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Rajeev Ramanath, Larry Layne Jenkins
  • Patent number: 8040597
    Abstract: An illuminating device adapted to be included in a microscope is provided. The illuminating device includes at least one lens that can change the numerical aperture of a light beam collected on a pupil plane of an objective lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20110242649
    Abstract: A wavefront is measured with superior precision even if the density of scatterers in the vicinity of a focal plane is low. Provided is a wavefront measurement method including a contrast measuring step of measuring the contrast of an interference pattern corresponding to each part of a specimen containing a scatterer, generated by interfering reference light and return light from a focal plane in the specimen; a region extracting step of extracting a high-contrast region in which the contrast measured in the contrast measuring step is greater than or equal to a prescribed threshold; and a wavefront calculating step of converting an interference pattern corresponding to the high-contrast region to wavefront data, for the high-contrast region extracted in the region extracting step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Murayama
  • Patent number: 8027085
    Abstract: A microscope comprising a main objective having a lens assembly movable in the direction of the optical axis of the main objective for focal length change and comprising an illuminating unit with illumination deflector elements for deflecting an illuminating beam path for generating an illuminating beam path directed onto an object plane. The position of the illumination deflector elements is adjustable dependent on a focal length change of the main objective for centering the illumination, and the illumination deflector elements are designed as at least partly integrated into the movable lens assembly of the main objective. For this purpose, in particular a part of the lens surface of the movable lens assembly can be made reflective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Soon Haw Chong
  • Patent number: 8007107
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an illuminating apparatus for an operating microscope comprising two observation beam paths (152, 154) for a first observer (main surgeon) and two observation beam paths (156, 158) for a second observer (assisting surgeon), comprising an illuminating system (102; 106a, 108a, 172) and deflecting means (118, 120, 170), for deflecting light emanating from the illumination system onto an object (200) that is to be observed, wherein the deflecting device comprises a first deflecting element (118) which is associated with a first observation beam path (152) of the first observer and a first observation beam path (156) of the second observer, and a second deflecting element (120) which is associated with a second observation beam path (154) of the first observer and a second observation beam path (158) of the second observer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems (Schweiz) AG
    Inventors: Ulrich Sander, Manfred Kuster
  • Publication number: 20110205553
    Abstract: A method for focusing an object plane (42) through an objective (30) and an optical assembly (10), with which the method can be carried out, are disclosed. A geometric reference structure (21) is positioned in a plane (36) conjugate to a field plane (34) of the objective (30) and is imaged onto the object plane (42). The geometric reference structure (21) is illuminated with a light beam (24), which encloses a non-zero angle (?) with a normal direction (38) of the conjugate plane (36). Therefore a position (Y) of an image (22) of the geometric reference structure (21) in the object plane (42) depends on the signed distance (37) between the object plane (42) and the field plane (34), and correspondingly is evaluated for the determination of the focus position. The optical assembly (10) preferentially may be a metrology tool (100) for measuring structures (120) on masks (100), wherein the objective (30) is the measurement objective of the metrology tool (100).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: KLA-Tencor MIE GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Sulik, Lambert Danner, Alexander Buettner
  • Publication number: 20110178409
    Abstract: A microscope, endoscope or optical coherence tomograph, comprising a light source, a flexible light transmitter (18) for receiving and transmitting light from the light source, an optical element (20) with a forward end (30) for receiving the light from the light transmitter (18) and a rear wall (26) having an internal surface for reflecting the light laterally, and an external sleeve (14) enclosing the optical element (20) and transparent to the light in at least a region of the sleeve where the light is directed by the internal surface (26). The internal surface (26) has an optical figure suitable for focussing the light to an observational field (28) external to the sleeve (14). A confocal configuration may be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: OPTISCAN PTY LTD
    Inventors: Martin Russell Harris, Gavan Edmund Rosman, Roderick William Charles Vance, John David Allen
  • Patent number: 7982948
