IP Library Granted Patent US 10,746,978
Granted Patent B2
US 10,746,978 · App. 15/872,149 · Granted Aug 18, 2020

Optical system, immersion liquid holder and observation device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,746,978
App. No.
15/872,149
Granted
Aug 18, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An immersion liquid holder 2 is an immersion liquid holder that is used for an observation device 10 for observing sample S by using an immersion method, and includes a supporting member 2 b configured to support an absorption member 3 that has absorbed an immersion liquid and a connection unit 2 c configured to relatively fix the absorption member 3 that has absorbed the immersion liquid with respect to an optical system, which is an optical system included in the observation device 10 , and to fix the absorption member 3 on an optical path of the optical system 1 , by fixing the supporting member 2 b to the observation device 10.

Claims (17)

1. An immersion liquid holder that is configured to be used for an observation device for observing a sample by using an immersion method, the immersion liquid holder comprising:

a supporting member configured to support an absorption member that has absorbed an immersion liquid; and

a connection unit configured to relatively fix the absorption member that has absorbed the immersion liquid with respect to an optical system included in the observation device and to fix the absorption member on an optical path of the optical system, by fixing the supporting member to the observation device.

2. The immersion liquid holder according to claim 1 , wherein the absorption member that has absorbed the immersion liquid is an elastic body.

3. The immersion liquid holder according to claim 2 , wherein a space is formed between the supporting member and the optical system in a state in which the supporting member is fixed to the observation device by the connection unit, the space being capable of accommodating the absorption member that has absorbed the immersion liquid, and the absorption member that has absorbed the immersion liquid being deformable by an elastic force.

4. The immersion liquid holder according to claim 3 , wherein the space and an outside of the supporting member are in communication through the supporting member.

5. The immersion liquid holder according to claim 2 , wherein the supporting member is configured to be arranged outside the optical path of the optical system and is configured not to block light traveling through the optical system.

6. The immersion liquid holder according to claim 2 , wherein the absorption member that has absorbed the immersion liquid has a shape projecting toward the sample beyond the supporting member when the supporting member supports the absorption member that has absorbed the immersion liquid.

7. The immersion liquid holder according to claim 2 , wherein the supporting member is formed by a flexible film having an elastic force.

8. The immersion liquid holder according to claim 2 , further comprising:

an immersion liquid supplying mechanism configured to supply additional immersion liquid to the absorption member that has absorbed the immersion liquid.

9. The immersion liquid holder according to claim 8 , wherein the immersion liquid supplying mechanism includes a flexible pipe configured to supply the additional immersion liquid to the absorption member that has absorbed the immersion liquid.

10. The immersion liquid holder according to claim 9 , wherein the supporting member supports the pipe.

11. An observation device for observing a sample by using an immersion method, the observation device comprising:

an optical system; and

the immersion liquid holder according to claim 2 .

12. The observation device according to claim 11 , wherein the immersion liquid holder includes the absorption member that has not absorbed the immersion liquid in advance.

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 Jan 16, 2018
From: BRINKMAN, BRENDAN; SHIMADA, YOSHIHIRO; NISHIWAKI, DAISUKE
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044626/0923 →