JP6029395B2 - microscope - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a microscope that captures an image of a sample placed on a stage with an image sensor and displays the image on a display device such as a monitor.

  Conventionally, this type of microscope has been used, for example, when observing cells such as keratin collected from the skin in order to select a cosmetic suitable for the skin at the site of cosmetic sales.

  As such a microscope, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a light source for artificially irradiating light to a sample is provided below a stage on which the sample is arranged, and attached to a revolver above the stage. Some have an observation optical system including a plurality of objective lenses. In this case, a digital camera is attached to the upper end of the observation optical system, and an image of the sample magnified by the observation optical system is picked up by the digital camera and displayed on the monitor of the personal computer.

JP 2008-58396 A

  Cosmetics may be sold not only in stores but also by door-to-door sales. In this case, in order to observe cells such as keratin collected from the customer's skin at the visiting site, it is necessary to carry the microscope to the visiting site.

  However, since the conventional microscope has a configuration in which the observation optical system and the digital camera are arranged in a straight line above the stage, the height dimension is large. In addition, the base is formed large and heavy in order to stably support the weight of the observation optical system and digital camera arranged above the stage. Therefore, it is not easy to carry a conventional microscope.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a microscope that is lightweight and compact and easy to carry.

The microscope according to the present invention is a microscope that captures an image of a sample with an image sensor and outputs the image to a display device. The microscope is provided on a horizontal stage on which the sample is disposed, and is disposed on the stage. A light source for irradiating the sample with light, an illumination optical system provided between the light source and the stage, an objective lens and an imaging lens, and disposed under the stage, An observation optical system that forms an image on an image sensor, and a lower side that is disposed below the stage and inclined by 45 degrees with respect to a direction perpendicular to the stage and that bends the optical axis by 90 degrees between the stage and the image sensor A mirror , a ring diaphragm disposed in the illumination optical system, a phase difference ring disposed on the exit side of the objective lens, and a phase disposed at a position optically conjugate with the ring diaphragm of the observation optical system Board Wherein the stage and said observation optical system is arranged in an L-shape, wherein the imaging lens has a magnification changing function, the axis between said imaging lens is between said imaging element and the lower mirror The entrance pupil position of the imaging lens is positioned on the objective lens side with respect to the lower mirror, and the conjugate point of the phase plate is more than the imaging surface of the imaging device. It is characterized by being positioned on the side opposite to the imaging lens .

Microscope of the present invention is placed 45 degrees tilted with respect to the direction perpendicular to the stage above the prior SL stages, further comprising an upper Mirror bending the optical axis by 90 degrees between the light source and the stage, It is preferable that the illumination optical system, the stage, and the observation optical system are arranged in a U-shape.

  In the microscope of the present invention, it is preferable that the light source and the illumination optical system constitute Koehler illumination.

  The microscope of the present invention preferably includes driving means for moving the stage along the optical axis direction.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily carry the microscope with a lightweight and compact configuration.

It is a perspective view of the microscope which is one embodiment of the present invention. It is the side view which removed the side cover from the microscope shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the optical system of the microscope shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows the display of the monitor shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  A microscope 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 is an optical microscope, and is used, for example, when a cell such as a keratin collected from the skin is used as a sample and is visually enlarged and observed. It is done. The microscope 1 is housed in a case (housing) 2 formed of a resin material such as plastic, a metal plate, or the like to form one unit, and is a portable type that can be carried together with the case 2. .

  A sample insertion port 3 is provided in the side cover 2 a of the case 2. A sample constituted by the preparation 4 is inserted into the sample insertion port 3. When the preparation 4 is inserted, the microscope 1 enlarges the image of the sample, and an enlarged image of the sample is displayed on the monitor 5 that is a display device. As described above, the microscope 1 is a monitor type capable of observing an enlarged image of the sample on the monitor 5.

  1 and 2, the microscope 1 is used in a normal posture in which the side cover 2 a is vertical and the preparation 4 inserted into the sample insertion port 3 is horizontal. In the following description, it is assumed that the microscope 1 is in a normal posture.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the microscope 1 includes a stage device 6, an illumination device 7, an observation optical device 8, an image sensor 9, and a control board 10.

