JP2003207718A - Microscope apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small-sized microscope apparatus which provides clear images. <P>SOLUTION: A spot light source 220 comprising an LED, etc., is fixed by means of a holder to a body 200. The light from the light source 220 heads through a lens 221 toward a half mirror 241. The luminous flux reflected 90° by the half mirror 241 arrives at the examinee 204 through an objective lens 218 of a body tube 205. The luminous flux reflected by the examinee 204 tracks back the same optical path and heads toward a pentagonal prism 245 through the half mirror 241. The luminous flux reflected by the prism 245 forms the image at a photoreceiving body 231, such as a CCD, through a first mirror 242, an image formation lens 243 and a second mirror 244. Since the luminous flux from the spot light source 220 has high directictivity, the uniform illumination is eventually received evenly on the observation surface of the examinee and if there is a shape change, such as a flaw, the dark part by a shade is formed in a contour segment. As a result, the image stressed in the contour is obtained. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a microscope apparatus, and more particularly to a microscope apparatus having a reflection type illumination system.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various types of microscopes have been well known. For example, precision optical microscopes and electron microscopes are devised so that observation results can be stably obtained with high magnification and high precision. Further, some of these microscopes are provided with an edge tensioning function such as a differential interference method. However, operation of such a high-magnification, high-precision microscope requires a high degree of skill, and the person who can use it is often limited to specially trained professional engineers and scientists. Not only that, the price of these high-magnification, high-precision microscopes is very high. On the other hand, ordinary relatively inexpensive optical microscopes are often used not only by ordinary people but also by elementary schools as part of school education.
The structure of this inexpensive optical microscope is, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of objective lenses 112 connected to a vertically moving lens barrel 110 for observing a subject at various magnifications.
And an eyepiece 114 in the lens barrel 110, and a reflection mirror 120 for taking in light from the outside to the subject and illuminating it.
And an observation table 130 on which the subject is placed. That is, in such a microscope, the transmission type is adopted because the optical system is economically limited. Therefore, the subject must be processed into a thin piece so that light can be transmitted. The illumination system also takes in light from the outside with a reflection mirror, so subtle adjustments must be made each time.

As described above, an ordinary microscope is inexpensive, but requires a pre-process work until the object can be observed, which is very cumbersome and requires skill. I am in charge of it, and then I take the process of letting the students observe. Further, as described above, the microscope 100 itself includes the objective lens 112 and the eyepiece lens 114.
Although it has a simple structure such as the lens barrel 110, the observation table 130, and the reflection mirror 120 in which the lens barrel 110 is installed, a protection means for protecting the lens barrel 110 and maintaining the accuracy of the entire optical system is indispensable. Has become. However, this protection means becomes a hindrance because it has an oddly shaped structure that is unnecessary when carried, and it is necessary to take measures such as preparing a special housing case and housing the entire microscope therein. Therefore, conventional optical microscopes are said to be equipped with an environment in which not only students in lower grades of elementary school but also ordinary people can easily handle any subject, in any place and under any lighting conditions. I couldn't say. Also, since the subject is a thin piece,
There is also the inconvenience that it is difficult to observe plants and living things alive, so improvement was awaited at the school education site.

It is said that the causes of these inconveniences are mainly the problems of the transmission type optical system and the illumination which will be described later, and the inconvenience during carrying. One method of solving this can be solved to some extent by changing the optical system of the microscope from a transmission type to a reflection type. A configuration example of the reflection type illumination system and the optical system in the microscope will be described with reference to FIG. In this illumination system (Kohler illumination method), the image of the halogen lamp 152 is formed on the surface of the aperture stop 156 of the epi-illumination device by the collector lens 154, and further the objective is formed by the relay lens 158, the half mirror 170, and the field lens 162. An image is formed near the rear focal plane 168 of the lens 166, and the object 164 is illuminated through the objective lens 166.
The light flux reflected from the object 164 passes through the objective lens 166 and is imaged again on the back focal plane 168 of the objective lens as a lamp image. Further, when the eye is placed on the eye point, a lamp image is formed on the iris diaphragm of the eye by passing through the eyepiece lens 174, and does not appear as a lamp image at all on the eye. On the other hand, the field stop 160 includes the field lens 16
2. Image on the surface of the object 164 by the objective lens 166,
Limit the illumination field. This field stop image passes through the objective lens 166 again, and an image image 172 formed by the objective lens 166.
Image on. Further, it is re-imaged on the retina of the eye by the eyepiece lens 174 and the eye, and appears as a field stop image. With such a configuration, it is possible to uniformly irradiate the object with the necessary minimum luminous flux. Moreover, the aperture stop can control the brightness and the depth of focus, and the field stop can control the field of view independently.

