IP Library Granted Patent US 10,534,163
Granted Patent B2
US 10,534,163 · App. 15/824,399 · Granted Jan 14, 2020

Microscope device, microscope system, and illumination device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,534,163
App. No.
15/824,399
Granted
Jan 14, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A microscope device includes: an illumination optical system that has an illumination optical axis; and an observation optical system that has an observation optical axis. The illumination optical system includes a first scanning device that moves a condensing position in which the illumination light is condensed in a direction that is substantially parallel to the illumination optical axis. The first scanning device includes: a rotary mirror that includes a reflection surface; and a condenser lens that is arranged so as to irradiate the reflection surface with the illumination light and to receive the illumination light reflected by the reflection surface. The rotary mirror is rotationally moved or rotated in such a way that a distance between the condenser lens and the reflection surface on an optical axis of the condenser lens changes.

Claims (54)

1. A microscope device comprising:

an illumination optical system that has an illumination optical axis and that irradiates an observation object with illumination light; and

an observation optical system that has an observation optical axis that has a direction different from the illumination optical axis and that projects an image of the observation object onto an imaging device, wherein

the illumination optical system includes a first scanning device that moves a condensing position in which the illumination light emitted from the illumination optical system is condensed in a direction that is substantially parallel to the illumination optical axis,

the first scanning device includes:

a rotary mirror that includes a reflection surface; and

a condenser lens that is arranged so as to irradiate the reflection surface with the illumination light and to receive the illumination light reflected by the reflection surface, and

the first scanning device rotationally moves or rotates the rotary mirror in such a way that a distance between the condenser lens and the reflection surface on an optical axis of the condenser lens changes.

2. The microscope device according to claim 1 , wherein

the condenser lens is arranged in such a way that the illumination light is condensed near the reflection surface.

3. The microscope device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first scanning device rotationally moves or rotates the rotary mirror at a constant speed.

4. The microscope device according to claim 2 , wherein

the first scanning device rotationally moves or rotates the rotary mirror at a constant speed.

5. The microscope device according to claim 1 , wherein

the rotary mirror is a galvanometer mirror.

6. The microscope device according to claim 2 , wherein

the rotary mirror is a galvanometer mirror.

7. The microscope device according to claim 1 , wherein

the rotary mirror includes a plurality of reflection surfaces.

8. The microscope device according to claim 2 , wherein

the rotary mirror includes a plurality of reflection surfaces.

9. The microscope device according to claim 1 , wherein

a direction of a rotation axis of the rotary mirror corresponds to a direction that is parallel to the observation optical axis.

10. The microscope device according to claim 2 , wherein

a direction of a rotation axis of the rotary mirror corresponds to a direction that is parallel to the observation optical axis.

11. The microscope device according to claim 3 , wherein

a direction of a rotation axis of the rotary mirror corresponds to a direction that is parallel to the observation optical axis.

12. The microscope device according to claim 4 , wherein

a direction of a rotation axis of the rotary mirror corresponds to a direction that is parallel to the observation optical axis.

13. The microscope device according to claim 1 , wherein

the illumination optical system further includes a second scanning device that moves the condensing position in a direction that is orthogonal to the illumination optical axis.

14. The microscope device according to claim 13 , wherein

the second scanning device is a galvanometer mirror.

15. The microscope device according to claim 13 , wherein

the second scanning device is a resonant scanner.

16. The microscope device according to claim 13 , wherein

the illumination optical system further includes a stop that is arranged between the second scanning device and the condensing position.

17. The microscope device according to claim 13 , wherein

the illumination optical axis is orthogonal to the observation optical axis, and

the second scanning device moves the condensing position in a direction that is orthogonal to the illumination optical axis and the observation optical axis.

18. The microscope device according to claim 17 , further comprising:

an observation object movement device that moves the observation object in a direction that is parallel to the observation optical axis.

19. A microscope system comprising:

the microscope device according to claim 1 ; and

a computing device that generates image data of a three-dimensional image of the observation object in accordance with an image signal output from the imaging device, wherein

the microscope device further includes the imaging device that images the observation object and that outputs the image signal.

20. An illumination device comprising:

an illumination optical system that irradiates an observation object with illumination light, wherein

the illumination optical system includes a first scanning device that moves a condensing position in which the illumination light emitted from the illumination optical system is condensed in a direction that is substantially parallel to an illumination optical axis of the illumination optical system,

the first scanning device includes:

a rotary mirror that includes a reflection surface; and

a condenser lens that is arranged so as to irradiate the reflection surface with the illumination light and to receive the illumination light reflected by the reflection surface, and

the first scanning device rotationally moves or rotates the rotary mirror in such a way that a distance between the condenser lens and the reflection surface on an optical axis of the condenser lens changes.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2023
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: EVIDENT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062492/0267 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 28, 2017
From: HAYASHI, SHINICHI
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044237/0736 →