IMAGE ACQUISITION DEVICE

• US 20120300053A1
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evident Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: KONO, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,036,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/79
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/16 adapted for ultraviolet illumination ; Fluorescence microscopes G02B21/0076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/24 Base structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/36 arranged for photographic purposes or projection purposes G02B21/18 takes precedenceor digital imaging or video purposes including associated control and data processing arrangements image data processing per se G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/362 Mechanical details, e.g. mountings for the camera or image sensor, housings G02B21/364 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided is a camera including a housing; an intermediate plate that divides the interior of the housing into first and second chambers; image acquisition elements disposed in the first chamber within the housing; a motor disposed in the second chamber within the housing; a pivot shaft that extends through the intermediate plate and transmits a driving force from the motor; a bearing that is provided in a through-hole area for the pivot shaft extending through the intermediate plate and seals a gap formed around the pivot shaft; and a prism that is connected to the pivot shaft in the first chamber and is moved by the driving force transmitted by the pivot shaft so as to switchably guide light from a sample to at least one of the image acquisition elements.

Claims

1. An image acquisition device comprising:

a housing;

a partition that divides an interior of the housing into first and second chambers;

an image acquisition element disposed in the first chamber within the housing;

a driving section disposed in the second chamber within the housing;

a transmitting section that extends through the partition and transmits a driving force from the driving section;

a sealing section that is provided in a through-hole area for the transmitting section extending through the partition so as to seal a gap formed around the transmitting section; and

a light guiding section that is connected to the transmitting section in the first chamber and is moved by the driving force transmitted by the transmitting section so as to switchably guide light from an object to at least one of the image acquisition element and a component different from the image acquisition element.

2. The image acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the different component is an image acquisition element.

3. The image acquisition device according to claim 2, wherein the multiple image acquisition elements have different characteristics from each other.

4. The image acquisition device according to claim 2, wherein one of the multiple image acquisition elements is set in an optical path of the light from the object, and

wherein the light guiding section is moved to and away from the optical path of the light from the object by the driving force transmitted by the transmitting section.

5. The image acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the driving section includes a motor and a pinion fixed to a rotation shaft of the motor, and

wherein the transmitting section includes a rack that is meshed with the pinion and a connection member that connects the rack and the light guiding section to each other.

6. The image acquisition device according to claim 1, further comprising a closed container that is disposed so as to cover the periphery of the image acquisition element, wherein at least a portion of the closed container is formed of an optically transparent component.

7. The image acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding section is a prism.

8. The image acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding section is a mirror.

9. The image acquisition device according to claim 2, wherein the multiple image acquisition elements are arranged in a direction parallel to a surface of the partition, and

wherein the transmitting section rotates the light guiding section about the through-hole area.

10. The image acquisition device according to claim 2, wherein the multiple image acquisition elements are arranged in a direction parallel to a surface of the partition, and

wherein the transmitting section moves the light guiding section in the direction parallel to the surface of the partition.

11. The image acquisition device according to claim 2, wherein the multiple image acquisition elements are arranged in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the partition, and

wherein the transmitting section moves the light guiding section in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the partition.