If the illumination system is of a reflection type as described above, it is possible to omit the operation of a reflection mirror for illumination which takes in light from the outside and the work of producing a thin piece. In addition, it is possible to eliminate the troublesome work of maintaining the brightness by the reflection mirror and improving the processing accuracy of the subject thin piece. In addition, the shape of the microscope itself can be modified, so you do not need to be very careful when carrying it. However, in order to make such a reflection type illumination system, a large-scale optical system and a new installation of an illumination light source are required. The problem of this light source will be described.
A halogen lamp is often used as a light source for various types of illumination. This is because a predetermined illuminance can be easily obtained, but on the other hand, the energy is changed into heat, which requires a cooling device such as a fan. As a result, vibrations due to the fan may occur and the entire light source device may become large. Another drawback of the halogen lamp itself is poor control response. This means that the brightness does not immediately rise even when a voltage is applied, and the brightness also slightly changes with time. When a halogen lamp is used as a light source of a microscope and the microscope is actually used in various work sites for industrial use, these tend to cause errors in observation results. For example, in the metalworking department to check the surface finish, scratches, dust and other deposits, to check the continuity and line width of various substrates used in electronic equipment, or to check the dot shape of color printed matter. If you do, the result is a big problem.

FIG. 2 (b) illustrates this observation situation, and shows the brightness of the surface of the subject. In the figure, the vertical axis represents the brightness and the horizontal axis represents the dimension of the subject observation surface.
If there are scratches or dust on the observation surface, the illuminance of the three-dimensional portion is emphasized when illuminated by a halogen lamp or the like. In the example shown, there are two scratches, P1
And the brightness is shown as the peak of P2. However, the brightness of the light source becomes uneven, and if it reaches only a certain level, only the peak P2 in the area L2 or more can be confirmed, but if the brightness changes and reaches the level of the area L1 or more,
Two peaks P1 and P2 can be confirmed. In other words, the number of scratches changes to one or two depending on the brightness of the light source, which causes an error in the observation result.
This means not only scratches, but also the number of dust particles and the line width dimension to be measured. In order to avoid such a problem, it is possible to add a stabilizing circuit to the light source or feed back the illuminance to the light source.
The cost will increase accordingly. Further, it is pointed out that the occurrence of vibration is a problem that must be removed as the lens magnification increases. Therefore, even if a light source such as a halogen lamp is added to the optical system and the function as a reflection type optical system is exerted, the microscope apparatus itself vibrates and becomes large,
High costs, changes in brightness, etc. occur and remain as problems to be solved. As a result, the quality of the observation result varies. For example, when a person in charge at a certain work site operates the result in a place such as a conference room away from the work site, the same result may not always be obtained even if the same subject and the same microscope are used. It turns out that. This deviates from the original purpose of the microscope, which allows anyone to check an observation surface with a high magnification at any place in any object. Furthermore, conventional microscopes often do not have a display means, a function of printing out on paper, or a function of saving as data, but even if they are added, it becomes a large-scale system. It cannot be taken to various places, and multiple people cannot see the observation results with one microscope at the same time. Therefore, there arises a problem that it takes time when discussing based on the observation result or reconfirming the observation result at a later date. These things could be one of the factors that hinder the enhancement of imagination and curiosity, and their improvement was awaited.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a microscope apparatus having a reflection type illumination system, which solves the above problems. In consideration of maintaining the accuracy of the optical system, robustness, and portability, the observation result is stable even if people or places change, and a high-quality observation image can be obtained with an inexpensive structure. To provide such a microscope.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a point light source by an LED and a light beam from the point light source, which is reflected by a half mirror and is reflected on an object to be observed through an objective lens. An optical system formed so that the light flux reflected from the object to be observed is passed through the half mirror and then imaged by an imaging lens, and the point light source and the optical system are housed as a unit. It is a microscope device. The optical system may include a light receiving body that converts an image formed by the image forming lens into an image signal. Further, the point light source may be configured to be movable in the optical axis direction. The point light source may include a plurality of LEDs having different emission colors, and the plurality of LEDs may be selectively used as a point light source of the optical system. The point light source or the optical system may be configured so that the optical path direction of the point light source can be changed. In this case, the point light source is a selectable plurality of LEDs in different optical path directions,
