IP Library Granted Patent US 8,547,633
Granted Patent B2
US 8,547,633 · App. 12/851,183 · Granted Oct 1, 2013

Operating microscope and method for pivoting a co-observer microscope

Inventors: Alfons Abele (Schwaebisch Gmuend, DE); Rupert Demleitner (Heidenheim, DE); Daniel Kolster (Oberkochen, DE)
Assignee: Carl Zeiss Surgical GmbH
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,547,633
App. No.
12/851,183
Granted
Oct 1, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

An operating microscope has a main objective ( 1 ) that extends along an objective plane and is penetrated by a binocular main observer beam path and a binocular co-observer beam path. The binocular main observer beam path has two main observation pupils ( 3 a, 3 b ) in the objective plane with centers on a first straight line ( 7 ). The binocular co-observer beam path has two co-observation pupils ( 5 a, 5 b ) in the objective plane with centers on a second straight line ( 9 ). The first and second straight lines ( 7, 9 ) intersect. The co-observer beam path can be displaced with respect to the main observer beam path so that the angle between the second and first straight line ( 9, 7 ) changes. The center point ( 6 ) between the co-observation pupils ( 5 a, 5 b ) in the objective plane displaces when there is a change in the angle between the second and first imagined straight lines ( 9, 7 ).

Claims (23)

1. An operating microscope comprising:

a binocular main microscope ( 11 ) with a main objective ( 1 ) having an optical axis, an objective plane that is perpendicular to the optical axis and a binocular main observer beam path intersecting the main objective at two main observation pupils ( 3 a , 3 b ) in the objective plane, the main observation pupils having centers interconnected by a first straight line ( 7 ) in the objective plane,

a binocular co-observer microscope ( 13 ) with a binocular co-observer beam path intersecting the main objective at two co-observation pupils ( 5 a , 5 b ) in the objective plane, the co-observation pupils having centers interconnected by a second straight line ( 9 ) in the objective plane, the second straight line ( 9 ) having a center ( 6 ) point between the co-observation pupils,

the first straight line ( 7 ) and the second straight line ( 9 ) intersecting at an angle, and

a displacement arrangement that allows a displacement of at least a part of the co-observation microscope ( 13 ) so that the co-observer beam path displaces with respect to the main observer beam path such that the angle between the second straight line ( 9 ) and the first straight line ( 7 ) changes during the displacement, and so that the center point ( 6 ) between the co-observation pupils ( 5 a , 5 b ) in the objective plane displaces when there is a change in the angle between the second straight line ( 9 ) and the first straight line ( 7 ).

2. The operating microscope of claim 1 , wherein the second imagined straight line ( 9 ) and the first straight line ( 7 ) intersect at an angle of 90° in a first position of the co-observer beam path and the displacement arrangement allows a twisting of the second straight line ( 9 ) with respect to the first imagined straight line ( 7 ) by an angle of at least 5°.

3. The operating microscope of claim 2 , wherein the displacement arrangement is configured to allow displacement of at least a part of the co-observation microscope to achieve both clockwise twisting of the second imagined straight line ( 9 ) with respect to the first imagined straight line ( 7 ) and counterclockwise twisting of the second imagined straight line ( 9 ) with respect to the first imagined straight line ( 7 ).

4. The operating microscope of claim 1 , wherein the displacement of the center point ( 6 ) between the centers of the co-observation pupils ( 5 a , 5 b ) in the objective plane is brought about along a prescribed path.

5. The operating microscope of claim 4 , wherein the prescribed path guides the center point ( 6 ) between the co-observer pupils ( 5 a , 5 b ) around one of the two main observer pupils ( 3 a , 3 b ).

6. The operating microscope of claim 5 , wherein the prescribed path is an elliptical path.

7. The operating microscope of claim 4 , wherein the displacement arrangement has a forced guide ( 21 , 23 ) and a slot guide ( 15 , 19 ), which brings about a displacement of the center point ( 6 ) between the co-observation pupils ( 5 a , 5 b ) in the objective plane along the prescribed path when the second imagined straight line ( 9 ) is twisted with respect to the first imagined straight line ( 7 ).

8. The operating microscope of claim 7 , wherein the binocular main observation beam path of the main microscope ( 11 ) is and a stereoscopic main observer beam path, and the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) is disposed to be pivoted around the optical axis of the main microscope ( 11 ) and the binocular co-observer beam path is a stereoscopic co-observer beam path, wherein

the co-observer beam path is guided out of the main microscope ( 11 ) by at least one light-deflecting element ( 8 a , 8 b ) of the co-observer microscope ( 13 ), and

the main microscope ( 11 ) or the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) has a projection ( 21 ) that interacts with a guide element ( 23 ) of the respective other microscope, wherein the guide element ( 23 ) is designed such that it impresses a translational movement onto the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) during pivoting.