  The stage device 6 includes a support frame 11 fixed to the case 2 and a stage 12 accommodated in the support frame 11. An opening 11a connected to the sample insertion port 3 of the case 2 is provided on the side surface of the support frame 11, and the preparation 4 inserted from the sample insertion port 3 of the case 2 is disposed on the stage 12 through the opening 11a. Is done. That is, the sample is placed on the stage 12 by inserting the preparation 4 from the sample insertion port 3. In the normal posture of the microscope 1, the stage 12, that is, the surface on which the preparation 4 of the stage 12 is arranged is horizontal.

  A drive unit (drive means) 13 is attached to the support frame 11. The stage 12 is driven by the drive unit 13 and can move in the horizontal direction (XY direction) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). When the stage 12 moves, the preparation 4 placed on the stage 12 also moves with the stage 12. As the drive unit 13, for example, three electric motors (not shown) corresponding to XYZ directions are provided, and the rotational motions of these electric motors are converted into linear motions in each direction by a screw mechanism and transmitted to the stage 12. Although the thing of the structure to be used can be used, you may use the drive unit of another structure.

  The illumination device 7 includes a light source 14 and an illumination optical system 15 and is arranged above the stage 12. In the present embodiment, the illumination device 7, that is, the light source 14 and the illumination optical system 15 constitute Koehler illumination that uniformly irradiates light toward the sample.

  The illumination optical system 15 includes a cylindrical illumination case 16 that is arranged with the axial direction horizontal. The connection adapter 17 and the upper mirror unit 18 are fixed above the support frame 11, and the illumination case 16 is fixed to the upper mirror unit 18 at one end thereof.

  The light source 14 is attached to the end of the illumination case 16 that is opposite to the upper mirror unit 18. In the present embodiment, a light emitting diode (LED) 14b mounted on a substrate 14a is used as the light source 14, but a light bulb using a filament can also be used.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a light source lens 19 and a field lens 20 adjacent to the light source 14 are disposed inside the illumination case 16, and a plate-shaped field stop 21 is disposed between the light source lens 19 and the field lens 20. Is arranged. A condenser lens 22 is disposed above the stage 12 so that the axial direction is vertical, that is, orthogonal to the axial direction of the illumination case 16. The condenser lens 22 is fixed to the connection adapter 17. As described above, the illumination optical system 15 includes the light source lens 19, the field stop 21, the field lens 20, and the condenser lens 22, and is provided between the light source 14 and the stage 12.

  The upper mirror unit 18 is provided with an upper mirror 23 that is inclined 45 degrees with respect to both the direction perpendicular to the stage 12 and the axial direction of the illumination case 16. The optical axis of light irradiated horizontally from the light source 14 into the illumination case 16 is reflected by the upper mirror 23 between the light source 14 and the stage 12 and bent 90 degrees downward. Therefore, the light irradiated from the light source 14 is reflected by the upper mirror 23 and is irradiated perpendicularly to the sample placed on the stage 12.

  Thus, the illuminating device 7 is configured as L-shaped Koehler illumination in which the direction of the optical axis is bent 90 degrees by the upper mirror 23 between the light source 14 and the stage 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the observation optical device 8 that is an observation optical system includes an objective lens 24 and an imaging lens 25 having a magnification changing function, and is disposed below the stage 12.

  The objective lens 24 is disposed coaxially with the condenser lens 22 on the lower side of the stage 12. The objective lens 24 is fixed to the support frame 11 and the distance from the condenser lens 22 is constant.

  The imaging lens 25 has a cylindrical lens frame 25a that fixes the image sensor 9 and is movable in response to a magnification operation, and a cylinder that is combined with the lens frame 25a so as to be movable in the axial direction in response to the magnification operation. And a fixed lens frame 25 c fixed to the case 2. In this embodiment, the fixed lens frame 25c is provided with a fixed lens system 28, and the movable lens frame 25b is provided with a movable lens system 29. A lower mirror unit 26 is fixed below the support frame 11, and the imaging lens 25 is fixed to the lower mirror unit 26 at one end with the axial direction being horizontal. As described above, the imaging lens 25 is disposed below the stage 12 and at the lowermost part of the case 2 with the axial direction thereof being horizontal.