It may be composed of a selectable LED and a lens or a prism.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of an embodiment of the microscope apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 3, an optical system is housed inside the microscope body 200. The microscope main body 200 includes a fine adjustment device 202 connected by screws 211 and 212 on a support 209 fixed to a pedestal 203.
Thus, it is possible to move up and down, left and right, and rotate. An objective lens having an arbitrary magnification is provided inside a lens barrel 205 that is detachably attached to the microscope body 200, so that the subject 204 can be observed. An image signal photographed by a CCD or the like by the microscope body 200 is transmitted via the signal line 207 to the control unit 192 and the display unit 19.
4 to the control display device 190. The control display device 190 can supply power to the light source inside the microscope body 200. CCD in the microscope body 200
Image signals from the display device 194 and the like are observed by the display unit 194. Further, the observed image can be stored in a hard disk or the like provided in the control display device 190. The metal fitting 213 is attached to the fine adjustment device 202, and the screw 211
By rotating the microscope main body 200,
A small amount can be moved downward along the column 209 fixed to 03. Although not shown in FIG. 3, this metal fitting 213
Another metal fitting similar to is attached to the fine adjustment device 202, and by rotating the screw 212,
It is configured so that the microscope main body 200 can be moved in the lateral direction by a small amount. As the structure of the metal fitting 213 and the screws 211 and 212 and the actual structure for moving the microscope main body 200, any structure can be adopted, and here a commercially available linear Z stage and X stage are adopted. Similarly, if the rotation stage is attached to the microscope main body 200, the rotation stage can also be operated in the rotation direction. Therefore, when the microscope main body 200 is moved along the column 209, a large movement can be performed manually and a minute movement can be performed using the screws 211 and 212. A practical structure for holding the microscope main body 200 and the fine adjustment device 202 to the pedestal (in this example, the support 20
9), braking between the support 209 and the fine adjustment device 202, and existing position fixing means can be adopted, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. Further, the control display device 190 can be configured by a personal computer system. If the power supply unit that supplies power to the light source in the microscope body 200 can be installed separately from the control unit 192, the battery can be used. Further, although a configuration example in which the attitude control of the main body 200 is manually performed is shown, an actuator may be installed and the control display device 190 may control the actuator. For large movements, a mechanism for large movements can be attached to the pedestal 203, and the microscope main body 200 can be largely moved in the front, rear, left, and right directions.

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing the inside of the microscope main body 200 as a partial cross-sectional view, showing a state where the inside of the microscope main body 200 is visible by removing the lid 214 (FIG. 3) from the main body 200. ing. In FIG. 4, a light source 220 composed of an LED or the like is fixed to the main body 200 via a holder. The light from the light source 220 goes through the illumination lens 221 to the half mirror 241. 9 with half mirror 241
The light flux reflected by 0 degrees reaches the subject 204 through the objective lens 218 of arbitrary magnification fixed in the lens barrel 205. The light beam reflected by the subject 204 follows the same optical path, passes through the half mirror 241, and travels toward the pentaprism 245. The light flux reflected even number of times within the prism 245 is the first
An image is formed on a light receiving body 231 such as a CCD through a mirror 242, an imaging lens 243 and a second mirror 244. Photoreceptor 23
The image signal which has been imaged at 1 and has been photoelectrically converted goes from the signal line 207 to the control display device 190 of FIG. The light receiver 231 is fixed to the main body 200 by a holder 234. Each member forming the above-mentioned optical system, the light source 220, the illumination lens 221, the half mirror 241, and the pentaprism 24.
5, the first mirror 242, the imaging lens 243, and the second mirror 244 are also fixed to the microscope main body 200 by a holder (not shown). The lens barrel 205 is the main body 2
It is detachably attached to 00 by screwing or the like. By exchanging the lens barrel 205, the magnification of the objective lens 218 attached inside is changed. Therefore, when carrying the lens barrel 205,
It can be removed from 00. When you remove it, you can attach a cap to the screw hole
It is possible to prevent dust and the like from entering the inside of 00. Light source 2
If the holder 20 and the holder can be removed from the main body and replaced, a light source having a wavelength suitable for the purpose can be installed in the optical system.