    Abstract: A scanning microscope includes a source of illumination light; a scanner scanning the illumination light in a two-dimensional direction crossing a light axis; a lens irradiating the illumination light to a sample, and collecting return light from the sample; a focusing position adjuster adjusting a focal position in a light axis direction; and a light detector detecting collected light. A storage section stores the intensity of detected light, and positional information of an irradiating position of the illumination light set by the scanner and the focusing position adjuster. An image processor acquires images parallel to the light axis based on the intensity of return light and the stored positional information, and processes the images to detect a moving distance along a light axis direction of an area of the sample. The focusing position adjuster is controlled to correct a light condensing position of the illumination light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Nakano
  • Publication number: 20110164315
    Abstract: A surgical microscope (100) is especially suited for use in neurosurgery. The surgical microscope has an illuminating arrangement (101) for making available illuminating light in an operating region (117) to be examined with the surgical microscope (100). The illuminating arrangement (101) contains a high-power light source (102) which includes an intensity adjusting device (112). The intensity adjusting device (112) makes possible to adjust the intensity of the illuminating light (116), which is guided to the object region (117), between a maximum value and a minimum value. The surgical microscope (100) has a control unit (170) for the illuminating arrangement (101) which includes an operator-controlled module (172) via which the illuminating arrangement (101) can be activated and controlled. For adjusting the intensity of the illuminating light (116) guided to the operating region (117), the control unit coacts with the adjustable filter unit (112).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Inventors: Joachim Steffen, Michael Haisch, Frank Rudolph, Martin Schneider, Hans-Joachim Miesner, Nicole Brune
  • Patent number: 7943889
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for division and rearrangement of light from a source object. The apparatus splits the light from the source object, or image of the source object, and recombines it in a parallel, fashion to increase the efficiency of multiphoton microscopy in general and harmonic or fluorescence emission microscopy in particular. The apparatus includes a beam splitter configured to split a light beam into at least two independent light paths to yield a first light path and a second light path; a first beam focuser configured to direct and focus the first light path onto a focal plane; and a second beam focuser configured to direct and focus the second light path onto the same or different focal plane to which the first light path is focused; and wherein the first and second light paths may be superimposed upon one another at a common focal plane or directed independently to different positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Prairie Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: William I. Vogt
  • Publication number: 20110090562
    Abstract: An autofocus apparatus includes, in one embodiment, a light source; a splitter; a fiber optic circulator; an optical collimator; a balance detector; and a microprocessor. The fiber optic circulator couples one of the split light signals at a first port, to the optical collimator at a second port, and to the balance detector at the third port. The optical collimator directs the light beam from the fiber optic circulator onto a sample through a Dichroic mirror and a microscope objective. The balance detector uses another one of the split light signals as an input, and converts a light signal, reflected off of a substrate the sample is placed on, into an analog voltage signal. The microprocessor processes the output of the balance detector and position feedbacks from an adjustable microscopy stage to generate a command for moving the position of the adjustable microscopy stage to achieve a desired focus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: THORLABS, INC.
    Inventor: Jeffrey S. Brooker
  • Publication number: 20100315708
    Abstract: A total internal reflection microscope for epi-fluorescence illumination observations includes an objective through which an object to be observed is illuminated by an excitation illumination light at an angle to an observation axis of the microscope. The angle is adjustable to be within the range suitable for a total internal reflection observation. The microscope also has a source of collimated excitation light. An interferometer is arranged in the optical path of the collimated excitation light and is configured to produce an interference pattern. A focusing lens system focuses the interference pattern produced by the interferometer into the back focal plane of the objective. The objective and the focusing lens system image the interference pattern produced by the interferometer into the conjugated image plane of the objective, thereby producing excitation illumination light that modulated spatially in intensity in a plane orthogonal to the observation axis of the microscope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: UNIVERSITAT HEIDELBERG
    Inventors: Roman Amberger, Christoph Cremer, Heinz Eipel
  • Patent number: 7848018
    Abstract: In an automatic microscope, there is the task to satisfy the demand for an economical, compact structure, especially a miniaturization as an essential aspect. The automatic microscope contains an optical system having the following: an illumination field (1) which is at least approximately arranged in the aperture diaphragm plane (ABE) of a condenser (2) and is used for the illumination of the object; an imaging optic (4); and, an image-providing sensor (5) arranged in the image plane of the imaging optic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Nolte, Lutz Höring
  • Patent number: 7803463
