IP Library Granted Patent US 8,350,904
Granted Patent B2
US 8,350,904 · App. 12/578,912 · Granted Jan 8, 2013

Microscope for virtual-slide creating system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,350,904
App. No.
12/578,912
Granted
Jan 8, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A microscope for virtual-slide creating system has a stage for holding the specimen, a transmitted-light illumination optical system for illuminating the specimen with transmitted light, an objective, a tube lens and an image capture unit. The objective is configured as a dry system of infinity-corrected type with an object-side numerical aperture of 0.8 or greater and a focal length for d-line rays in a range from 8 to 20 mm. The tube lens has a focal length in a range from 160 to 280 mm. The image capture surface of the image capture unit has a long side of 12 mm or longer and a pixel size (μm) satisfying the following condition: a (μm)≦(0.61×0.59 (μ/m))/ NA′ where a is the pixel size, and NA′ is an image-side numerical aperture.

Claims (34)

1. A microscope for virtual-slide creating system, which creates a virtual slide of a system, comprising:

a stage for holding the specimen;

a transmitted-light illumination optical system for illuminating the specimen with transmitted light;

an objective;

a tube lens;

a magnification Varying optical system used in combination with the tube lens;

and an image capture unit, wherein the objective is configured as a dry system of infinity-corrected type with an object-side numerical aperture NA of 0.8 or greater and a focal length for d-line rays within a range from 8 mm to 20 mm, wherein the tube lens has a focal length for d-line rays within a range from 160 mm to 280 mm, and wherein an image capture surface of the image capture unit has a long side of 12 mm or longer and a pixel size (μm) satisfying the following condition:

b (μm)≦(0.61×0.59 (μm))/ NA′ h

where b is the pixel size, and NA′ h is an image-side numerical aperture at a highest-magnification position.

2. A microscope for virtual-slide creating system according to claim 1 , wherein the magnification varying optical system is configured so that a magnification is changeable to a predetermined value within a range from 1.5× to 4×.

3. A microscope for virtual-slide creating system according to claim 1 , wherein the image capture unit is a CCD camera.

4. A microscope for virtual-slide creating system according to claim 1 , wherein the image capture unit is a TDI camera.

5. A microscope for virtual-slide creating system according to claim 1 , wherein the image capture unit is a line sensor camera.

6. A microscope for virtual-slide creating system, which is used for a virtual-slide creating system that creates a virtual slide of a specimen, comprising:

a stage for holding the specimen;

a transmitted-light illumination optical system for illuminating the specimen with transmitted light;

an image forming optical system;

a magnification varying optical system used in combination with the image forming optical system; and

an image capture unit, wherein the image forming optical system is configured as a dry system with a total magnification within a range from 8× to 35× and an object-side numerical aperture NA of 0.8 or greater, and wherein the image capture unit has an image capture surface with a long side of 12 mm or longer and a pixel size (μm) satisfying the following condition:

b (μm)≦(0.61×0.59 (μm))/ NA′ h

where b is the pixel size, and NA′ h is an image-side numerical aperture at a highest-magnification position.

7. A microscope for virtual-slide creating system according to claim 6 , wherein the magnification varying optical system is configured so that a magnification is changeable to a predetermined value within a range from 1.5× to 4×.

8. A microscope for virtual-slide creating system according to claim 6 , wherein the image capture unit is a CCD camera.

9. A microscope for virtual-slide creating system according to claim 6 , wherein the image capture unit is a TDI camera.

10. A microscope for virtual-slide creating, system according to claim 6 , wherein the image capture unit is a line sensor camera.

11. A microscope for virtual-slide creating system, which is used for a virtual-slide creating system that creates a virtual slide of a specimen, comprising;

a stage for holding the specimen;

a transmitted-light illumination optical system for illuminating the specimen with transmitted light;

an objective;

a tube lens;

a magnification varying optical system used in combination with the tube lens; and

an image capture unit, wherein the objective is configured as a dry system of infinity-corrected type with an object-side numerical aperture NA of 0.8 or greater, a focal length for d-line rays within a range from 8 mm to 20 mm, and a distance from an object surface to a rearmost lens surface in a range from 55 mm to 95 mm, wherein the tube lens has a focal length for d-line rays within a range from 160 mm to 280 mm, wherein the magnification varying optical system is configured so that a magnification is changeable to a predetermined value in a range from 1.5× to 4×, and wherein the image capture unit has an image capture surface with a long side of 12 mm or longer and a pixel size (μm) satisfying the following condition:

b (μm)≦(0.61×0.59 (μm))/ NA′ h

where b is the pixel size, and NA′ h is an image-side numerical aperture at a highest-magnification position.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2023
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: EVIDENT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062492/0267 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jun 27, 2016
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 039344/0502 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2009
From: FUJIMOTO, YASUSHI; KAWANO, YOSHIHIRO
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 023370/0799 →