In the configuration example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the microscope main body 200 is constructed as a rectangular casing, and an optical system including a light source constituted by an LED is housed inside the casing. In this optical system, the observation surface of the subject 204 is magnified to an arbitrary magnification by the objective lens 218, and the image is transmitted as an image signal to the display unit 194 of the control display device 190 for display. As a result, the entire optical system is used as a main body 200
It is housed inside, and while maintaining accuracy, protection and downsizing can be promoted, and portability can also be addressed.
It should be noted that a frame-shaped 230 shown by a dotted line in FIG. 4 indicates a camera unit, and the light receiving body 231 and the holder 234 are removed from the main body 200 so that a unit such as a video camera can be installed there. This unit is, for example, a commercially available video camera, which is attached to the main body 200, and the light receiver 231 (C
CD) to be set. This connection mechanism does not require any special means if the positions of the main body 200 and the video camera are defined, but by doing so, the camera can be used instead of the control display device 190. In the above-mentioned configuration, the image signal is obtained by the CCD or the like and displayed, but the configuration may be such that it is viewed directly with the naked eye, as in a normal optical microscope.

In the optical system shown in FIG. 4, since an LED is used as the light source 220, it emits light as a point light source with less unevenness in brightness. For example, if the light source installed in the optical system is a red LED, the light emitting portion area is about 0.24 square mm. On the other hand, the area of the light emitting portion of the conventional halogen lamp is about 1 to 2 square mm. As described above, when the LED is used as the light source, it is about 1/10 of that of the halogen lamp and can be regarded as a point light source. On the other hand, the halogen lamp can be regarded as a surface light source because of its large size. Since the luminous flux from the point light source has a strong directivity, it becomes possible to receive uniform illumination on the observation surface of the subject, and if there is a change in shape such as a flaw within the illumination area, the contour of the flaw will be emphasized. It emits light like That is, when there is a minute unevenness or a shape change portion such as a scratch on the observation surface, the boundary portion is strengthened and acts as if it was illuminated.

FIG. 5 illustrates the illumination condition of the subject 204. A small dimension d on the observation surface of the subject 204
It shows that there is unevenness for ₂ minutes. When such an object 204 is viewed with the optical system shown in FIG.
Has a depth of d ₂ minutes, the convex portion 25 of the subject
Both 6 and the concave portion can be simultaneously confirmed as one image. As shown in FIG. 5A, the subject is illuminated by the light flux from the point light source. Then, the convex portion 2 of the subject 204
The contour of 56 casts its shadow and projects it onto the recess. The generation of this shadow is due to the fact that the light source is a point light source and has directivity. In the case of a surface light source as in the conventional art, as shown in FIG.
The contour of No. 4 is illuminated with light in various directions, so that light is diffused and scattered, the shadow of the convex portion 254 is not generated, and it is difficult to confirm the contour shape of the obtained image itself. Will be caused. Subject 204 of FIG.
Is formed on a silver salt film on which printing dots are photographed by laser exposure, for example, the thickness of the entire subject is about 0.1 mm, and the blackened portion reproduced as an image line on the surface is It is formed as a convex portion 257 and has a thickness d ₂ of 1 μm.
It is about m. Although the shadow obtained from this convex portion is minute, it is added to the outline of the image portion (convex portion 256) and is observed together, so the image of the image portion is clearer and clearer. Will be reproduced. The above-mentioned silver salt film for laser exposure is a monochrome (black and white) photographic film mainly used for photoengraving and expresses only white or black. Further, when a laser, which is one of the semiconductor light sources, is used as the light source, the area of the light emitting portion is about 0.003 square mm, so the point light source is larger than the LED light source. Therefore, the directivity can be further strengthened, so LE
The effect of D or more can be obtained. However, it is necessary to take measures to prevent interference due to a single wavelength and to convert to color.

