MICROSCOPE APPARATUS

• US 20160054554A1
• Filed: 08/11/2015
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evident Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: TAMANO, Shingo
• Granted Patent: US 9,977,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/002 Scanning microscopes scanning near field optical microscopes G01Q60/18
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/02 Objectives
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/06 Means for illuminating specimens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/16 adapted for ultraviolet illumination ; Fluorescence microscopes G02B21/0076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/08 with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876

Abstract

A microscope apparatus includes an objective and a photodetector, and projects a pupil of the objective onto a light-receiving surface of the photodetector. The microscope apparatus further includes an optical element that is arranged between the objective and the photodetector. The optical element has a plurality of refractive surfaces which are arranged in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the optical element and to which light fluxes emitted from the pupil of the objective at different angles are incident.

Claims

1. A microscope apparatus that projects a pupil of an objective onto a light-receiving surface of a photodetector, the apparatus comprising:

the objective;

the photodetector; and

an optical element that is arranged between the objective and the photodetector, and that has a plurality of refractive surfaces which are arranged in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the optical element and to which light fluxes emitted from the pupil of the objective at different angles are incident, wherein

a refractive surface that is closer to the optical axis from among the plurality of refractive surfaces takes the shape of a linear line that forms a larger angle with the optical axis on a cross-section along the optical axis, and

a refractive surface on the optical axis from among the plurality of refractive surfaces is orthogonal to the optical axis.

2. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of refractive surfaces are formed with a specified pitch in the direction orthogonal to the optical axis, and

the specified pitch is equal to or larger than a diameter of a light flux when the light flux emitted from the pupil of the objective as a parallel light flux is incident to the optical element.

3. The microscope apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the specified pitch is a diameter of a light flux when the light flux emitted from the pupil of the objective as a parallel light flux is incident to the optical element.

4. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a relay optics system that is arranged between the optical element and the photodetector, and that projects the optical element onto the light-receiving surface of the photodetector, wherein

the optical element respectively converts the light fluxes emitted from the pupil of the objective at the different angles so that the light fluxes become close to parallel to the optical axis, and makes the converted light fluxes incident to the relay optics system.

5. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a relay optics system that is arranged between the objective and the optical element, and that projects the pupil of the objective onto the optical element, wherein

the relay optics system respectively makes the light fluxes emitted from the pupil of the objective at the different angles incident to different refractive surfaces of the optical element.

6. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a tube lens that is arranged between the objective and the optical element, and that converges parallel light fluxes emitted from the pupil of the objective, wherein

the photodetector is arranged between the optical element and a rear focal plane of the tube lens.

7. A microscope apparatus, comprising:

an objective;

a photodetector;

an optical element that is arranged between the objective and the photodetector, and that has a plurality of refractive surfaces which are arranged in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the optical element and to which light fluxes emitted from a pupil of the objective at different angles are incident; and

a relay optics system that is arranged between the optical element and the photodetector, and that projects the optical element onto a light-receiving surface of the photodetector, wherein

the plurality of refractive surfaces respectively convert incident light fluxes so that the light fluxes become close to parallel to the optical axis.