  The lower mirror unit 26 is provided with a lower mirror 27 that is inclined by 45 degrees with respect to both the direction perpendicular to the stage 12 and the axial direction of the imaging lens 25. The optical axis of the light that has passed through the objective lens 24 is reflected by the lower mirror 27 and bent 90 degrees between the objective lens 24 and the imaging lens 25, and the direction along the axial direction of the imaging lens 25. Directed to.

  Although not shown in detail, the pair of lens frames 25a and 25b are connected to each other via a cam mechanism. When the cam mechanism is driven by an electric motor (not shown), both lens frames 25a and 25b move in accordance with a desired variable magnification.

  The image sensor 9 is fixed to the end of the lens frame 25a, that is, the end opposite to the lower mirror unit 26. For example, a CCD image sensor (Charge Coupled Device Image Sensor) or a CMOS image sensor (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Image Sensor) mounted on the substrate 30 is used as the image sensor 9, but other image sensors can also be used. .

  The observation optical device 8 having the image pickup device 9 fixed to the end in this way has an L-shape in which the direction of the optical axis is bent 90 degrees by the lower mirror 27 between the stage 12 and the image pickup device 9. It is configured.

  Here, in the microscope 1, the imaging lens 25 is horizontally arranged by bending the optical axis by 90 degrees with the lower mirror 27, and therefore the imaging element 9 fixed to the end of the imaging lens 25. And the substrate 30 on which this is mounted can be arranged vertically. By arranging the image pickup device 9 so as to stand vertically, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of foreign matters such as dust to the image pickup device 9 as compared with the case where the image pickup device 9 and the substrate 30 are placed horizontally.

  The imaging lens 25 forms an image of the sample that has passed through the objective lens 24 on the imaging element 9 by a pair of lens systems 28 and 29. Further, the imaging lens 25 can change the magnification of the image to be formed by changing the distance between the lens systems 28 and 29 and the positional relationship with the image sensor 9 by the operation of the cam mechanism.

  Note that the imaging element 9 is not limited to a configuration that is fixed to the end of the imaging lens 25, and the distance of the objective lens 24 along the optical axis is constant (fixed) with respect to the objective lens 24. It can also be fixed to the inner surface or the like. By adopting a structure in which the image pickup device 9 is fixed to the inner surface of the case 2 or the like, it is possible to suppress the vibration generated during the operation of the imaging lens 25 from being applied to the image pickup device 9 and improve the durability of the microscope 1. it can.

  A ring stop 31 is disposed in the illumination optical system 15, and a phase plate 32 is disposed in the observation optical device 8. The ring diaphragm 31 is disposed between the upper mirror 23 and the condenser lens 22 at a position that coincides with the focal point of the condenser lens 22. On the other hand, the phase plate 32 is fixed to the lower end of the objective lens 24 and is disposed at a position optically conjugate with the ring diaphragm 31 between the objective lens 24 and the lower mirror 27. . Therefore, the phase difference of the sample can be observed with the microscope 1 by using the illumination device 7, the ring diaphragm 31, and the phase plate 32 configured in Koehler illumination. That is, this microscope 1 can be used as a phase contrast microscope. By using the microscope 1 as a phase contrast microscope, cells such as keratin collected from the skin can be clearly observed by converting the phase difference of light into contrast without staining.

  Usually, the objective lens 24 used in the phase contrast microscope employs an afocal optical system in which the emitted light is balanced, and includes a phase difference ring 33 in addition to the phase plate 32 on the emission side. The imaging lens 25 is designed so that the presence of the phase difference ring 33 does not affect the image formed on the imaging surface.

