Optics: eye examining – vision testing and correcting – Eye examining or testing instrument – Objective type
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-26
2003-07-29
Manuel, George (Department: 3737)
Optics: eye examining, vision testing and correcting
Eye examining or testing instrument
Objective type
Reexamination Certificate
active
06598972
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a stereomicroscopy system for viewing an object or an intermediate image produced of an object. This intermediate image may be a vertically and horizontally inverted image of an object, and the microscopy system may be utilized in microsurgery, in particular, for carrying out eye surgeries.
2. Background Art
Stereomicroscopes are known in the art.
FIG. 11
schematically depicts a beam path of a conventional stereomicroscope. In the conventional stereomicroscope, the viewer looks with his two eyes
901
and
902
into a left ocular
903
and a right ocular
904
, respectively, and views, for example, an object positioned in an object plane
905
of the microscope. The oculars
903
and
904
together with image inverting prisms
915
and tube lenses
913
form the tube which functions as a binocular Keplerian telescope. The object is perceived by the viewer with a stereoscopic spatial impression, because a beam bundle
907
issuing from the object and extending on the left, in respect of a central plane
906
of the microscope, to a collective lens
909
of the microscope enters the collective lens
909
on the left and is imaged into the left ocular
903
, whereas a beam bundle
908
issuing from the object on the right, in respect of the central plane
906
, also enters the collective lens
909
on the right and is imaged into the right ocular
904
. The objective system furthermore comprises an a focal zoom system
911
for changing the magnification. The oculars
903
,
904
each comprise a tube lens
913
and a Schmidt-Pechan prism
915
. The Schmidt-Pechan prisms are required to provide a vertically and horizontally rectified image of the object, the orientation of which has been inverted by the objective.
The conventional stereomicroscope may also be used in eye surgery to view an eye fundus
916
of an eye
917
of a patient. For this purpose, an ophthalmoscopic lens
919
is positioned in front of the patient's eye and produces an intermediate image of the eye fundus
916
in the object plane
905
of the microscope. The intermediate image of the eye fundus is then viewed by the surgeon through the stereomicroscope.
In the configuration of the stereomicroscope and the ophthalmoscopic lens shown in
FIG. 11
, due to the change in the image orientation and the stereoscopic sightline through the ophthalmoscopic lens, the eye fundus is perceived by the surgeon vertically and horizontally inverted and, in addition, pseudo-stereoscopic, i.e., as far as the depth perception is concerned, front and back appear inverted to the surgeon. In order to remove this problem, the correct image orientation must be re-established, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the two stereo channels of the microscope must be interchanged, i.e., the beam bundle
907
issuing from the object plane
905
on the left must be supplied to the right eye
902
of the surgeon, and the beam bundle
908
issuing on the right must be supplied to the left eye
901
of the surgeon.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
A stereomicroscopy system is disclosed for viewing an object and/or an intermediate image produced of an object, in microsurgery. The stereomicroscopy system includes an objective system with an object plane for positioning the object and/or the intermediate image to be viewed. The stereomicroscopy system also includes a beam interchanging and image inverting system. The beam interchanging and image inverting system supplies a first beam bundle directed to the left from the object plane in the direction of the objective system to the right of the objective system. The beam interchanging and image inverting system also supplies a second beam bundle directed to the right from the object plane in the direction of the objective system to the left of the objective system. The beam interchanging and image inverting system also inverts image orientations of the two beam bundles. The beam interchanging and image inverting system includes at least one Porro prism of the second kind.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
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European Search Report dated Jan. 23, 2003 (1 page).
Carl Zeiss-Stiftung
Manuel George
Rosenthal & Osha L.L.P.
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