Fluorescent microscope

• US 20050152029A1
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Endo, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,397,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/385
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/16 adapted for ultraviolet illumination ; Fluorescence microscopes G02B21/0076 takes precedence

Abstract

A fluorescent microscope has a light source having a small light emitting element, an illumination optical system which leads light from the light source onto a specimen, an observation optical system to which fluorescence emitted from the specimen is led, an imager which images the fluorescence led to the observation optical system, and a controller which controls lighting/light out of the small light emitting element synchronously with imaging timing of the imager.

Claims

1. A fluorescent microscope comprising:

a light source having a small light emitting element;

an illumination optical system which leads light from the light source onto a specimen;

an observation optical system to which fluorescence emitted from the specimen is led;

an imager which images the fluorescence led to the observation optical system; and

a controller which controls lighting/light out of the small light emitting element synchronously with imaging timing of the imager.

2. The fluorescent microscope according to claim 1, having a fluorescence observation detector which detects whether or not an observer is performing fluorescence observation,

wherein the controller controls the lighting/light out of the small light emitting element in accordance with an output of the fluorescence observation detector.

3. The fluorescent microscope according to claim 2, wherein the observation optical system has an eyepiece, and the fluorescence observation detector detects whether or not the observer is performing the fluorescence observation with the eyepiece.

4. The fluorescent microscope according to claim 3, wherein the fluorescence observation detector is a proximity sensor.

5. The fluorescent microscope according to claim 1, wherein the controller lights the small light emitting element between a photometric period and a photographing period in the imager.

6. A fluorescent microscope comprising:

a light source having a small light emitting element;

an illumination optical system which leads light from the light source onto a specimen;

an illumination unit having a second light source different from the light source, which illuminates the specimen with light from the second light source;

an observation optical system to which light emitted from the specimen is led; and

a controller which controls lighting/light out of the small light emitting element in accordance with a change in observation methods of the specimen.

7. The fluorescent microscope according to claim 6, having a fluorescence observation detector which detects whether or not an observer is performing fluorescence observation,

wherein the controller controls the lighting/light out of the small light emitting element in accordance with an output of the fluorescence observation detector.

8. The fluorescent microscope according to claim 7, wherein the observation optical system has an eyepiece, and the fluorescence observation detector detects whether or not the observer is performing the fluorescence observation with the eyepiece.

9. The fluorescent microscope according to claim 8, wherein the fluorescence observation detector is a proximity sensor.