Transmitted light/lighting device for microscopes

• US 6,795,239 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: CARL Zeiss JENA GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Tandler, Hans, Gonschor, Matthias, Gretscher, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thong Q
• Application Number:
  US10/384,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20030165011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 359/368-390, 351/200-247
• US Class Current: 359/388
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/06 Means for illuminating specimens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/086 for transillumination only

Abstract

A transmitted-light illumination arrangement for microscopes has at least one LED which is arranged interchangeably in or in the vicinity of the plane of the aperture diaphragm of illumination optics or in front of Köhler illumination optics. The transmitted-light illumination arrangement advantageously has at least one LED light source radiating in the illumination direction of the microscope and at least one LED light source radiating in the opposite direction, wherein the light of the oppositely radiating light source is deflected in the illumination direction via deflecting mirrors, preferably a concave mirror, this light source being located in the focal point thereof.

Claims

1. A transmitted-light illumination arrangement for a microscope comprising:

at least one first LED light source radiating in an illumination direction of the microscope;

at least one second LED light source radiating in the opposite direction; and

a concave mirror for deflecting light of the oppositely radiating light source in the illumination direction, said oppositely radiating light source being located in the focal point thereof.

2. The transmitted-light illumination arrangement for a microscope having an optical axis of a condenser comprising:

at least two LED light sources which radiate in opposite directions away from the optical axis of the condenser and whose radiating direction extends at right angles to the optical axis of the condenser, and

at least one deflecting mirror for deflecting the radiation of the light sources in the direction of illumination.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the light sources can be alternately switched on and off synchronous with observation.

4. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the light sources are white-light LEDs.

5. A transmitted-light illumination arrangement for a microscope comprising:

at least two LED light sources which radiate in the illumination direction of the microscope and in the opposite direction in a first position;

deflecting mirrors for deflecting the light of radiating light source in the illumination direction, said mirrors preferably include a concave mirror, said oppositely radiating light source being located in the focal point thereof;

at least two oppositely radiating light sources whose radiating directions extend at right angles to an optical axis of a condenser in a second position; and

at least one deflecting mirror for deflecting the radiation of the light sources in the direction of illumination, wherein these are the same light sources and, for purposes of switching between the first position and second position, are rotatable about a connection axis which extends at right angles to the optical axis.

6. The transmitted-light illumination arrangement for a microscope in accordance with claim 5 comprising:

two LED light sources arranged outside the optical axis, whose distance to the optical axis can be changed by means of displacement and/or swiveling about a common center of rotation.

7. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of LEDs are arranged adjacent to one another, their light cones being tangent to one another or overlapping one another.

8. The arrangement according to claim 7, wherein said plurality of LEDs are arranged in a shell-shaped manner with respect to their mounting.

9. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the arrangement of the LEDs essentially corresponds to a spherical surface.