    Abstract: A glazing panel having beneficial anti-solar properties comprises a vitreous substrate carrying a tin/antimony oxide coating layer containing tin and antimony in a Sb/Sn molar ratio of from 0.01 to 0.14. In one application the coated substrate has a solar factor FS of less than 70% and the panel is formed by chemical vapor deposition from a reactant mixture comprising a source of tin and a source of antimony. In another application it is particularly suitable for use in vehicle glazing, in particular in vehicle roof windows, and the coated substrate has a spray-formed pyrolytic tin/antimony oxide coating having a thickness of at least 400 nm and, whereby the coated substrate has a luminous transmittance (TL) of less than 35% and a selectivity (TL/TE) of at least 1.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: AGC Flat Glass Europe SA
    Inventors: Robert Terneu, Philippe Legrand, Michel Hannotiau, Alain Schutz
  • Patent number: 7764424
    Abstract: A wavelength selection unit includes a light source which emits light of at least a predetermined wavelength region, a collector lens which collects the light emitted from the light source and emits a parallel flux which is inclined relative to a light axis of an optical system of itself, a selective reflection optical system which reflects light of a predetermined wavelength region from the parallel flux selectively, and a returning optical system which returns each reflected flux reflected by the selective reflection optical system symmetrically about a reflected light axis of the selective reflection optical system. The collector lens collects a back flux which is returned by the returning optical system and which is re-reflected by the selective reflection optical system, and forms a light source image of the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Yabe, Daisuke Yokoi, Terumasa Morita, Norio Maruyama, Yukio Eda
  • Publication number: 20100182683
    Abstract: The present application has a proposition to provide a highly efficient laser excitation fluorescent microscope. Accordingly, a laser excitation fluorescent microscope of the present application includes a laser light source part radiating at least two types of excitation lights having different wavelengths; a light collecting part collecting the two types of excitation lights on a sample; a high-functional dichroic mirror, disposed between the laser light source part and the light collecting part, reflecting the two types of excitation lights to make the excitation lights incident on the light collecting part, and transmitting two types of fluorescence generated at the sample; and a detecting part detecting light transmitted through the high-functional dichroic mirror, in which an incident angle ? of the excitation lights and the fluorescence to the high-functional dichroic mirror satisfies a formula of 0°<?<45°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisashi OKUGAWA, Naoshi AIKAWA, Masatoshi SATO
  • Publication number: 20100172021
    Abstract: A laser microscope comprises a laser light source which emits a laser light, an objective lens which condenses the laser light from the laser light source onto a specimen, an optical scanning unit which two-dimensionally scans the laser light on the specimen, a beamsplitter which separates light emitted from a condensed position on the specimen of the laser light from the laser light source, the beamsplitter being disposed between the objective lens and the optical scanning unit, an optical fiber in which an incident end is disposed at an optical path separated by the beamsplitter, and to which the light from the specimen is made to be incident, and a spectroscope which is disposed at an exit end of the optical fiber, and to which light from the specimen which is emitted from the exit end is made to be incident.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Motohiko SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 7746553
    Abstract: Laser scanning microscope for fluorescence testing, in which the illumination and detection rays are bound optically through a dichroic main beam splitter, the detected probe light being led to several detectors by means of a secondary beam splitter and the angle of incidence of the illumination light and/or the angle of incidence of the probe light at the splitter surface of at least the main beam splitter or at least the secondary splitter is less than 45 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Wolleschensky
  • Patent number: 7742226
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an interference microscope and a method for operating an interference microscope, in particular a 4? microscope, standing wave field microscope, or I2M, I3M, or I5M microscope, at least one specimen support unit associated with the specimen being provided. For determination of the phase position of the interfering light in the specimen region, on the basis of which the interference microscope can be aligned, the interference microscope is characterized in that for determination of the illumination state in the specimen region of the interference microscope, at least one planar area of the specimen support unit is configured to be detectable by light microscopy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
    Inventors: Joerg Bewersdorf, Hilmar Gugel
  • Patent number: 7697199
