Optical: systems and elements – Compound lens system – Microscope
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-01
2001-09-11
Henry, Jon (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Compound lens system
Microscope
C359S363000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06288838
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video-type stereoscopic microscope for taking a moving picture of a magnified three-dimensional image of an object, and more particularly, to a video-type stereoscopic microscope in which an object is first imaged at a position of a field stop, and the image of the object is re-focused onto an image taking surface together with the image of the field stop.
2. Description of the Related Art
This type of video-type stereoscopic microscope is used when tiny tissues, such as a brain, are operated.
Since it is difficult to observe a structure of an organ consisting of tiny tissues, such as a brain, by direct viewing, the operations for such an organ must be proceeded under a microscope. Besides, since it is impossible to observe the three-dimensional structure of a tissue with a monocular microscope, a stereoscopic microscope has been used to enable three-dimensional magnifying observation of the tissue in order to perform accurate operations.
However, with the conventional optical stereoscopic microscope, although a lead surgeon or his/her assistant can observe the microscopic image, other staffs such as anesthetists, nurses, interns, and advisers who work at some remote locations cannot observe the same microscopic image. Therefore, they could not pursue their share of tasks with sufficient accuracy and promptness. Similarly, the adviser could not provide timely and proper advice from the remote locations. Accordingly, in recent years, a video-type stereoscopic microscope, which takes moving pictures of right and left images of an object formed by the stereoscopic microscope to provide the images for three-dimensional observation through a plurality of monitors, has been proposed, instead of an optical stereoscopic microscope.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 2607828 discloses a video-type stereoscopic microscope in which the optical axes of right and left objective optical systems are guided towards an image taking surface of a single image pick-up device side by side through a plurality of lenses, and therefore the right and left images of the object are formed on the image taking surface side by side.
Although the patent does not disclose the detailed structure of the video-type stereoscopic microscope, the following construction can be speculated from the disclosure in order that the right and left images of the object may be arranged in the image taking surface which has a limited aspect ratio without the right and left images overlapping with each other: A boarder line is defined on the image taking surface to partition it into the respective right and left regions on which the right and left images of the object are picked up, respectively. The images of the object are formed as aerial images through the right and left objective optical systems, and portions of the aerial images that should be relayed on the image taking surface so as to lap over the boarder line from the corresponding region are shielded by field stops of knife edge type. Then, the remaining portions of the aerial images are re-foamed and picked up on the respective image taking regions.
If such a construction is adopted, the straight-line edge of each of the right and left aerial images which is formed by the respective field stop shielding the aerial image must be precisely relayed on the boarder line.
However, due to an insufficient precision of the supporting members for the field stops and due to installation errors of the field stops with respect to the supporting member, the straight-line edges of the right and left images may not always be relayed on the boarder line of the image taking surface. In many cases, the straight-line edges are tilted and/or translated with respect to the boarder line. Therefore, an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the angle and position of the knife edge of the field stop is required. Such an adjusting mechanism must have a simple structure in order to achieve precise angle adjustment and position adjustment for the field stop, because a stereoscopic microscope is a precision optical device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is devised to obviate the above-mentioned problems and an object of the present invention is to provide a video-type stereoscopic microscope in which adjustment for angle and position of a field stop are conducted independently of each other without influencing the other, thereby facilitating the adjustments.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a video-type stereoscopic microscope in which images of same object are formed through a pair of image taking optical systems arranged with a predetermined base length therebetween on two regions into which an image taking surface of an image pickup device is divided in a direction of said base length and in which the images are picked up by said image pickup device. Each of the image taking optical systems including an objective optical system forming a primary image of an object, a relay optical system relaying the primary image formed by the objective optical system to form a secondary image, an inter-axis distance reducing element that brings the object light rays from the relay optical system close to each other, a field stop that shields a space that is conjugate, with respect to the relay optical system, with a region in the image taking surface that corresponds to the other image taking optical system when disposed at a predetermined position in a plane on which the primary image is formed by the objective optical system, a field stop frame that holds the field stop in its inner space, a field stop holder that holds the field stop frame such that the field stop frame can be rotated in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the objective optical system and a support mechanism that supports the field stop holder such that the field stop holder can slide in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the objective optical system while maintaining an rotational axis of the field stop frame in parallel with the optical axis of the objective optical system.
With this construction, by rotating the field stop frame relative to the field stop holder, an operator can adjust the angle of the field stop without changing the position of the field stop. Further, by sliding the field stop holder, the operator can adjust the position of the field stop without changing the angle of the field stop. Accordingly, adjustment for angle and for position of the field stop can be conducted independently of each other without affecting the other, thereby facilitating the adjustments.
In the condition where the angle and position of the field stop of each image taking optical system is properly adjusted, the field stop shields a portion of the primary image of the object formed by the objective optical system of each image taking optical system, which is conjugate, with respect to the relay optical system of that image taking optical system, with a region in the image taking surface that corresponds to the other image taking optical system. Therefore, the remaining portion of the primary image that is not shielded by the field stop is relayed by the relay optical system along the optical axis, and is imaged onto a region in the image taking surface that corresponds to its own image taking optical system. Accordingly, the secondary images of the same object can be arranged side by side on the same image taking surface without overlapping.
The supporting mechanism can be modified as long as it can slide a field stop holder linearly. For example, a linear guide and a slider, such as a rail and a shaft, can be used. Also, it is desirable that the supporting mechanism have a field stop holder driving mechanism. As such a driving mechanism, standard techniques of screw engagement and other mechanisms, such as ball screws, rack and pinion or the like, may be used. If guide pins are common to supporting mechanisms of both image taking optical systems, the respective moving dire
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Henry Jon
Pitney Hardin Kipp & Szuch LLP
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