Immersion microscope objective

• US 5,502,596 A
• Filed: 11/19/1993
• Issued: 03/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAPALAS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US08/154,556
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 359/656, 359/657, 359/658, 359/659
• US Class Current: 359/657
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/02 Objectives

Abstract

An apochromat-class immersion microscope objective having a magnification of about 40, a NA of about 1.0, and a satisfactorily flattened image field. The microscope objective includes a first lens unit G1 of positive refractive power which has a cemented lens composed of a plano-convex lens and a meniscus lens having a strong concave surface directed toward the object side, a second lens unit G2 having a cemented lens composed of three lens elements, that is, negative, positive and negative lenses, a third lens unit G3 having a cemented lens, a fourth lens unit G4 including a cemented meniscus lens having a strong concave surface directed toward the image side, and a fifth lens unit G5 including a cemented meniscus lens composed of a negative lens and a positive lens and having a strong concave surface directed toward the object side. The microscope objective satisfies conditions concerning the refractive index difference between the first and fifth lens units, the focal lengths of the first and fourth lens units, and the back focus of the entire system.

Claims

1. A microscope objective having an object side, comprising, in order from the object side:

a first lens unit of positive refractive power including a cemented lens comprising a plano-convex lens and a meniscus lens including a concave surface directed toward the object side;

a second lens unit including a cemented lens comprising three lens elements a negative lens element, a positive lens element, and a negative lens element;

a third lens unit including a cemented lens;

a fourth lens unit including a cemented meniscus lens comprising a concave surface directed toward an image side of said microscope objective; and

a fifth lens unit including a cemented meniscus lens comprising a negative lens and a positive lens and comprising a concave surface directed toward the object side;

wherein said microscope objective satisfies the following conditions;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">n.sub.2 -n.sub.1 >

0.1 (1)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">n.sub.13 -n.sub.12 >

0.15 (2)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">f/f.sub.1 >

0.65 (3)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f/f.sub.4 |<

0.2 (4)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">-0.8<

F.sub.B /D<

-0.3 (5)

wherein n₁ and n₂ are the respective refractive indices of the plano-convex lens and the meniscus lens having a concave surface directed toward the object side in said first lens unit;

wherein n₁₂ and n₁₃ are the respective refractive indices of the negative and positive lenses in said fifth lens unit;

wherein f₁, f₄ and f are the respective focal lengths of said first lens unit, said fourth lens unit and the microscope objective;

wherein F_B is back focus of the microscope objective; and

wherein D is distance from a first lens surface of the microscope objective to a final lens surface of the microscope objective.

2. A microscope objective according to claim 1, wherein said first lens unit further includes a meniscus lens having a concave surface directed toward the object side, and a positive lens.

3. An immersion microscope objective having an object side, comprising, in order from the object side:

a plano-convex cemented lens including a plano-convex lens and a meniscus lens including a concave surface directed toward the object side;

a plurality of single lenses;

a cemented lens including a negative lens, a positive lens, and a negative lens;

a second cemented lens; and

two lenses including concave surfaces and which face each other,

wherein said immersion microscope objective satisfies the following conditions;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">n.sub.2 -n.sub.1 >

0.1 (1)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">-0.8<

F.sub.B /D<

-0.3 (5)

wherein n₁ and n₂ are the respective refractive indices of the plano-convex lens and the meniscus lens having a concave surface directed toward the object side;

wherein F_B is back focus of the immersion microscope objective;

wherein D is distance from a first lens surface of the microscope objective to a final lens surface of the microscope objective; and

wherein said two lenses whose concave surfaces face each other include a lens comprising a concave surface directed toward an image side of said microscope objective, and a cemented lens including a positive lens and a negative lens and having a concave surface directed toward the object side, and satisfying the following conditions;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">n.sub.13 -n.sub.12 >

0.15 (2)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f/f.sub.4 |<

0.2 (4)

wherein n₁₂ and n₁₃ are the respective refractive indices of the negative and positive lenses of said cemented lens;

wherein f₄ is the focal length of said lens having a concave surface directed toward the image side; and

wherein f is the focal length of the entire system.