Optical: systems and elements – Compound lens system – Microscope
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-10
2003-05-06
Robinson, Mark A. (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Compound lens system
Microscope
C359S227000, C359S363000, C359S381000, C359S740000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06560012
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Microscopy systems in which a microscope is provided with an electronic camera having an electronic image-detecting device, such as a CCD array that is used to capture images of a sample for electronic display, have come to be increasingly used. For instance, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application H8-190056 relates to this kind of system. Electronic image-detecting devices such as CCD arrays have a tendency to be less sensitive to light flux that is incident obliquely, and the larger the angle of incidence, the less sensitive they become. Therefore, a so-called “shading” phenomenon occurs, in which displayed images from such image-detecting devices tend to have dark peripheral areas and thus uneven brightness over the field of view.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to: (1) a microscope middle barrel having an optical relay system, and relates, in particular, to a middle barrel for relaying enlarged images of a sample onto an electronic image-detecting device; (2) a microscope provided with such an optical relay system; and (3) a method of using these apparatus.
The object of the invention is to provide electronically displayed images without brightness artifacts causing uneven brightness over the field of view in the situation where an electronic image-detecting device, such as a CCD array, has been used to detect the images formed by a microscope.
A middle barrel for achieving the object of the invention includes a mount for connecting an electronic image-detecting device, a mount for connecting a microscope, an optical relay system for relaying images onto the electronic image-detecting device, and a control member having a transmissive region which transmits light and a shading region which blocks light, with the control member being used to make the detected images have a more uniform brightness over the field of view.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5566020 (1996-10-01), Bradford et al.
patent: 5847866 (1998-12-01), Otaki
patent: 6075646 (2000-06-01), Suzuki
patent: 6097538 (2000-08-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 6246832 (2001-02-01), Terada
patent: 58-144809 (1983-08-01), None
patent: 10-206741 (1998-08-01), None
Adachi Sadashi
Yonetani Atsushi
Arnold Bruce Y.
Arnold International
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
Robinson Mark A.
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