CN212569274U

CN212569274U - Accessory device and microscope

Info

Publication number: CN212569274U
Application number: CN202021015894.9U
Authority: CN
Inventors: G·穆勒; N·朗霍尔兹; J·费希蒂
Original assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
Current assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
Priority date: 2019-06-14
Filing date: 2020-06-05
Publication date: 2021-02-19
Anticipated expiration: 2030-06-05
Also published as: DE102019208720A1

Abstract

The utility model relates to an annex device and microscope. The accessory device is used for an LED annular lighting device of a microscope objective and comprises an optical element and a holder, wherein the optical element is used for exerting influence on the characteristics of the illumination light emitted by the annular lighting device; the holder is used for positioning the optical element relative to the annular lighting device. The optical element comprises a plurality of the following single elements, either singly or in combination: a diffusing mirror, a grey filter, a colour filter, a polarizing filter.

Description

Accessory device and microscope

Technical Field

The utility model relates to an annex device and a microscope that is used for LED annular lighting device of microscope objective.

Background

A multiplicity of ring illuminators and microscope objectives, such as aperture optics, filter optics and diffuser optics, are known from the prior art as accessory device optics for microscope illuminators.

For digital microscopes as well as stereomicroscopes and zoom microscopes, LED ring illuminators are used as standard vertical illuminators. The LEDs are formed to be critically illuminated on the object and thus imaged in the image based on the configuration, and the illumination of the pattern is not uniform. This leads to a loss of image quality and automatic image analysis, especially in the case of high-reflectivity patterns. Diffusers are known to minimize and attenuate these reflections and to make the illumination more uniform. However, this is always accompanied by a loss of brightness, so that a compromise must be reached between the diffusing effect and the brightness.

Document DE 102012207725 a1 describes an annular illumination system with a plurality of light sources and a cylindrical light mixture with a homogeneous light distribution. In order to adapt the annular illumination system to different illumination purposes, an aperture adjustment ring is provided which forms an adjustable aperture diameter by varying different geometric parameters.

An LED lighting module for a microscope is known from DE 102016015870 a1, which has a light diffuser which is arranged behind the LED on the optical axis in the beam direction and produces a weakened LED image on the optical axis by diffusion.

Document DE 102009017710 a1 discloses a device and a method for ensuring a constant illumination intensity when the color temperature changes. The weakening means and the spectral filter means are exchanged with each other. As weakening element, the weakening device can in principle comprise all types of optical elements which reduce the intensity of the light without changing the spectrum of the light. Possible weakening elements are, for example, medium-density filters, dielectric neutral filters or apertures.

Document DE 10352040 a1 discloses electronically controllable apertures and filters which can be changed very rapidly in terms of geometry, optical properties and/or position by suitable arrangement of an array with locally controllable elements.

It is therefore known to provide a diffuser or filter in front of the lighting device. However, due to the wide variety of samples, homogenization and reflection removal are not optimal for each sample, each microscope setting (e.g., illumination, zoom setting, and lens selection). For example, with different microscope settings and samples, the object field size, working distance, and microscope magnification will all vary. Therefore, the effect of the diffusion mirror differs depending on the setting and the sample.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

It is therefore an object of the present invention to adapt the illumination properties of the LED ring illumination device of a microscope objective to different influences of the sample and the settings on the microscope in a simple and inexpensive manner.

According to the utility model discloses an annex device for LED annular lighting device of microscope objective includes: an optical element for exerting an influence on a characteristic of the illumination light emitted by the annular illumination device; and a holder for positioning the optical element relative to the annular lighting device.

The optical element may comprise a plurality of single elements of the same or different types, which preferably form an optical element group. The different types of elements may be: diffuse mirrors, grey-scale filters, colour filters, gradient filters and polarisation filters. In other words, the optical element comprises a plurality of the following single elements, either singly or in combination: a diffusing mirror, a grey filter, a colour filter, a polarizing filter.

Advantageously, depending on the application and configuration of the microscope, the element set can be constructed simply by placing the desired elements in the accessory device.

In a particularly simple embodiment, the single element is a diffuse mirror with a certain basic effect, which is sufficient for most applications.

If for some applications, for example strong reflection against a light background, a stronger diffusing effect or other optical effect is required, this can be achieved by manually stacking further single elements of the above-described type.

Additionally or alternatively, other optical glasses with a defined optical effect can also be used as a single element.

The diffusion effect of the diffusing mirror can be specified during manufacture by the number and/or size of the diffusion centers. Preferably, the diffusing mirror comprises a different number and/or a different size of diffusing centers.

In a preferred embodiment, the element group has three or more diffusing mirrors, each of which may have the same or different diffusing action.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the optical element is or comprises an electronically controllable unit element having an electronic interface. With this solution, for example in connection with digital microscopes, it is possible to dynamically improve the imaging quality by adjusting the electronically controllable single element according to the microscope settings and possibly the image analysis. Preferably, the optical element is of annular design and has a central opening for the passage of sample light to the microscope objective.