9. The operating microscope of claim 1 , wherein the displacement arrangement has a drive that allows electronically controlled displacement of the co-observer beam path in a plane parallel to the objective plane, and the operating microscope further comprising a control unit ( 25 ) that determines a displaced position of the center point ( 6 ) between the co-observation pupils ( 5 a , 5 b ) for each angle that can be set between the second imagined straight line ( 9 ) and the first imagined straight line ( 7 ).

10. The operating microscope of claim 1 , wherein the main microscope ( 11 ) has a housing ( 33 ) and at least one insert opening ( 35 ) in the housing ( 33 ) for inserting the co-observer microscope ( 13 ), the insert opening having a larger internal dimension in a circumferential direction of the housing ( 33 ) in respect of the optical axis than external dimensions of the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) to be inserted, and so the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) can be inserted into the insert opening in different pivot positions in respect of the optical axis, further comprising spacers that fix the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) in a fixed pivot position in the insert opening ( 35 ) and fix the distance between the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) and the optical axis as a function of the pivot position.

11. The operating microscope of claim 10 , wherein the spacers are adaptor inserts ( 37 ), the external dimensions of which are matched to the internal dimensions of the insert opening ( 35 ) in the housing of the main microscope ( 11 ) such that the adapter inserts can be inserted without play into the insert opening, the adaptor inserts having an adaptor opening ( 39 ) matched to the external dimensions of the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) such that the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) can be inserted without play into the adaptor opening, and the adaptor inserts being equipped with a stop ( 41 ) that fixes how far the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) can be inserted into the adaptor opening ( 39 ), the adapter inserts comprising at least two adaptor inserts ( 37 ) that differ from one another in the position of their adaptor opening ( 39 ) and the depth of their stops ( 41 ) in the respective adaptor opening ( 39 ).

12. The operating microscope of claim 1 , further comprising an illumination arrangement for 0°-illumination or coaxial illumination of an observation object.

13. A method for adjusting an operating microscope that has a main microscope ( 11 ) with a main objective ( 1 ) that has an optical axis, an objective plane that is perpendicular to the optical axis and a stereoscopic main observer beam path intersecting the main objective at two main observation pupils ( 3 a , 3 b ) in the objective plane, the main observation pupils having centers interconnected by a first straight line ( 7 ) in the objective plane, and a co-observer microscope ( 13 ) having a stereoscopic co-observer beam path intersecting the main objective at two co-observation pupils ( 5 a , 5 b ) in the objective plane, the co-observation pupils ( 5 a , 5 b ) having centers interconnected by a second straight line ( 9 ) in the objective plane, the first imagined straight line ( 7 ) and the second straight line ( 9 ) intersect at an angle, the method comprising: displacing the center point ( 6 ) between the co-observation pupils ( 5 a , 5 b ) the objective plane when pivoting the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) around the optical axis of the main objective ( 1 ).

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein displacement of the center point ( 6 ) between the co-observation pupils ( 5 a , 5 b ) in the objective plane is brought about along a prescribed path.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the prescribed path guides the center point ( 6 ) between the co-observer pupils ( 5 a , 5 b ) around one of the two main observer pupils ( 3 a , 3 b ).

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the prescribed path is an elliptical path.

17. An adaptor insert ( 37 ) for the operating microscope of claim 12 , wherein external dimensions of the adaptor insert ( 37 ) are matched to internal dimensions of an insert opening ( 35 ) in the housing of the main microscope ( 11 ) such that the adaptor insert ( 37 ) can be inserted without play into the insert opening, and the adaptor insert ( 37 ) has an adaptor opening ( 39 ) matched to the external dimensions of the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) such that the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) can be inserted without play into the adaptor opening ( 39 ), and the adaptor opening ( 39 ) is equipped with a stop ( 41 ) that fixes how far the co-observer microscope ( 13 ) can be inserted into the adaptor opening ( 39 ).

Assignments (2)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 18, 2014
From: CARL ZEISS SURGICAL GMBH; CARL ZEISS MEDITEC AG
To: CARL ZEISS MEDITEC AG
Reel/Frame 033360/0958 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2010
From: ABELE, ALFONS; DEMLEITNER, RUPERT; KOLSTER, DANIEL
To: CARL ZEISS SURGICAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 025139/0109 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2009 037 022 · Aug 7, 2009 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20110032607A1 · Feb 10, 2011