MICROSCOPE FOR OBSERVING A SAMPLE IN THE BRIGHT FIELD ILLUMINATION BY TRANSMITTED LIGHT OR IN FLUORESCENCE-CONTRAST EPI-ILLUMINATION

• US 20080310017A1
• Filed: 06/12/2008
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: CARL Zeiss Microimaging GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Bocher, Thomas, Fahlbusch, Ingo, Nolte, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 8,040,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/385
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/088 for both incident illumination and transillumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/12 affording bright-field illumination G02B21/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/14 affording illumination for phase-contrast observation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/16 adapted for ultraviolet illumination ; Fluorescence microscopes G02B21/0076 takes precedence

Abstract

A microscope for observing an object selectably using the bright-field transmitted light contrast procedure or the incident-light fluorescence contrast procedure. During the bright-field transmitted light contrast procedure, an illumination beam path is directed from a bright-field light source to the object and an imaging beam path is directed from the object through the microscope objective into the microscope tube, which includes a fluorescence unit that includes a fluorescence excitation light source, an illumination optical system, a filter set having at least one excitation filter and at least one emission filter, as well as a beamsplitter. The fluorescence unit is mounted movably, so that in a first end position of movement the beamsplitter and the emission filter are out of the imaging beam path of the microscope and in a second end position of movement they are in the imaging beam path between the microscope objective and the microscope tube.

Claims

1. A microscope, designed for observing an object selectably in bright-field transmitted light contrast or in incident-light fluorescence contrast, in which a microscope beam path is directed from a bright-field light source through the object and a microscope objective into a microscope tube, comprising:

a fluorescence unit including a fluorescence excitation light source, an illumination optical system,a filter set comprising at least one excitation filter, at least one emission filter, and a beamsplitter;

wherein the fluorescence unit is mounted so that it is movable, such that

in a first end position of movement the beamsplitter and the emission filter are outside the imaging beam path of the microscope and in a second end position of movement the beamsplitter and the emission filter are in the imaging beam path between the microscope objective and the microscope tube.

2. The microscope according to claim 1, wherein

in the second end position the bright-field light source is switched off and the fluorescence excitation light source is switched on,

the fluorescence excitation light beam is directed onto the dividing layer of the beamsplitter and from there onto the object, and

the fluorescence emission beam coming from the object is directed through the microscope objective, the dividing layer and the emission filter and into the microscope tube.

3. The microscope according to claim 1, in which the movement of the fluorescence unit to the second end position of movement is linked with actuation of a switch to switch the fluorescence excitation light source on and the bright-field light source off.

4. The microscope according to claim 1, in which

the movement to the first end position of movement is linked with actuation of a separate switch to switch the fluorescence excitation light source off and a separate switch to switch the bright-field light source on,

the movement to the second end position of movement is linked with actuation of a separate switch to switch the bright-field light source off and a separate switch to switch the fluorescence excitation light source on.

5. The microscope according to claim 2, further comprising a switch located between the first and second end positions of movement to switch the fluorescence excitation light source off and the bright-field light source on.

6. The microscope according to claim 5 further comprising a detent for the fluorescence unit at the position of the switch to prevent manually caused sliding in this position.

7. The microscope according claim 2, further comprising a gripping element on the fluorescence unit as an aid for sliding the fluorescence unit manually.

8. The microscope according to claim 1 further comprising an electric motor drive coupled to the fluorescence unit to move the fluorescence unit.

9. The microscope according to claim 1, further comprising an LED used as the fluorescence excitation light source and a white light source, used as the bright-field light source.

10. The microscope according to claim 1, wherein the white light source comprises a white light LED.

11. The microscope according claim 1, wherein the fluorescence unit is mounted so it can slide on a linear guide.

12. The microscope according to claim 1 further comprising additional multiple fluorescence units and wherein the fluorescence units are mounted on a linear guide so that they are individually slidable.

13. The microscope according to claim 12, wherein the fluorescence units and the linear guide are arranged in a modular exchangeable intermediate tube.

14. A microscope, designed for observing an object selectably in bright-field transmitted light contrast or in incident-light fluorescence contrast, in which, during observation in bright-field transmitted light contrast a microscope beam path is directed from a bright-field light source through the object and a microscope objective into a microscope tube, comprising:

a fluorescence unit including a fluorescence excitation light source, an illumination optical system, a filter set comprising at least one excitation filter and at least one emission filter and a beamsplitter;

wherein the fluorescence unit, the beamsplitter and the emission filter are mounted so as to be movable, such that

in a first end position of movement the beamsplitter and the emission filter are outside the imaging beam path of the microscope and in a second end position of movement the beamsplitter and the emission filter are in the imaging beam path between the microscope objective and the microscope tube.