Narishige Scientific Instrument Laboratory, Ltd.

Narishige Corporation, Ltd.

Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Eiichi Narishige

Shinji Yoneyama

Yasuo Inoue

Toshimi Hayasaka

Itaru Endo

Katsura Motomura

An apparatus for finely actuating a glass electrode or the like tool includes a movable portion adapted to be vertically displaced with the aid of a vertical actuating mechanism. A Y-coordinate slider is mounted on the movable portion to slide in the Y-coordinate direction and a X-cordinate slider is in turn mounted on the Y-coordinate slider to slide in the X-coordinate direction. A Y-coordinate thrusting rod is provided in the movable portion to thrust a Y-coordinate lever rod disposed between the Y-coordinate thrusting rod and the Y-coordinate slider, while a X-coordinate thrusting rod is likewise provided in the movable portion to thrust a X-coordinate lever rod disposed between the X-coordinate thrusting rod and the Y-coordinate slider. This enables a lever ratio to be reduced to a fraction of the ratio. Two return springs are provided so as to allow both the Y-coordinate slider and X-coordinate slider to resume their original position. One of them is resiliently bridged between the movable portion and the Y-coordinate slider and the other one is resiliently bridged between the Y-coordinate slider and the X-coordinate slider.

Apparatus for finely actuating a glass electrode or the like

A micromanipulator for an inverted design microscope comprises a needle carrier disposed between a stage and a condenser lens of the microscope for carrying a glass needle in the direction of an optical axis. It also includes a centering mechanism which causes a displacement of the glass needle in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis, a hydraulic drive mechanism disposed on the upper surface of the stage for supporting the needle carrier to cause a vertical movement of the glass needle carried by the carrier along the optical axis, and a hydraulic operator connected to the hydraulic drive mechanism through a hydraulic transmission tube.

Micromanipulator for inverted-design microscope

A manipulator usable for a glass electrode or the like comprises roughly moving mechanisms for roughly moving the glass electrode not only in the longitudinal and lateral directions but also in the heightwise direction, as well as a finely moving mechanism for finely moving the glass electrode in the longitudinal and lateral directions. It further comprises an operation lever, which is provided interiorly with a hydraulic cylinder capable of being pushed by a piston interlocking with an operation knob. A base member and a slider slidable in the heightwise direction relative thereto are incorporated into any one of the roughly moving mechanisms. Between the base member and the slider there are disposed a piston and a second hydraulic cylinder, said second hydraulic cylinder being connected to the hydraulic cylinder within the operation lever.

Manipulator usable for a glass electrode or the like

An improved manipulator for manipulating a glass electrode or the like is disclosed. The manipulator includes a driving section and an actuating section with the glass electrode mounted thereon both of which are in operative association with one another by way of three lines of tubes. The X-coordinate, Y-coordinate and Z-coordinate driving mechanisms in the driving section are hydraulically communicated with the X-coordinate, Y-coordinate and Z-coordinate displacing mechanisms in the actuating section. As a tiltable lever with the Z-coordinate driving mechanism incorporated therein is inclined, hydraulic pressure in the X-Y coordinate plane driving mechanism constituted by the combination of X-coordinate and Y-coordinate rectilinear driving mechanisms varies and thus developed pressure variations are transmitted to the X-coordinate and Y-coordinate displacing mechanisms in the actuating section whereby the glass electrode is displaced by a distance equivalent to an angle of inclining movement of the tiltable lever in both the directions of X-coordinate and Y-coordinate. Displacing of the glass electrode in the direction of Z-coordinate is effected by rotating the knob on the tiltable lever. Water having a thermal expansion coefficient smaller than oil is used as hydraulic medium for each of the hydraulic cylinders.

An improved system for finely and precisely controlling the operational position of a glass electrode, micropipette, micro surgical knife or the like with the aid of hydraulic remote control devices including hydraulic hoses is disclosed. This system includes a control stand with an actuator assembly firmly mounted thereon, said actuator assembly comprising X-, Y- and Z-coordinate actuators, a first fine adjusting device for roughly adjusting the X- and Y-coordinate actuators and a second fine adjusting device for adjusting the Z-coordinate actuator and moreover finely adjusting the X- and Y-coordinate actuators. A glass electrode or the like to be finely located is adjustably mounted on the actuator assembly. The first fine adjusting device comprises two fine adjusting handle devices adapted to adjust hydraulic pressure in a hydraulic chamber by turning a handle with operator's fingers and adjusted hydraulic pressure is transmitted to both the X- and Y-coordinate actuators on the control stand so as to effect rough positioning. The second fine adjusting device includes a micrometer head with a number of calibrations engraved thereon so that the Z-coordinate actuator is adjusted by turning the handle of the micrometer head and both the X- and Y-coordinate actuators are finely adjusted by swing movement of the whole micrometer head about the center of a movable ball.

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Tokyo, Japan

Eiichi Narishige