Optical: systems and elements – Compound lens system – Microscope
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-29
2001-07-24
Nguyen, Thong (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Compound lens system
Microscope
C359S368000, C359S375000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266182
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an operating microscope, specifically to that incorporating an endoscopic image into an operating-microscopic image to allow simultaneous observation.
b) Description of the Related Art
For surgical treatment in cerebral neurosurgery, otorhinolaryngology, ophthalmology or other clinical specialty, operating microscopes have played such an important role as to improve efficiency of surgical operations by providing observers with enlarged images of parts subjected to the operations. Furthermore, in recent years, endoscopic observation also is applied to the operations that used to be performed only under the operating-microscopic observation, so that tissues other than the minimum necessary portions for the operation remain intact; it is preferred that the operating-microscopic image and the endoscopic image can be observed simultaneously.
A microscope apparatus disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Number Sho 62-166310, for example, is known to be directed to the combination of the operating microscope and the endoscope. In this apparatus, an endoscope with a solid-state image pickup device for stereoscopic observation is provided to be movable with respect to a stereoscopic microscope so as to allow observation inside a narrow cavity, which were impossible otherwise. Moreover, the apparatus includes an image reproducing means for displaying the image derived from the solid-state image pickup device and an image projecting means for introducing the image displayed on the image reproducing means into an eyepiece optical system so that the eyepiece optical system is commonly used for simultaneous observation of the operating-microscopic image and the endoscopic image.
However, the art of the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Number Sho 62-166310 fails to consider the problem caused by the shift of the image surfaces which are provided for observation via eyepiece, which shift accompanies adjustment of interpupillary distance, and thus cannot be reduced into realization for a practical operating microscope.
The adjustment of interpupillary distance is performed by shifting the left and right sections of the operating microscope, in each of which an image surface is provided for observation via eyepiece, so that the distance between the left and right eyepoints of the operating microscope corresponds to the distance between the left and right pupils of an observer. Every operating microscope is provided with a mechanism to perform this adjustment. If the interpupillary distance is to be adjusted in practice using only the art known from the above-mentioned Sho 62-166310, it is necessary to shift the image reproducing means through the image projecting means integral with the shift of the image surfaces provided for observation via eyepiece so that the positions on which the images from the image reproducing means are projected follow movement of the eyepiece optical system resulting from the adjustment of interpupillary distance. This configuration requires a space for movement of optical system or elements inside a housing of the operating microscope, to render the housing voluminous. As a result, according to the art of the above-mentioned Sho 62-166310, it is impossible to make an operating microscope compact in its entirety, while the operating microscope is fundamentally required to be made compact for efficiency of the surgical work.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made considering the above-mentioned problem of the conventional art. An object of the present invention is to provide an operating microscope in which the operating-microscopic image and the endoscopic image can be constantly and simultaneously observed via the eyepiece optical system irrespective of adjustment of interpupillary distance by causing images obtained from an endoscopic optical system to be projected as to follow the shift of the image surfaces of the operating-microscopic optical system resulting from the adjustment of interpupillary distance, and which is also made compact to facilitate the surgical work.
In order to attain the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, an operating microscope comprising an image projecting optical system for introducing an image derived from an endoscopic optical system, which is provided separate from an operating-microscopic optical system, into an eyepiece optical system of the operating microscope so that the operating-microscopic image and the endoscopic image can be simultaneously observed is characterized; in that the image projecting optical system includes a collimating optical system, which collimates a beam of rays emergent from the image derived from the endoscopic optical system, and an imaging optical system, which forms an image on an image surface of the operating-microscopic optical system provided for observation via eyepiece using the beam of parallel rays emergent from the collimating optical system; and in that the imaging optical system is constructed to be movable at least in such a range that its entrance aperture can receive the beam of parallel rays.
According to this configuration, an image by the endoscopic optical system can be projected on the image surface as to follow the same, which is constructed to be movable for adjustment of interpupillary distance. Therefore, the observer can observe the operating-microscopic image and the endoscopic image constantly and simultaneously, irrespective of the adjustment of interpupillary distance.
Furthermore, since the collimating optical system is fixedly placed during the adjustment of interpupillary distance of the operating microscope, a space for moving the collimating optical system therein is not necessary in a housing of the operating microscope, which feature facilitates compact design of the operating microscope.
Furthermore, the image projecting optical system and the operating-microscopic optical system are provided independent of each other, without any common constituent optical element. Therefore, these optical systems do not degrade images formed by each other, and thus both the images can be viewed clearly.
Also, according to the present invention, an operating microscope comprising an image projecting optical system for introducing images derived from an endoscopic optical system, which is provided separate from an operating-microscopic optical system, into an eyepiece optical system of the operating microscope so that the operating-microscopic image and the endoscopic image can be simultaneously observed is characterized; in that the image projecting optical system includes a collimating optical system, which collimates a beam of rays emergent from the image by the endoscopic optical system, and an imaging optical system, which forms an image onto an image surface of the operating-microscopic optical system using the beam of parallel rays emergent from the collimating optical system; and in that an optical axis of the imaging optical system aligned with the beam of parallel rays is parallel to a direction in which the eyepiece optical system, onto which the image by the endoscopic optical system is projected, slides for adjustment of interpupillary distance as well as the imaging optical system is constructed to be movable along the optical axis in such a range that its entrance aperture can receive the beam of parallel rays.
The image projecting optical system of this configuration is preferably applicable to an operating microscope provided with a Jentzsche system for adjustment of interpupillary distance. According to this configuration, an image by the endoscopic optical system can be projected on the image surface as to follow the same, which is constructed to be slidable for the adjustment of interpupillary distance. Therefore, the observer can observe the operating-microscopic image and the endoscopic image constantly and simultaneously, irrespective of the adjustment of interpupillary distance.
Furthermore, since the collimating optical sys
Nguyen Thong
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
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