Microscope with aberration correcting function

• US 6,563,634 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimada, Masakazu, Shimada, Yoshihiro, Kitagawa, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US09/951,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20020036823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 359/368, 359/379, 359/381, 359/396, 359/398, 359/391, 359/392
• US Class Current: 359/368
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/241 Devices for focusing focusing in general G02B7/28

Abstract

A microscope according to the invention comprises an aberration correcting objective lens facing a specimen and having an aberration correcting lens correcting an aberration due to an error in the thickness of a cover, a Petri dish or a slide glass; a moving amount detector detecting moving amount of the aberration correcting lens; a focusing unit moving the specimen; a driver unit driving the focusing unit; and an arithmetic unit obtaining a defocus amount based on a moving amount detected by the moving amount detector. When the aberration correcting lens is moved, the specimen is put out of focus. On the basis of a defocus amount obtained by the arithmetic unit, the driver unit drives the focusing unit so that the lens may focus on the specimen.

Claims

1. A microscope comprising:

an aberration correcting objective lens facing a specimen and having a movable aberration correcting lens correcting an aberration due to an error in a thickness of a cover glass covering said specimen or a specimen-holding member with transmittivity holding said specimen;

a moving amount detector detecting a moving amount by which said aberration correcting lens moves along an optical axis of the aberration correcting lens;

a focusing unit changing a distance between said specimen and said aberration correcting objective lens;

a driver unit driving said focusing unit; and

an arithmetic unit obtaining a defocus amount of said aberration correcting objective lens based on a moving amount detected by said moving amount detector,

wherein said specimen is put out of focus of said aberration correcting objective lens when said aberration correcting lens is moved, and on the basis of a defocus amount obtained by said arithmetic unit, said driver unit drives said focusing unit so that said aberration correcting objective lens focuses on said specimen.

2. A microscope comprising:

an aberration correcting objective lens facing a specimen and having a movable aberration correcting lens correcting an aberration due to an error in a thickness of a cover glass covering said specimen or a specimen-holding member with transmittivity holding said specimen;

a moving unit moving said aberration correcting lens along an optical axis of the aberration correcting lens;

a focusing unit changing a distance between said specimen and said aberration correcting objective lens;

a driver unit driving said focusing unit; and

an arithmetic unit obtaining a defocus amount of said aberration correcting objective lens based on a moving amount of said aberration correcting lens moved by said moving unit,

wherein said specimen is put out of focus of said aberration correcting objective lens when said aberration correcting lens is moved, and on the basis of a defocus amount obtained by said arithmetic unit, said driver unit drives said focusing unit so that said aberration correcting objective lens focuses on said specimen.

3. A microscope comprising:

a stage placing thereon a specimen covered by a cover glass or held in a specimen-holding member with transmittivity;

an aberration correcting objective lens facing said stage and having an aberration correcting unit correcting an aberration due to an error in a thickness of said cover glass or said specimen-holding member;

a focusing unit changing a distance between said stage and said aberration correcting objective lens;

an optical observation system leading the light from said specimen that has passed through said aberration correcting objective lens, to form an observed image of said specimen; and

a processor section controlling said focusing unit so that said aberration correcting objective lens focuses on said specimen,

wherein when said aberration correcting unit corrects an aberration, said specimen is put out of focus of said aberration correcting objective lens, and said processor section controls said focusing unit so that said aberration correcting objective lens focuses on said specimen.

4. The microscope according to claim 3, wherein:

said aberration correcting objective lens has an objective lens body, and said aberration correcting unit has an aberration correcting lens movably attached to said objective lens body; and

which

further comprises;

a moving unit moving said aberration correcting lens;

a photo-detector having a light-receiving plane, detecting a light made incident upon said light-receiving plane; and

an optical detecting system leading the light from said specimen that has passed through said aberration correcting objective lens to said light-receiving plane of said photo-detector;

said processor section obtaining a contrast of an image of said specimen formed on said light-receiving plane from light detected by said photo-detector and, based on said contrast, controlling said moving unit and said focusing unit, so that said aberration correcting objective lens focuses on said specimen and that an aberration of said observed image is corrected.

5. The microscope according to claim 3, further comprising:

at least one regular objective lens; and

an objective-lens selecting mechanism selectively setting a first state in which said aberration correcting objective lens faces said stage and said regular objective lens is positioned far away from said stage and a second state in which said aberration correcting objective lens is positioned far away from said stage and one of said regular objective lens faces said stage.