Optical: systems and elements – Compound lens system – Microscope
Patent
1996-11-27
1999-02-02
Henry, Jon W.
Optical: systems and elements
Compound lens system
Microscope
359363, 348203, G02B 2122
Patent
active
058673091
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND
The invention relates to a stereomicroscope.
Stereomicroscopes having a capability for adjusting the stereo base are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,125 (Butterfield, 1971). Although different variations of possibilities for varying the stereo base are described there, such devices have not become widespread in practice. This is in spite of the fact that the disadvantages which are known and specified by Butterfield in the case of stereomicroscopes without stereo base adjustment are still present. To this extent, reference is made to the relevant description parts--in particular in column 2, lines 43-62--in Butterfield, which count as disclosed herein. The reason for not using the teachings of Butterfield apparently lies in various problems which result from his solution proposals. Thus, for example, the use of prisms is excluded (e.g. FIGS. 5-9 in Butterfield), since, as Butterfield himself admits (column 9, lines 65 and 66 of Butterfield), these are accompanied by color aberrations which can have a negative influence on the color quality of the viewed image.
The variations proposed by Butterfield having displaceable aperture diaphragms (10, e.g. FIGS. 2 and 5) furthermore have the disadvantage that as a result of a displacement of the latter not only is the stereo base adjusted but in addition the image brightness is darkened or changed, which can disadvantageously lead to too low a light yield, in particular in the case of small stereo bases.
Similar disadvantages occur in the case of the solution proposal in accordance with FIG. 10 of Butterfield. To be specific, as a result of the pivoting of the mirror (50), not only is the stereo base adjusted, but the aperture is also changed, which in turn can lead to corresponding light losses.
The variants proposed by Butterfield according to FIGS. 11 and 12 are in turn complicated and can be implemented only with difficulty to the extent that two parallel lens systems (54) are necessary there, which are associated with a corresponding increase in price and also a corresponding increase in constructional size, with further penalties in terms of light as a result of possibly too small an aperture. Furthermore, it is generally also difficult to adjust such parallel lens systems such that they have identical properties. However, if the properties are not identical, this can lead to fatigue in the observer, in particular if a video camera and monitor are connected in front of said observer, since he does not have the possibility of recorrecting individually, as in the case of two eyepiece beam paths.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to develop a system which, in spite of a variable stereo base, does not reduce the light intensity in the beam path--at least for a certain period and for each beam path separately--by a significant amount. In addition, it is intended to enable recordings--as known per se--using only a single image recording device, for example using a single video camera. Preferably, it is furthermore intended to provide only one main objective and to restrict the constructional size of the stereomicroscope to a minimum.
This object is achieved, for example, by means of the features described herein. As a result of the arrangement of the adjusting device behind the main objective, there is an integrated construction with low light losses and without the disadvantages listed above.
A practical application of the invention results, for example, in the case of video stereomicroscopes.
For such microscopes, but also for other microscopes, a special development of the invention is proposed which can also be applied independently of the invention. To explain the background:
Microscopes often have beam splitters in order to duplicate the beam path directed towards the object to be magnified.
Often provided on split beam paths are, inter alia, additional observer eyepieces, phototubes, camera connections or displays of all types, the images from which are intended to be inserted--that is to say superimposed on the image of the vie
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Braunecker Bernhard
Rogers John Rice
Spink Roger
Zimmer Klaus-Peter
Henry Jon W.
Leica Geosystems AG
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