Microscope system with a beam hub unit having a beam multiplexer for alternatively selecting beam ports

1. A microscope system, comprising:

an objective lens defining a central optical axis of the microscope system;

an optical beam hub unit having a center coinciding with said central optical axis, a plurality of optical beam ports arranged in a 45 degrees raster radially around said central optical axis, a beam multiplexer system arranged in the center of the hub unit, and means for rotating the beam multiplexer system around said central optical axis in a 45 degrees raster with respect to said central optical axis for alternatively selecting at least one of the beam ports;

wherein said optical beam ports include at least two elements selected from the group consisting of input ports, output ports and dual input/output ports.

2. The microscope system according to claim 1 , wherein said beam ports include at least one input port or at least one dual input/output port.

3. The microscope system according to claim 1 , wherein the beam multiplexer system serves to establish a beam path between the selected at least one of the optical beam port and said central optical axis.

4. The microscope system according to claim 1 , wherein the microscope system has an octagonal symmetry regarding the central optical axis.

5. The microscope system according to claim 1 , wherein the beam multiplexer system is selected from the group consisting of beam splitters, mirrors and frilly transmitting elements.

6. The microscope system according to claim 1 , wherein the beam multiplexer system comprises a dichroic beamsplitter.

7. The microscope system according to claim 1 , wherein the beam multiplexer system comprises an at least partially reflecting planar surface which is oriented at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the central optical axis.

8. The microscope system according to claim 1 , wherein the beam multiplexer system comprises a beam splitter having an at least partially reflecting planer surface, which is oriented parallel to the central optical axis.

9. The microscope system according to claim 8 , wherein the beam multiplexer system comprises a beam deflecting element adapted for deflecting an optical beam on the central optical axis into a direction perpendicular to the central optical axis towards the beam splitter for passage to one of the beam ports via the beam splitter, and wherein said beam deflecting element is also adapted to deflect an optical beam oriented perpendicular to the central optical axis and passing from one of the beam ports via the beam splitter to the deflecting element into a direction coinciding with the central optical axis.

10. The microscope system according to claim 9 , wherein said beam deflecting element is rotatable around the central optical axis for said selection of at least one of the beam ports.

11. The microscope system according to claim 8 , wherein said beam splitter is rotatable around the central optical axis for said selection of at least one of the beam ports.

12. A microscope system according to claim 1 , wherein said at least two elements selected from the group consisting of input ports, output ports and dual input/output ports comprises input ports, and wherein at least part of the input ports is for epi-illumination of a sample.

13. A microscope system according to claim 1 , wherein said at least two elements selected from the group consisting of input ports, output ports and dual input/output ports comprises output ports, and wherein at least part of the output ports is for imaging a sample on a plurality of detectors, each of said output ports being associated to one of the detectors.

14. A microscope system according to claim 1 , wherein said at least two elements selected from the group consisting of input ports, output ports and dual input/output ports comprises dual input/output ports, and wherein at least part of the dual input/output ports is for a confocal setup.

15. A microscope system comprising

an objective lens defining a central optical axis of the microscope system;

an optical beam hub unit having a center coinciding with said central optical axis, a plurality of optical beam ports arranged radially around said central optical axis, a beam multiplexer system arranged in the center of the hub unit and means for operating said multiplexer system for alternatively selecting at least one of the optical beam ports in a 45 degrees raster;

wherein said beam ports include at least one input port or at least one dual input/output port;

wherein said beam multiplexer system comprises a plurality of different beam multiplexer elements and means for placing alternatively each one of said beam multiplexer elements in the center of the hub unit for alternatively selecting each one of the beam ports;

wherein said means for placing comprises a slider carrying the beam multiplexer elements, said slider being movable in a direction perpendicular to the central optical axis;

wherein at least one of the beam ports is oriented at an angle of 45 degrees with regard to said movement direction of said slider,

wherein at least some of the beam multiplexer elements are dichroic, and

wherein at least two of the dichroic beam multiplexer elements are for selecting the same one of the beam ports, but have a different wavelength selectivity.

16. The microscope system according to claim 15 , wherein the respective beam multiplexer element serves to establish a beam path between the selected optical beam port and said central optical axis.

17. A microscope system according to claim 15 , wherein said means for placing alternatively each one of a plurality of different beam multiplexer elements into the center of the hub unit comprises a carousel carrying the beam multiplexer elements, said carousel being rotatable around its center.

18. The microscope system according to claim 17 , wherein each beam multiplexer element is adapted to be mounted at the carousel in at least two different orientations.

19. The microscope system according to claim 15 , wherein the microscope system has an octagonal symmetry relative to the central optical axis.

20. The microscope system according to claim 15 , wherein the beam multiplexer elements are selected from the group consisting of beam splitters, mirrors and fully transmitting elements.

21. The microscope system according to claim 15 , wherein at least some of the beam multiplexer elements are dichroic.

22. The microscope system according to claim 15 , wherein at least some of the beam multiplexer elements comprise an at least partially reflecting plane surface which is oriented at an angle of 45° with respect to the central optical axis.

