The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 13, 2011
Filed:
Dec. 02, 2008
Yasuaki Natori, Tokyo, JP;
Nobuyuki Nagasawa, Gunma, JP;
Yasuaki Natori, Tokyo, JP;
Nobuyuki Nagasawa, Gunma, JP;
Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
To prevent incidence of strong external light into a photodetector and an imaging device while a lid is opened, so as to thereby perform accurate photodetection and imaging operations without receiving the influence of external light. An observation apparatus comprising: a stage on which a sample serving as an observation target is placed; a detection unit which detects light from the sample; an imaging optical system which projects the light from the sample onto the detection unit; a light shielding member which covers the whole or a part thereof; an opening provided in the light shielding member; a lid which opens/closes the opening; an open/close detection unit which detects the open/close state of the lid; a dimmer which limits light incident into the detection unit; and a controller which operates the dimmer to reduce the amount of the light incident into the detection unit, when the open/close detection unit detects that the lid has been opened.