A microscope according to the present invention may include an objective lens having the above-described accessory device. The microscope objective has an LED ring illuminator.

The present invention also relates to a method for operating an accessory device that includes an electronically operable unit and is mounted on a microscope.

The method comprises the following steps: detecting the microscope setting; preselecting the unit's presets according to the detected microscope settings and transmitting the presets to the unit's electronically steerable interface.

The method may further include the capture of a single image and evaluation of the signal technique, and the alteration of the setting of the element is triggered based on the evaluation. Machine learning techniques may be used for this purpose.

Drawings

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Shown here are:

fig. 1 shows a schematic spatial view of a preferred embodiment of an accessory device according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a unit element according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal section through the accessory device according to fig. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic of a microscope with an accessory device having an electronically steerable single element.

Detailed Description

A preferred embodiment of the accessory device 100 is described below with reference to fig. 1-3. Like reference numerals refer to like parts. Fig. 1 shows a schematic spatial view of an accessory device 100 for a microscope objective with an LED ring illumination. The attachment device 100 comprises an annular base body 101 with a fastening element, which is designed in this embodiment as a collar 102. The collar 102 is formed by a slit 103 extending partially around the base 101 and an interruption 104 extending from the edge of the base 101 to the slit 103. At the interruption 104 of the collar 102, two threaded flanges 106 are provided, to which threaded flanges 106 fastening screws 106 are mounted.

Of course, other known fastening means may be provided, such as a snap-lock connection or other suitable connection.

A circumferential support edge 111 is provided in the bearing 110 facing away from the collar 102. In the example according to fig. 3, the support 110 carries three annular

single elements

120, 121, 122 having different optical properties, as shown with different hatching. Each unit element has a central opening 130 for passage of an observation beam path through the microscope objective.

The collar 102 can be fixed to the outer wall of a microscope objective, not shown, in the following manner: the inserted

single elements

120, 121, 122 cover the LED ring illuminator of the microscope objective (not shown).

Depending on the sample and possible microscope setup, the technician can manually configure the number and selection of elements as desired.

In another preferred embodiment, schematically illustrated in fig. 4 and referred to hereinafter, the accessory device 100 comprises an electronically controllable unit which can be identified and manipulated using an electronic interface.

Microscope 400 includes a support 401, an object stage 402, a microscope housing 403, and an objective lens 404 with an accessory device 100.

The support 400 is preferably pivotable about a pivot axis 410. The holder carries a microscope housing 403 in which microscope components, such as an illumination device, a zoom lens, a control device, an image acquisition device and an image processing device (Optical Engine), etc., can be arranged in a known manner. The microscope may also include an externally attachable camera 420.

A control unit 430 and an operation display unit 431 are additionally provided. The operation display unit 431 may be a computer or an operation panel with a display. An eyepiece for directly displaying a microscope image may also be provided.

The specimen 440 is arranged on the stage 402 and can be moved in a known manner relative to the objective 404, as indicated by the movement arrow 450.

The microscope components cooperate in a manner known to the skilled person, and a detailed description is therefore omitted here.

The control unit 420 is used to control the microscope components (signal connections-thin lines in fig. 4). In the embodiments described herein, the electronically controllable element is, for example, an electronically steerable variable adaptive diffuser whose diffusion is related to the specifically provided and detected microscope settings (e.g., illumination, objective, zoom level, etc.).

For example, for an objective lens with a larger working distance or at a high zoom level, the required diffusion is lower than for an objective lens with a smaller working distance or at a low zoom level.

Other electronically controllable single elements may be, for example, an LCD panel, a grayscale or color filter, a gradient filter, etc.

However, it is also possible to manipulate the unit element in the following manner, for example by evaluating an overview image or a microscope image on the signal technology: for example in terms of exposure time and illumination. Alternatively, if many reflections are visible in the captured image, the single element settings may be altered. Machine learning methods may also be used to evaluate images.

Claims

1. An accessory device for an LED ring illuminator for a microscope objective and comprising:

an optical element for influencing a property of the illumination light emitted by the annular illumination device;

a holder for positioning the optical element relative to the annular lighting device;

characterized in that the optical element comprises a plurality of single elements, in single form or in combined form, of the following single elements: a diffusing mirror, a grey filter, a colour filter, a polarizing filter.

2. The accessory device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of units form an optical group of elements.

3. The accessory device of claim 2, wherein the set of optical elements includes more than three diffusive mirrors.

4. An accessory device according to claim 3, characterized in that the diffusing mirrors comprise a different number and/or a different size of diffusing centres.

5. The accessory device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the optical element comprises an electronically controllable unit having an electronic interface.

6. The attachment device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the optical element is designed in the shape of a ring and has a central opening for the passage of sample light to the microscope objective.

7. Microscope having a microscope objective, characterized in that the microscope objective has an LED ring illumination and an accessory device according to one of claims 1 to 6.