The shadow of the unevenness of the test object due to the point light source changes depending on the relationship between the position of the light source, the magnification and depth of the objective lens and the test object. By utilizing it, it is possible to enhance the shadow and obtain an image with more contrast. This will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 illustrates a state in which the set position of the light source 220 in the optical system is moved according to the change amount d. FIG. 6A shows a state in which the image of the light source is on the test object, and FIG. 6B shows that the image of the light source is behind the test object by moving the light source by the distance d. It shows the state.
In FIG. 6, the half mirror 241 and the like are not shown. FIG. 7 shows how the shadow of the convex portion of the test object 204 is formed. FIG. 7A shows an image of the light source 22 as shown in FIG.
5 is an enlarged view of the state when the object 5 is on the object 204, and FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of the state when the point light source 220 is moved by the distance d. Now, in FIG.
The light beam that illuminates the test object exists between the objective lens 218 and the image 225 of the light source that are connected by a straight line. Also, FIG.
Then, for the sake of explanation, only one side of the convex portion of the test object 204 is shown. In FIG. 7A, it is considered that the light is equivalent to being emitted from the image 225 of the light source as shown in the figure, so that the convex portion of the test object 204 is uniformly irradiated with the light and is less likely to form a shadow. In FIG. 7B, the light flux is dispersed, and the shadow of the convex portion is likely to be formed accordingly. That is, for example, since the light flux on the upper side of the objective lens above l _{13 in} FIG. 7B is blocked by the convex portion, a shadow is likely to be formed. As shown in FIG. 7, since the shadow of the unevenness is obtained by moving the light source position, when the unevenness is present, the contour of the convex portion, the groove, or the place where the shape changes, such as a scratch, is shaded. It acts as an emphasis, and makes the observed image more clear. This makes it possible to form a high-quality image as if a high-level configuration such as a differential interference method is added. The actual value of this change d is the main body 20 shown in FIG.
Although it depends on the optical path length of the optical system within 0, it is sufficient to be able to move about 0.1 mm to 10 mm. For example, a screw or the like can be used as the moving mechanism. Note that the objective lens generally has a deep depth of focus when the magnification is low, and has a shallow depth when the magnification is high. As shown in b), a diaphragm 222 is installed and its opening is adjusted. As described above, making the point light source by the LED movable in the optical axis direction and changing the illumination position on the subject is effective in obtaining a clear image. Further, by using a point light source such as an LED with less uneven brightness, a simple illumination system as shown in FIG. 6 can be obtained. The same effect as moving the point light source can be obtained by moving the illumination lens 221 installed in front of the point light source 220 in FIG. If the shadow is not desired to be emphasized, a diffuser plate or the like may be inserted between the light source 220 and the illuminator 221 to provide a diffused light source.

FIG. 8 shows another configuration example of the point light source 220 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG.
The four light sources (LEDs) 220a, 220b, 220 are provided on the turret-shaped substrate 272 supported by the shaft 274 at 0.
c and 220d are attached. The four light sources have different emission colors, for example, a white LED 220a, a red LED 220b, a blue LED 220c, and a green LEDd. By rotating these around the axis 274 of the substrate 272, each light source 220 can be set at a predetermined light source position of the optical system. For example, when the substrate 272 is rotated, one end of the outer peripheral portion of the substrate 272 is attached to the lid 2 of the microscope main body 200.
It is possible to have a configuration in which the position defining mechanism of the light source (not shown) is activated by projecting it from 14 and rotating it with a fingertip. Of course, the color (wavelength) and number of the light sources 220 and the selection means therefor can be arbitrarily selected, but if the white light source 220a is used, the light receiving body 231 can treat the reflected light flux from the subject as a color signal. Red LED 220b, blue LED
If the light sources of 220c and the green LED 220d are appropriately used, it is convenient, for example, when observing halftone dots of three colors in color printing. In addition, if an infrared LED is attached to the light source, it can be used when checking for cracks or cracks inside the concrete wall surface.

