Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Olympus Corporation

Chikara Abe

Keisuke Tamura

Katsuyuki Abe

Yoshiro Kawano

Masahiro Aoki

A microscope for use in total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) is provided. The microscope includes a first white-light source for directing light along a first optical path; an annular slit member disposed in the first optical path, the annular slit member having an annular slit for blocking all but an annulus of light corresponding to the annular slit; and an objective lens for directing the annulus of light to a specimen such that TIRFM of the specimen is achieved. Also provided are various ways for converting the microscope to and from a TIRFM microscope and a conventional microscope.

Total internal reflection fluorescence microscope having a conventional white-light source

A height measuring apparatus characterized by having an illumination optical system for illuminating the surface of an object, a pair of imaging optical systems having optical axis arranged symmetrical with respect to the optical axis of all light beam reflected by the object and designed to converging a part of the light beam along the optical axes, a pair of light-detecting optical systems arranged in a converging plane of the imaging optical systems and designed to detect light spots which change in position in accordance with the height of the object, and height calculator for generating spot-position signals from the light-intensity signals supplied from the light-detecting optical systems and calculating the height of the surface of the object from the spot-position signals.

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Hicksville, NY, United States of America

Chikara Abe