Method and Apparatus for Specimen Illumination in a Microscope

• US 20100321774A1
• Filed: 06/23/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Canada Limited (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Wagner, Kevin B., Rozitis, Peter A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/390
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/082 for incident illumination only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/16 adapted for ultraviolet illumination ; Fluorescence microscopes G02B21/0076 takes precedence

Abstract

A microscope includes a base having thereon first optics that image a region that includes a location for a specimen. A method and apparatus involve: removably supporting on the base an illumination module that includes a source of radiation and second optics; and delivering radiation from the source to the location utilizing optical structure embodied entirely within the second optics, including directing radiation traveling from the source to the location through a lens that is part of the second optics.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a microscope that includes:

a base;

first optics supported on said base, and configured to image a region that includes a location for a specimen; and

an illumination module removably supported on said base, said illumination module including a source of radiation, and including second optics that delivers radiation from said source to said location, and that embodies all of the optical structure involved in delivering radiation from said source to said location, said second optics including a lens positioned so that radiation traveling from said source to said location passes through said lens.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second optics includes a filter positioned so that radiation traveling from said source to said location passes through said filter.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said second optics includes a further lens positioned so that radiation traveling from said source to said location passes through said further lens.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein one of said lenses is a collimating lens, the other of said lenses is a focusing lens, and said filter is a bandpass filter, radiation from said source passing successively through said collimating lens, said bandpass filter and said focusing lens.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said illumination module includes:

a thermally-conductive member;

a circuit board having first and second portions that are mutually exclusive, said first portion being adjacent said member and having said source thereon, and said second portion extending away from said member and having an electrical connector thereon, said circuit board electrically coupling said source and said connector;

a thermally-conductive adhesive fixedly coupling said first portion of said circuit board to said member;

a tubular support having one end adjacent said member, said lens being fixedly supported within said tubular support;

an adhesive fixedly securing said end of said tubular support to said member;

a tubular thermal barrier extending around said tubular support; and

an adhesive fixedly securing said thermal barrier to said tubular support.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein said second portion of said circuit board has an opening extending therethrough;

and

including a screw that extends through said opening in said circuit board and engages a threaded opening in said base to fixedly releasably couple said illumination module to said base.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said illumination module includes a heat sink, and a thermally-conductive adhesive fixedly coupling said heat sink to said member.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said second optics includes a filter supported in said tubular support on a side of said lens remote from said source, radiation traveling from said source to said location passing successively through said lens and said filter.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein said lens in said tubular support is a collimating lens;

wherein said illumination module includes a tubular extension having an end adjacent an end of said tubular support remote from said member, and includes an adhesive fixedly securing said end of said tubular extension to said tubular support; and

wherein said second optics includes a focusing lens fixedly supported in said tubular extension and positioned so that radiation traveling from said source to said location passes through said focusing lens.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said base has therein a chamber with access to said location, said base having a wall portion with an opening that extends through said wall portion from said chamber to a region external to said base, said illumination module being removably installed in said opening.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said illumination module includes heat dissipation structure that is disposed in said region external to said base and that dissipates heat from said source.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said illumination module includes a circuit board having said source and an electrical connector thereon, said circuit board electrically coupling said source and said connector, and said connector being located in said region external to said base.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said illumination module has a thermal barrier that resists heat transfer from said illumination module to said base.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1, including a further illumination module removably supported on said base, said further illumination module including a further source of radiation, and including third optics that delivers radiation from said further source to said location and that embodies all of the optical structure involved in delivering radiation from said further source to said location, said third optics including a further lens positioned so that radiation traveling from said further source to said location passes through said further lens, radiation emitted by one of said illumination modules being different from radiation emitted by the other thereof.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said base has therein a chamber with access to said location, said base having a wall portion with two openings that each extend through said wall portion from said chamber to a region external to said base, each of said illumination modules being removably installed in a respective said opening.

16. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said microscope is a fluorescence analysis microscope.

17. A method of operating a microscope that includes a base having thereon first optics that image a region including a location for a specimen, said method comprising:

removably supporting on said base an illumination module that includes a source of radiation and second optics; and

delivering radiation from said source to said location utilizing optical structure embodied entirely within said second optics, said delivering including directing radiation traveling from said source to said location through a lens that is part of said second optics.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said delivering includes causing radiation traveling from said source to said location to pass through a filter and a further lens that are each part of said second optics, one of said lenses being a collimating lens, and the other of said lenses being a focusing lens.

19. A method according to claim 17, including:

removably supporting on said base a further illumination module that includes a further source of radiation and third optics; and

delivering radiation from said further source to said location utilizing optical structure embodied entirely within said third optics, said delivering from said further source including directing radiation traveling from said further source to said location through a further lens that is part of said third optics.

20. A method according to claim 19, including configuring said second and third optics so that radiation emitted by one of said illumination modules is different from radiation emitted by the other thereof.