FIG. 9 shows another configuration example for producing oblique light in order to obtain the shadow of the contour portion of the unevenness and further enhance the contour. FIG. 9A is a simplified view of the optical system shown in FIG. 4, and the reference numerals attached are the same as those of the optical system of FIG. The optical system shown in FIG. 9A includes a light receiving body 231, such as a CCD, an image forming lens 243, a half mirror 241, a point light source 220, an illuminating lens 221, and the like.
The objective lens 218 and the test object 204 are included. By the way, in FIG. 9B, as the point light source 290 in which the irradiation direction changes, a plurality of LEDs 29 having slightly different irradiation directions are used.
1, 292, 293, 294, 295 are arranged.
A desired irradiation direction can be obtained by switching the LED to be turned on according to the irradiation direction. Also, in order to see how the shadow is changed, the L
The EDs 291, 292, 293, 294 can be sequentially turned on. By turning on the light in this way, the direction in which the shadow is formed changes, and the state of the object to be inspected 204 can be clearly understood. It is also possible to adjust the amount of light of the central LED 295 and the surrounding LEDs so that they can be turned on at the same time to change the density of the shadow. Furthermore, LEs that are arranged around
A fine image can be generated by capturing an image in accordance with the timing of sequentially lighting D and processing the captured image. It should be noted that when only the central LED is turned on, the illumination is the same as in the case where one ordinary point light source is used. Further, by turning on all the LEDs, a brighter illumination system can be obtained. Since the LED used as the point light source is small, it is possible to form an assembly of a large number of point light sources as shown in FIG. 9B without enlarging the optical system. FIG. 9C is configured such that the point light source 220 ′ by the LED is moved so that the irradiation direction to the test object 204 can be changed. This gives one L
It is possible to illuminate the test object 204 in an oblique direction with the ED, and change the method of applying a shadow. In FIG. 9D, the angle of the half mirror 241 'is changed so that the irradiation direction to the test object can be changed.

FIG. 10 shows a structure for obtaining different irradiation directions when the light source 290 having a plurality of LEDs as shown in FIG. 9B is provided. Figure 10 (a)
Shows that the arrangement position and direction of the light source 290 by the plurality of LEDs shown in FIG. 9B can be changed by using the mirror 296. In addition, FIG.
(2) and (3) indicate that five or seven LEDs can be provided. 10 (b) and (c)
Is a light source 290 'composed of a plurality of LEDs arranged in parallel,
By combining a lens 297 and a prism 298, a configuration in which different irradiation directions are obtained with respect to the test object is shown. Further, FIG. 10D shows a plurality of LEDs and the mirror 2.
It shows a configuration in which different irradiation directions are obtained for the test object by combination with 99. FIG. 10 (d) (1),
(2) is a view seen from the side and the front, respectively.

FIG. 11 is a photograph of an image obtained when two types of subjects are observed in the configuration of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 described above. FIG. 11 (a) is a diagram drawn by a laser on a silver salt film and has a thickness of 0.5 mm.
A region of × 0.375 mm is enlarged by an objective lens having a magnification of 10 times. In this image, the position of the point light source is adjusted to enhance the contrast due to the shadow. Further, FIG. 11B is an image of a salt crystal photographed with an objective lens having a magnification of 50 times. in this way,
By using the microscope apparatus of the present invention, a clear image can be obtained with a simple structure. Figure 12
This is a magnified version of the silver salt film exposed by laser using a 50 × objective lens. FIG. 12 (a) is shown in FIG.
It is an image photographed by the illumination system shown in (b). 12
FIG. 9B shows a point light source 220 ′ as shown in FIG.
Shift from the optical axis direction to emphasize the shadow as oblique lighting,
Furthermore, it is the one where the outline is made clear. Figure 12 (a)
12B is compared with FIG. 12B, it can be seen that even finer parts are clearly visible in FIG. 12B. 11 and 12 both image the subject placed on a plane. However, even in the case of the inside of a cylindrical tube surface, if the microscope main body is moved along the wall surface, the same observation can be performed.