    Abstract: A lighting device (40) is described for an observation device (10), in particular for an ophthalmologic operating microscope, as well as such an observation device (10). The lighting device (40) has a light source (41) as well as a number of optical components, which are provided between light source (41) and an objective element (11). The optical components are designed according to the invention in such a way that the imaging of the lighting pupil (43) and the observation pupils is produced on the fundus of the eye (30). In this way, an exactly defined interaction of the lighting beam path (56) with an observation beam path is made possible, whereby practical requirements can be fulfilled relative to the homogeneity of the red reflex with simultaneous sufficiently good contrasting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss AG
    Inventors: Peter Reimer, Fritz Straehle, Daniel Kolster
  • Publication number: 20100079858
    Abstract: A confocal scanning microscope including: an objective system (second objective lens 23 and objective lens 24) illuminating a sample SA with illumination light; a scanning mechanism 31 scanning the sample SA to obtain an intensity signal; and a scanning optical system 32 provided between the scanning mechanism and the objective system. The scanning optical system composed of, in order from the scanning mechanism side, a first positive lens group G1, a second negative lens group G2, and a third positive lens group G3. The third lens group has two chromatic aberration correction portions each formed by a positive lens and a negative lens or negative lens and positive lens. Glass materials are selected such that one performs chromatization and the other performs achromatization, thereby providing a confocal scanning microscope capable of correcting lateral chromatic aberration generated in the objective system in the specific wavelength region by the scanning optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Fumio SUZUKI, Naoshi Aikawa, Kotaro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7675676
    Abstract: A confocal microscope apparatus comprises a first optical scanning system which obtains a scan image of a sample using a laser beam from a first laser light source, a second optical scanning system which scans specific regions of a sample with a laser beam from a second laser light source that is different from the first laser light source, thereby causing a particular phenomenon, and a beam diameter varying mechanism which can change the beam diameter of the laser beam of at least one of the first optical scanning system and the second optical scanning system. With this configuration, the apparatus further comprises an excitation light intensity distribution calculator which calculates and stores the excitation light intensity distribution along a depth direction on the sample surface from the beam diameter of the laser beam output from the beam diameter varying mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuo Nakata
  • Publication number: 20100053745
    Abstract: A video adapter for a microscope is described, comprising a first connection for connecting the microscope; a second connection for connecting a camera; and at least one optical component for performing at least one of exposure setting, focus setting, magnification setting and deflection of at least one part of an observation beam path of the microscope into an image plane of the camera. The at least one optical component has an SLM optical unit. Further, a system is described comprising the aforementioned video adapter, a microscope, and a camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS (SCHWEIZ) AG
    Inventor: Ulrich Sander
  • Publication number: 20090268280
    Abstract: A microscope apparatus can generate information of a super-resolved image at high speed. For that purpose, the microscope apparatus of the present invention is equipped with an image-forming optical system for forming an intermediate image of light emitted from a specimen, a relay optical system for forming an image of the intermediate image, an illuminating optical system that jointly owns an optical path of the image-forming optical system and illuminates the specimen through the optical path of the image-forming optical system, and a spatial modulator disposed on a formation plane of the intermediate image. In this microscope apparatus, the specimen is subjected to structured illumination by an image of the spatial modulator. Light from the specimen which is modulated by the structured illumination is automatically remodulated in the spatial modulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hisao Osawa, Hiroshi Ooki, Yumiko Ouchi, Yasuo Yonezawa
  • Patent number: 7589891
    Abstract: A laser scan type fluorescence microscope includes a laser light source section, an objective optical system for condensing excitation light from the laser light source section on a sample, a scanning device to scan a surface of the sample with the excitation light from the laser light source section, a pupil projection lens arranged between the scanning device and the objective optical system, a detection optical system for detecting fluorescence that emanates from the sample and passes the objective optical system and the pupil projection lens. The objective optical system has an objective lens and an image forming lens for forming an intermediate image of the sample, and a back focal position of the objective lens is made conjugate with a position near the scanning device by the image forming lens and the pupil projection lens, wherein the following condition is satisfied: 0.15?D/L?0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 7572035