  On the other hand, the imaging lens 25 having a zooming function in the microscope 1 of the present invention has a mirror 27 for bending the optical axis by 90 degrees between the objective lens 24 and this arrangement space is ensured. However, it is necessary to prevent the influence of the phase difference ring 33 described above. Therefore, the entrance pupil position P1 of the imaging lens 25 is positioned on the objective lens 24 side with respect to the mirror 27, and the conjugate point P2 of the phase plate 32 is located on the right side of the imaging surface of the imaging device 9, that is, imaging. It is desirable to design so that it may be located on the opposite side to the lens 25.

  Further, the magnification of the microscope 1 is determined by the product of the optical magnification of the objective lens 24 and the optical magnification of the imaging lens 25. However, as in the present invention, an image is formed on the imaging surface and displayed on the monitor 5. In other words, the magnification visually recognized by the observer is determined by an overall relationship with the size of the image sensor 9 and the size of the monitor 5 to be used.

  Therefore, in the present invention, for example, a 20 × objective lens 24 is used, the magnification (zoom ratio) of the imaging lens 25 is set to about 6 ×, and the optical magnification is designed to be 3 to 20 ×, and the imaging device 9, when the image is taken in a 1/4 inch CCD or CMOS and displayed on a 14 inch monitor 5, an enlargement ratio of about 200 to 1400 times can be secured.

  A pair of bright-field transmission light sources 34 are provided between the condenser lens 22 and the ring diaphragm 31. By using only the bright-field transmission light source 34 without using the illumination device 7, the sample can be obtained with this microscope 1. Can be observed in a bright field. Further, a pair of dark field transmission light sources 35a is provided on the upper side of the stage 12, and a pair of dark field reflection light sources 35b is provided on the lower side of the stage 12. By using only the dark field light sources 35a and 35b, the microscope 1 can observe the sample in the dark field. As described above, the microscope 1 can observe the sample by switching the observation environment to phase difference observation, bright field observation, or dark field observation.

  In the present embodiment, the observation environment is configured to be switchable to phase difference observation, bright field observation, and dark field observation. However, it is sufficient that at least one observation can be performed. 1 can also be configured as a phase-contrast microscope.

  The control board 10 controls each device constituting the microscope 1 and is disposed vertically along the inner surface of the case 2. Connected to the control board 10 are a light source 14 of the illumination device 7, a drive unit 13 that drives the stage 12, an electric motor that drives the imaging lens 25, and the image sensor 9. Further, the control board 10 is connected to an external power source such as a commercial power source by wiring not shown. A power source such as a battery for supplying power to the control board 10 may be provided in the case 2.

  The monitor 5 that is a display device is connected to the control board 10 by a cable 36. An enlarged image of the sample captured by the image sensor 9 is output to the monitor 5 via the control board 10 and the cable 36. The control board 10 is provided with a connector unit 37 connected to the monitor 5, and this connector unit 37 is provided in a dead space inside the U-shape surrounded by the illumination device 7, the stage device 6 and the imaging lens 25. Is arranged.

  In the present embodiment, a tablet terminal (tablet computer) having a function as a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage medium such as a memory or a hard disk is used as the monitor 5. Instead of a tablet terminal, a desktop or notebook computer can be used, and an enlarged image can be displayed on a monitor connected to these computers.

  The screen of the monitor 5 is a touch panel. A touch panel (also called a touch screen or a touch screen) is a combination of a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel and a position input device such as a touch pad. As shown in FIG. 4, the screen of the monitor 5 has an area for displaying operation keys for operating the microscope 1 in addition to an image display area 38 for displaying an enlarged image of the sample. As operation keys, for example, a pair of X direction position adjustment keys 41a and 41b for moving the stage 12 in the X direction and moving the visual field in the X direction, and the stage 12 for moving in the Y direction and moving the visual field in the Y direction. A pair of Y-direction position adjustment keys 42a and 42b, a pair of focus adjustment keys 43a and 43b for adjusting the focus of the image by moving the stage 12 in the Z direction along the optical axis direction, and the imaging lens 25 are operated to perform magnification. There are provided four magnification change keys 44a to 44d for changing the image to a predetermined magnification, a photographing key 45 for storing an enlarged image in a storage medium of the monitor 5 which is a tablet terminal, and the like. By touching these keys with a fingertip, the magnification of the microscope 1, the field position of the sample, the focus, and the like can be adjusted. The magnification change keys 44a to 44d for operating the imaging 25 to change the magnification are not limited to providing four preset magnification change keys, but an enlargement key for increasing the magnification and a reduction key for reducing the magnification. It can also consist of.

