Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Yutaka Takabayashi

Takashi Nagano

Takayoshi Togino

Takashi Fukaya

Hiroshi Fujiwara

Kazuyuki Minami

Makoto Yoshinaga

Jitsunari Kojima

Toshiyuki Tsunoda

Hiromi Utsunomiya

A photographing apparatus for microscopes is constructed so that a simultaneous observation is made by overlapping an image of a sample formed by transmitted illumination with that formed by reflected fluorescence, in which signals for designating the simultaneous observation at once cause a second shutter for the transmitted illumination to be closed and a first shutter for the reflected fluorescence to be opened, the brightness of the sample image formed by the reflected fluorescence is measured by a light-detecting element disposed in an optical path for observation, and after a light-adjusting member for the transmitted illumination is controlled so that, based on data outputted from a memory device corresponding to a measured value, the brightness of the sample image by the transmitted illumination in the simultaneous observation is balanced with that of the sample image by the reflected fluorescence, the second shutter is opened. Thus, this photographing apparatus has advantages that whenever the microscopy is switched, an operator can dispense with the need for a fine adjustment of the amount of transmitted illumination light, with the resultant ease of operation, the balance adjustment of brightness in switching is made in a short time, and the bleaching of fluorescence of the sample can be suppressed.

Photographing apparatus balancing brightness for microscopes

In order to allow the surgical operator and his assistant to make stereoscopic viewing of the region of surgery with a same magnification and in coaxial relationship, the surgical microscope comprises: a common objective lens; a pair of variable magnification optical systems disposed on the image side of the objective lens; and a pair of light beam splitting members disposed on the image side of the pair of variable magnification optical systems, respectively, wherein arrangement is provided so that paired observational optical paths are to be directed to extend respectively in a plurality of directions each having a predetermined angle relative to a plane containing the optical axes of the pair of variable magnification optical systems, within a plane crossing these optical axes at right angles, respectively. The pair of light beam splitting members are constituted as an optical path splitting unit, and the barrel section and the optical path splitting unit are removably coupled to each other.

Surgical microscope

In order to allow the assistant also to make an observation of the same region of the object as by the surgical operator in the form of a normal and clear stereoscopic image, and to enable the size of the barrel as well as the price to be about the same as that of an ordinary surgical microscope having two optical axes, the surgical microscope of the invention is arranged so that by the employment of two pairs of prisms each having a polarized light beam splitter section and a total reflection surface, a pair of operator's observational optical systems and a pair of assistant's observational optical systems are used partly in common, and one of the polarized beams so split by the polarized beam splitter section is utilized as the operator's observational light, and the other is utilized as the assistant's observational light. One pair among the two pairs of prisms is constructed as a first stereoscopic view adapter, and the other pair as a second stereoscopic view adapter, and the common portion of the observational optical systems mentioned above is constructed in the form of a barrel, and all of these constituent parts are removably coupled to each other.

A turret condenser for microscopes comprising a turret, an aperture stop, a stop ring for opening and stopping down the aperture stop, a cam fixed to the turret, a lever means having one end in contact with the cam and the other end having a through hole formed therein, and a spring having one end fixed to the stop ring and the other end carrying a retaining piece fixed thereto, the spring passing through the through hole formed in the lever means, the turret condenser for microscopes being arranged so that the stop ring always keeps the stop fully opened by means of the force of the spring when the turret is in the position of phase contrast microscopy.

Turret condenser for microscopes

An electrically driven optical instrument such as stereo-microscope is provided with a transfer shaft rotatably carrying a drive transmitting, transfer gear. An axial displacement of the transfer gear occurs in response to an external operation to move the transfer gear selectively to a first position in which it meshes with an output gear on a motor and a second position in which it meshes with a manually driven gear that is mounted on an externally exposed operating shaft, thus accomplishing a switching between an electrical drive and a manual drive.

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Hachiouji, Japan

Yutaka Takabayashi