    Abstract: An illumination obscurement device for controlling the obscurement of illumination from a light source which is optimized for use with a rectangular, arrayed, selective reflection device. In a preferred embodiment, a rotatable shutter with three positions is placed between a light source and a DMD. The first position of the shutter is a mask, preferably an out of focus circle. This out of focus circle creates a circular mask and changes any unwanted dim reflection to a circular shape. The second position of the shutter is completely open, allowing substantially all the light to pass. The third position of the shutter is completely closed, blocking substantially all the light from passing. By controlling the penumbra illumination surrounding the desired illumination, DMDs can be used in illumination devices without creating undesirable rectangular penumbras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Inventors: William E. Hewlett, Nigel Evans
  • Patent number: 7561338
    Abstract: A microscope objective system including an objective, which includes an illumination beam path via which illumination radiation from a source is directed onto an object to be examined, as well as a partial detection beam path surrounding at least part of the illumination beam path and, together with the illumination beam path, forms a detection beam path via which radiation to be detected and coming from the sample is guided towards a detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Wolleschensky, Hans-Jürgen Dobschal, Robert Brunner
  • Patent number: 7561329
    Abstract: A microscope illumination system includes a light source having at least four LED light sources, each LED source emitting light within a different portion of the visible spectrum. Each of the at least four LED light sources may be independently controllable. The resultant light emitted from the at least four LED sources substantially approximates that from an incandescent light source. In one embodiment, the system includes at least one red LED, at least one green LED, at least one blue LED, and at least one yellow LED. Other color combinations are also possible. The illumination may be positioned to place a sample holder such as a slide within the optical path of the light source. The system further includes an optical magnification system for magnifying an image of the biological sample. This may include a camera or traditional magnification optics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Cytyc Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Zahniser, David Zahniser, Daniel Parsons
  • Patent number: 7550699
    Abstract: A focus sensing system adaptable for use in microscopes or other optical systems incorporates a selective beam block. An outgoing reference beam, incident upon a target to be inspected, is reflected to become an incoming reference beam. A beam block inserted within the optical system selectively rejects unwanted reflections from surfaces other than the target allowing the desired incoming reference beam to be photodetected without interference from reflections off of surfaces that are not of interest. The photodetector generates an electronic signal corresponding to the displacement of the target from the ideal focal point. The electrical signal may be used to drive a servomechanism to displace either the target or the microscope objective lens to bring the target into focus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Inventor: Daniel R. Marshall
  • Publication number: 20090147354
    Abstract: A projection and detector device that attaches externally to the photo-port of a conventional widefield microscope. The device includes a light source interface for receiving of illumination from a light source, the illumination defining an illumination path. A pattern mask is located within the illumination path for projecting one or a plurality of objects, structures or patterns onto the object plane of the optical microscope. The pattern mask may be used with structured illumination microscopy (SIM) wherein the device projects a moving striped optical grid pattern or Ronchi Ruling onto the object plane in either fluorescence or reflected brightfield imaging. The pattern mask may also be used with a mechanical or digital diaphragm, or a DLP, in specialized techniques such as Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP), fluorescence photoactivation and targeted illumination. The device without an inserted pattern mask may also be used in deconvolution microscopy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: QUORUM TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: John D. Arbuckle
  • Publication number: 20090128897
    Abstract: A microscope comprises an object splitter and a plurality of image-outputting devices configured to receive object images. The object splitter includes a first beam splitter configured to direct an illumination light to an object, a positive lens configured to collect a reflected light from the object and focus the reflected light on the first beam splitter, a second beam splitter configured to split the reflected light into a plurality of optical paths and a plurality of negative lenses positioned on the optical paths to render object images. A probing apparatus for an integrated circuit device comprises at least one probe pin configured to contact a pad of the integrated circuit device and a microscope including an object splitter and a plurality of image-outputting devices configured to receive images from the object splitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: Star Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Yu Liu, Choon Leong Lou
  • Publication number: 20090109527