[0018]

As described above, in the microscope according to the present invention, an extremely small optical system is constructed by using the illumination light source as a point light source such as an LED, and a light beam from the light source illuminates the subject. The result is a clear image that has never been seen before. As a result, it is possible to provide a microscope device that can be easily handled by anyone, any place, and in addition to the characteristics of LEDs, such as small size, robustness, and long life. The general effect of low power consumption and high control response can be added to the microscope. Further, since the energy emitted from the light source hardly changes into heat, it can be used as a device in which vibration due to a fan does not occur. This means that when the magnification of the optical system becomes high, a slight vibration has a delicate influence on the subject and the optical system, and prevents the image from being blurred. Since the light source of the LED itself is small, if a plurality of turret-like structures are provided and light sources of different wavelengths are used, the light sources of different wavelengths can be used properly. Further, the downsizing of the microscope main body enables observation even in a narrow space such as the inside of the tube surface, which has been difficult to observe up to now, and is convenient when carried. Further, by adopting the reflection type optical system, it is possible not only to process the subject into a thin piece or to collect light by a reflection mirror, but also to observe the subject alive. As a result, even a person without special training, such as a lower grade student in an elementary school, can easily operate it.

In the case where there is a minute unevenness on the observation surface of the subject by adopting the method of using the LED as the point light source, moving it in the optical axis direction, and utilizing the light flux in the oblique direction, Since the shadow of the three-dimensional portion can be expressed more clearly by the generation of the shadow, it is possible to obtain an observation image of the same quality as that of a high-precision optical microscope, even though the optical microscope has a relatively inexpensive structure. Further, by obtaining an image signal from a CCD or the like and displaying it on the display unit, a plurality of persons can observe one image at the same time, and if it is saved as data, reconfirmation at a later date can be performed without any trouble.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional optical microscope.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration and the like of a reflection type illumination system.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a configuration example of a microscope apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an optical system inside a microscope main body. .

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an illumination state of a subject.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a positional change of a light source and an illumination relationship of a subject.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the subject.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the light source.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration for obtaining irradiation in an oblique direction with respect to a subject.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another configuration for obtaining oblique irradiation on a subject.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an image by the microscope apparatus of the embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the effect of changing the position of the light source.

[Explanation of symbols]

190 Control display device 192 Control unit 194 Display 200 microscope body 202 Fine adjustment device 203 pedestal 204 subject 205 lens barrel 207 signal line 209 props 210 metal fittings 211 screws 212 screws 213 metal fittings 214 lid 218 Objective lens 220 light source 221 Lighting lens (condenser lens) 241 half mirror 242 First mirror 243 Imaging lens 245 penta prism 244 Second mirror 230 Camera unit 231 photoreceptor 234 holder 272 substrate 274 axis 296 mirror 297 lens 298 prism 299 reflector

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Kimio Omata             1-21 Otakubo, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture (72) Inventor Isamu Nitta             1130-9 Terachi, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture F-term (reference) 2H052 AC04 AC09 AC14 AC27 AC33                       AD02 AD32 AD33 AF14 AF21

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A point light source using an LED, and a light beam from the point light source is reflected by a half mirror and directed toward an object to be observed through an objective lens, and a reflected light beam from the object to be observed passes through the half mirror. A microscope apparatus comprising: an optical system formed so as to form an image by an imaging lens, and the point light source and the optical system are integrally housed. 2. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical system includes a light receiving body that converts an image formed by the image forming lens into an image signal. 3. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the point light source is movable in the optical axis direction. 4. The point light source comprises a plurality of Ls of different emission colors.
4. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an ED, wherein the plurality of LEDs can be selectively used as a point light source of the optical system. 5. The point light source or the optical system is configured so as to be able to change the optical path direction of the point light source. Microscope device. 6. The microscope apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the point light source is composed of a plurality of selectable LEDs having different optical path directions. 7. The point light source comprises a plurality of selectable L light sources.
The microscope apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the microscope apparatus comprises an ED and a lens or a prism.