  The enlarged image input to the monitor 5 can be further enlarged and displayed in the image display area 38 by the electronic zoom function provided in the monitor 5. In the present embodiment, the enlarged image is enlarged and displayed up to 1400 times by electronic zoom.

  With this configuration, when the preparation 4 is inserted into the sample insertion port 3, the illumination device 7 irradiates the sample with light, and an image of the sample generated thereby is magnified by the observation optical device 8 and connected to the image sensor 9. Imaged. The image pickup device 9 picks up an image of the sample formed on the image pickup device 9 and outputs it to the monitor 5. Then, an enlarged image of the sample imaged by the image sensor 9 is displayed on the monitor 5.

  The monitor 5 which is a tablet terminal can be configured to be able to perform data communication with an analysis device installed in a laboratory or the like using a public line or the like. In this case, an enlarged image of the sample obtained by the microscope 1 can be transmitted from the monitor 5 to the analysis device, and the analysis result of the image by the analysis device can be received by the monitor 5.

  Further, the focus of the image can be automatically adjusted using the autofocus unit 46 provided in the stage device 6. For example, the autofocus unit 46 may be configured to use the imaging device 9 as a sensor for detecting the focus position and adjust the focus position by moving the stage 12 in the direction along the optical axis by the drive unit 13. .

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the present invention, the path of light emitted from the light source 14, that is, the optical axis, is bent into an L shape using the lower mirror 27 between the stage 12 and the imaging device 9. Thus, the stage 12 and the observation optical device 8 are arranged in an L shape. Therefore, the height dimension of the microscope 1 can be reduced as compared with the case where the observation optical device 8 is arranged perpendicular to the stage 12. In addition, since the height dimension is reduced, it is not necessary to provide a large and heavy foundation, and therefore the weight of the microscope 1 can be reduced as compared with the case where the observation optical device 8 is arranged perpendicular to the stage 12. it can.

  Thus, in the present invention, since the stage 12 and the observation optical device 8 are arranged in an L shape, the microscope 1 can be made lightweight and compact and can be easily carried.

  In the present invention, in addition to arranging the stage 12 and the observation optical device 8 in an L shape, the path of the optical axis is formed in an L shape using the upper mirror 23 between the light source 14 and the stage 12. The stage 12 and the illumination device 7 are arranged in an L shape. Accordingly, the illumination device 7, the stage 12, and the observation optical device 8 are arranged in a U-shape from the light source 14 through the stage 12 to the image pickup device 9. That is, the illumination device 7 that is Koehler illumination and the imaging lens 25 are arranged horizontally with respect to the stage 12, and these are arranged in a U-shape. Therefore, compared with the case where the observation optical device 8 and the illumination device 7 are arranged perpendicular to the stage 12, the height of the microscope 1 can be reduced and the microscope 1 can be made compact. . Further, since the height dimension is reduced, it is not necessary to provide a large and heavy base, so that the microscope 1 can be compared with the case where the observation optical device 8 and the illumination device 7 are arranged perpendicular to the stage 12. The weight can be reduced.

  Thus, in the present invention, the illumination device 7, the stage 12, and the observation optical device 8 are arranged in a U-shape, so that the microscope 1 can be made lighter and more compact and easy to carry. .

