Optical: systems and elements – Compound lens system – Microscope
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-25
2003-12-09
Robinson, Mark A. (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Compound lens system
Microscope
C359S377000, C359S630000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06661572
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
This invention claims priority to German Priority Application 101 08 988.0, filed Feb. 23, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This invention claims priority to German Priority Application 101 08 989.9, filed Feb. 23, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This invention claims priority to German Priority Application 101 18 702.5, filed Apr. 12, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This invention claims priority to German Priority Application 101 18 703.3, filed Apr. 12, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This invention claims priority to German Priority Application 101 57 613.7, filed Nov. 26, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to shutter control for the integration of additional data into an observation beam path or a plurality of observation beam paths of a stereo microscope, for selectively switching off an undesired observation channel.
2. Background of the Invention
In modern surgical microscopes, it is customary to insert additional information into one of the two intermediate images. This additional information is either superimposed directly on the optical object image (e.g., correlated data, CT, MRI, contours) or displayed without reference to the optical object image (non-correlated image data, standard sections, etc.), by stopping the relevant object beam or superimposing it in a limited subregion (monitoring curves, menus, etc.).
In the case of stopping the object beam, a shutter is moved into the object beam path between the object and the beam splitter which inserts the additional information, so that only the additionally inserted information can be seen. This known shutter arrangement was publicized in written form in WO-A2-01/27659 dated Apr. 19, 2001 (after the priority date of the present application), but had previously been demonstrated by Leica under the designation “BIV” as a module for surgical microscopes. However, neither the “BIV” nor WO-A2-01/27659 offers the option of being able to permit a number of users to observe the additional information and/or the object image as desired by utilizing the further course of the beam. Instead, the figures of WO-A2-01/27659 make it clear that a possible first assistant at the assistant port (
11
) can see only the object image, but not the additional information reflected in from the display (
1
). A second assistant who, for example, takes a view via an eyepiece on the second assistant tube
19
, now sees only one image channel (the right-hand main beam path (
18
)) and can thus optionally see either the object image or nothing (if the third shutter
20
is closed), but in each case this is not independent of the main observer at the eyepiece (
15
) who always sees, in the right-hand main beam path (
18
), the same image as the second assistant. In this arrangement, the latter problem could be solved only by an additional reflecting device provided for the third main beam path (see page 4, line 14 to page 5, line 19 of WO-A2-01/27659). The disclosure of WO-A2-01/27659 is hereby incorporated by reference.
For the reason specified, the known systems lack flexibility for the control of the observation facilities. In addition, in the known systems, a restriction is imposed to the extent that the reflection into both main beam paths (
4
and
13
)—as already mentioned—requires two reflecting devices (
1
,
2
,
3
and so on), which requires additional space and an increased microscope size.
Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany, makes a “Multivision” construction, which permits an assistant to see the same image as a main observer, irrespective of whether this is an object image alone or an object image with an additional image superimposed on it. The flexibility in the observation facility is therefore disadvantageously likewise restrictive.
In surgical microscopes, a distinction is to be drawn in principle with regard to their functions between three different types of observation or application. Reference is made to
FIGS. 5-7
which show examples of microscope settings. The following reference numerals and designations appear in the Figures: Patient or object
42
, lens holder (of a surgical microscope)
45
, surgeon (main observer)
41
, assistant
40
, observation output (main eyepiece) having observation outputs
21
a
and
21
b
corresponding to a left-hand beam path and right-hand beam path, respectively, observation output (assistant eyepiece) having observation outputs
20
a
and
20
b
for stereoscopic observation (as in
FIG. 5
) or, for monocular observation, observation output
20
b
corresponding to the right-hand beam path (as in
FIG. 6
) and observation output
20
a
corresponding to the left-hand beam path (as in FIG.
7
).
There are at least three kinds of observers of the information provided by a microscope: a surgeon
41
, an assistant
40
, and an observer group.
A surgeon
41
, who in principle (almost exclusively) uses the observation outputs
21
a
and
21
b
stereoscopically, generally decides as to the type and time of the input reflection of the additional information, and as to whether or not to superimpose the additional information.
An assistant
40
almost exclusively uses either the right-hand observation output
20
b
(as in
FIG. 6
) or the left-hand observation beam path
20
a
(as in
FIG. 7
) monoscopically, when he/she is standing at right angles to the surgeon
41
and the microscope (such as in craniotomy). Alternatively, the assistant
40
uses the observation beam path
20
a
and
20
b
stereoscopically when the assistant
40
stands opposite the surgeon
41
and behind the microscope, as illustrated in
FIG. 5
(such as in spinal operations).
An observer group, that is beside the microscope or even outside the operating room, is intended to see substantially that information (on a monitor in or outside the operating room) which the surgeon
41
sees. Thus, members of the observer group do not themselves look through the microscope at all, but carry out the observation via a video recording.
Owing to the additional information in a single image channel, in particular in the case of data substitution by the insertion of video data, for example, into this image channel (as compared with the second image channel), the surgeon
41
is provided with two different items of information, which may irritate him/her, when looking stereoscopically into the two eyepieces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a central object of the present invention to eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages and to increase the flexibility of the observation facilities and, preferably, also to achieve this as far as possible without additional input reflection devices (i.e., without additional beam paths and measures which enlarge the subassembly).
The present invention provides for the use of additional shutters and a novel shutter control, which permits the surgeon to switch off the object images if so desired and to manage the image information made available to the respective (main and/or assistant) observers.
The desired flexibility in the observation facility is achieved in that, in at least one beam path, at least a second switchable shutter is arranged between the output reflection beam splitter and the main observation output, and in that an input reflection beam splitter is arranged in each main beam path. In this way, image information can be provided flexibly to a plurality of assistants and the main observer as desired, to some extent irrespective of that which is supplied to the main observer.
This flexibility is optimized when, between each input reflection beam splitter and the main objective, and each output reflection beam splitter and the main observation output, a switchable first and second shutter is arranged, respectively. A switchable shutter according to the present invention is understood to be any shutter device which opens or closes a beam
Deverin Jacques Alain
Mannss Juergen
Moser Benno
Spink Roger
Foley & Lardner
Leica Microsystems AG
Robinson Mark A.
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