    Abstract: A scanning laser microscope includes a laser light source; an acousto-optic deflector having a crystal, being arranged in an optical path of a laser beam emitted from the laser light source and capable of changing a traveling direction of the laser beam when frequencies of acoustic waves applied to the crystal are changed; a frequency control unit configured to simultaneously apply acoustic waves having a plurality of frequencies to the crystal of the acousto-optic deflector; an objective lens configured to converge the laser beam emitted from the laser light source to form a beam spot on a specimen; and an optical scanning device configured to two-dimensionally scan the scanning spot by deflecting the laser beam in two directions perpendicular to each other. The acousto-optic deflector, the optical scanning device, and a pupil of the objective lens are arranged at positions optically conjugate with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi SASAKI, Yasunari MATSUKAWA
  • Patent number: 7518101
    Abstract: A scanning microscope for the optical measuring of an object in which a measurement beam emitted by the light source impinges the object and is reflected by the object as a reflection beam that reenters through the lens into the radiation path of the microscope. A scanner control unit controls a displacement to change the relative position of the object and the measuring beam so that the beam is directed to at least two different measuring points on the object. An excitation unit periodically excites the object. The reflection beam is visualized on a signal detector, and a signal storage unit saves a measuring sequence of signals of the signal detector. The scanner control unit cooperates with the excitation and signal storage units to control them such that for each measuring point on the object at least one measuring sequence of measuring signals of the signal detector is saved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Polytec GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Rembe, Bernd Armbruster
  • Patent number: 7505202
    Abstract: Optical scanning microscope with line scanning and with illumination of a specimen via a beam splitter, which is arranged in an objective pupil and includes at least a reflecting first portion and at least a transmitting second portion, whereby the reflecting portion serves to couple in the illumination light and the transmitting portion serves to pass the detection light in the detection direction or the transmitting portion serves to couple in the illumination light and the reflecting portion serves to couple out the detection light, with a first scanning arrangement, whereby a mechanism is provided in the detection light path for the overlay of at least one further scanning arrangement for illumination and detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microimaging GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Wolleschensky
  • Publication number: 20090059363
    Abstract: A microscope system for imaging an object which can be arranged in an object plane of the microscope system, which includes an imaging system, a displacement device and a controller is described. The imaging system may provide at least one optical imaging path for imaging an imaging field of the object plane. The displacement device may be adapted to translatory displace the imaging field of the imaging system in the object plane. The controller is adapted to determine a desired displacement of the imaging field in the object plane and to correspondingly control the displacement device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: CARL ZEISS SURGICAL GMBH
    Inventors: Fritz Straehle, Christoph Hauger
  • Publication number: 20090040603
    Abstract: In order to provide an objective lens which can reduce the generation of flare light, an objective lens including a front-group lens, a rear-group lens arranged on an optic axis of the front-group lens with the front-group lens interposed between an object plane and the rear-group lens, and a semitransparent mirror arranged between the front-group lens and the rear-group lens for reflecting illumination into the front-group lens, transmitting reflected light from the object plane and entering the transmitted light into the rear-group lens is provided. The front-group lens is a single lens or a cemented lens formed by sticking two lenses together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya Nagahama, Katsuyoshi Arisawa
  • Publication number: 20090034064
    Abstract: In an automatic microscope, there is the task to satisfy the demand for an economical, compact structure, especially a miniaturization as an essential aspect. The automatic microscope contains an optical system having the following: an illumination field (1) which is at least approximately arranged in the aperture diaphragm plane (ABE) of a condenser (2) and is used for the illumination of the object; an imaging optic (4); and, an image-providing sensor (5) arranged in the image plane of the imaging optic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2006
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Andreas Nolte, Lutz Horing
  • Publication number: 20090021827
    Abstract: A microscope comprising a main objective having a lens assembly movable in the direction of the optical axis of the main objective for focal length change and comprising an illuminating unit with illumination deflector elements for deflecting an illuminating beam path for generating an illuminating beam path directed onto an object plane. The position of the illumination deflector elements is adjustable dependent on a focal length change of the main objective for centering the illumination, and the illumination deflector elements are designed as at least partly integrated into the movable lens assembly of the main objective. For this purpose, in particular a part of the lens surface of the movable lens assembly can be made reflective.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Inventor: Soon Haw Chong