  Furthermore, in the present invention, the observation optical device 8 and the image sensor 9 that are heavier than the illumination device 7 are arranged below the stage 12, so that the observation optical device 8 and the image sensor 9 are arranged on the stage 12. The center of gravity of the microscope 1 can be lowered as compared with the case where the illumination apparatus 7 is disposed below the stage 12. Thereby, since the center of gravity of the microscope 1 is stabilized, the microscope 1 can be made lighter and more compact without requiring a large and heavy foundation.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, the objective lens 24 is fixed to the support frame 11, and the stage 12 is moved in the optical axis direction with respect to the support frame 11 to adjust the focus. It is possible to eliminate the need to move the observation optical device 8, the image pickup device 9, and the like together with the objective lens 24. Therefore, the configuration of the microscope 1 can be simplified and the microscope 1 can be made lighter and more compact.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications or changes can be made.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the stage 12 and the observation optical device 8 are arranged in an L shape, and the stage 12 and the illumination device 7 are arranged in an L shape, so that the illumination device 7, the stage 12 and the observation optical device are arranged. Although the apparatus 8 is arranged in a U shape as a whole, the present invention is not limited to this, and if the stage 12 and the observation optical device 8 are arranged in an L shape, for example, the illumination device 7 is arranged vertically. The configuration of the illuminating device 7 is variously changed, such as a configuration in which the illuminating device 7 that is the Koehler illumination is not provided by providing only the bright-field transmissive light source 33 and / or the dark-field light sources 34 and 35. can do.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the microscope 1 can be operated by operating various operation keys displayed on the touch panel monitor 5. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the microscope 1 can be operated by an operation terminal provided separately.

1 Microscope 2 Case (housing)
2a Side cover 3 Sample insertion port 4 Preparation 5 Monitor (display device)
6 Stage device 7 Illumination device 8 Observation optical device 9 Imaging device 10 Control board 11 Support frame 11a Opening 12 Stage 13 Drive unit (drive means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 14 Light source 15 Illumination optical system 16 Illumination case 17 Connection adapter 18 Upper mirror unit 19 Light source lens 20 Field lens 21 Field stop 22 Condenser lens 23 Upper mirror 24 Objective lens 25 Imaging lens 25a Mirror frame 25b Movable lens frame 25c Fixed lens frame 26 Lower mirror unit 27 Lower mirror 28 Fixed lens system 29 Movable lens system 30 Substrate 31 Ring stop 32 Phase plate 33 Phase difference ring 34 Bright field transmission light source 35a Dark field transmission light source 35b Dark field reflection light source 36 Cable 37 Connector Unit 38 Image display area 41a, 41b X direction position adjustment key 42a, 42b Y direction position adjustment key 43a, 43b Focus adjustment key 44a-44d Magnification change key 45 Shooting key 46 Autofocus unit P1 Incident Position P2 conjugate point

Claims (4)

A microscope that captures an image of a sample with an image sensor and outputs the image to a display device,
A horizontal stage on which the sample is placed;
A light source that is provided above the stage and that irradiates light to the sample disposed on the stage;
An illumination optical system provided between the light source and the stage;
An observation optical system that includes an objective lens and an imaging lens, is arranged below the stage, and forms an image of the sample on the imaging element;
A lower mirror disposed below the stage and inclined by 45 degrees with respect to a direction perpendicular to the stage and bending the optical axis by 90 degrees between the stage and the imaging device ;
A ring stop disposed in the illumination optical system;
A phase difference ring disposed on the exit side of the objective lens;
A phase plate disposed at a position optically conjugate with the ring diaphragm of the observation optical system,
The stage and the observation optical system are arranged in an L shape ,
The imaging lens has a magnification changing function, the imaging lens is disposed with the axial direction horizontal between the lower mirror and the imaging device,
The entrance pupil position of the imaging lens is positioned on the objective lens side with respect to the lower mirror, and the conjugate point of the phase plate is on the opposite side of the imaging lens from the imaging surface of the imaging device. A microscope characterized by being positioned . Disposed 45 degrees tilted with respect to the direction perpendicular to the stage above the prior SL stages, further comprising an upper Mirror bending the optical axis by 90 degrees between the light source and the stage,
The microscope according to claim 1, wherein the illumination optical system, the stage, and the observation optical system are arranged in a U-shape. The microscope according to claim 2, wherein the light source and the illumination optical system constitute Koehler illumination. The microscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising a driving unit that moves the stage along the optical axis direction.

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