23. The microscope system according to claim 15 , wherein at least some of the beam multiplexer elements comprise a beam splitter having an at least partially reflecting plane surface which is oriented parallel to the central optical axis.

24. The microscope system according to claim 23 , wherein the beam multiplexer system comprises a beam deflecting element adapted for deflecting an optical beam on the central optical axis into a direction perpendicular to the central optical axis towards the beam splitter for passage to one of the beam ports via the beam splitter, and wherein said beam deflecting element is also adapted to deflect an optical beam oriented perpendicular to the central optical axis and passing from one of the beam ports via the beam splitter to the deflecting element into a direction coinciding with the central optical axis.

25. A microscope system according to claim 15 , wherein said at least one input port or at least one dual input/output port comprises input ports; and

wherein at least part of the input ports is for epi-illumination of a sample.

26. A microscope system according to claim 15 , wherein said at least one input port or at least one dual input/output port comprises dual input/output ports, and wherein at least part of the output ports of the dual input/output ports is for imaging a sample on a plurality of detectors, each of said output ports being associated to one of the detectors.

27. A microscope system according to claim 15 , wherein said at least one input port or at least one dual input/output port comprises dual input/output ports, and wherein at least part of the dual input/output ports is for a confocal setup.

28. A microscope system comprising

an objective lens defining a central optical axis of the microscope system;

a plurality of optical beam hub units arranged on the same side of the objective lens, each having a center coinciding with said central optical axis, a plurality of optical beam ports arranged radially around said central optical axis, a beam multiplexer system arranged in the center of the hub unit, and means for operating said multiplexer system for alternatively selecting at least one of the beam ports;

wherein said optical beam hub units are stacked along said central optical axis, and

wherein said beam ports of each optical beam hub unit include at least two elements selected from the group consisting of input ports, output ports and dual input/output ports.

29. The microscope system according to claim 28 , wherein said means for operating said multiplexer system comprise one of a means for rotating a beam multiplexer element arranged in the center of the hub unit around said central optical axis and a means for placing alternatively one of a plurality of different beam multiplexer elements into the center of the hub unit.

30. The microscope system according to claim 29 , wherein the respective beam multiplexer element serves to establish a beam path between the selected optical beam port and said central optical axis or between the selected optical beam port and another one of said plurality of beam ports of the same hub unit or between the centers of two adjacent ones of said plurality of hub units.

31. A microscope system according to claim 29 , wherein said means for placing alternatively each one of a plurality of different beam multiplexer elements into the center of the hub unit comprises a carousel carrying the beam multiplexer elements, said carousel being rotatable around its center.

32. A microscope system according to claim 31 , wherein each beam multiplexer element is adapted to be mounted at the carousel in at least two different orientations.

33. A microscope system according to claim 31 , wherein said means for rotating said beam multiplexer element comprises a driving motor.

34. A microscope system according to claim 29 , wherein each beam multiplexer element is selected from the group consisting of beam splitters, mirrors and fully transmitting elements.

35. The microscope system according to claim 28 , wherein said means for operating said multiplexer system comprise a means for placing alternatively each one of a plurality of different beam multiplexer elements into the center of the hub unit, and wherein said means for placing comprises a slider carrying the beam multiplexer elements, said slider being movable in a direction perpendicular to the central optical axis.

36. A microscope system according to claim 35 , wherein each beam multiplexer element is adapted to be mounted on the slider in at least two different orientations.

37. A microscope system according to claim 28 , wherein the microscope system has an octagonal symmetry regarding the central optical axis.

38. A microscope system according to claim 28 , wherein at least one of the beam multiplexer elements is dichroic.

39. A microscope system according to claim 28 , wherein at least one of the beam multiplexer elements comprise an at least partially reflecting plane surface, which is oriented at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the central optical axis.

40. A microscope system according to claim 28 , wherein at least one of the beam multiplexer elements comprises an at least partially reflecting plane surface, which is oriented parallel to the central optical axis.

41. A microscope system according to claim 28 , wherein the ports of that hub unit which is closest to the objective lens, comprise at least two input ports or at least two dual input/output ports or at least one input port and at least one dual input/output port.

42. A microscope system according to claim 28 , wherein said at least two elements selected from the group consisting of input ports, output ports and dual input/output ports comprises input ports, and wherein at least part of the input ports is for epi-illumination of a sample.

43. A microscope system according to claim 28 , wherein said at least two elements selected from the group consisting of input ports, output ports and dual input/output ports comprises output ports, and wherein at least part of the output ports is for imaging a sample on a plurality of detectors, each of said output ports being associated to one of the detectors.

44. A microscope system according to claim 28 , wherein said at least two elements selected from the group consisting of input ports, output ports and dual input/output ports comprises dual input/output ports, and wherein at least part of the dual input/output ports is for a confocal setup.