JPH0486719A - Objective means for macroobservation - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the selection of irradiating light by constituting the above objective means in such a manner that the irradiating light from a light guiding means for side light enters the inside of a light guiding cap from the base end face of the light guiding cap and that the irradiating light from a light guiding means for vertical light enters the inner side of the light guiding cap. CONSTITUTION:The light guiding means 6 is divided to the two systems; the light guiding means 6s for the side light and the light guiding means 6d for the vertical light. The front ends of the optical fibers 9s of the light guiding means 6s for the side light are disposed annularly so as to face the base end face 10 of the light guiding cap 3 at the juncture between the objective means body 2 and the light guiding cap 3 and the front ends of the optical fibers 9d of the light guiding means 6d for the vertical light are arranged likewise annularly on the inner side of the toric where the optical fibers 9s of the light guiding means 6s for the side light are arranged so as to face the inner space of the light guiding cap 3. The respective systems are capable of selectively executing the on-off control of the irradiating light and the intensity control of the irradiating light. The selection of either of the vertical light or the side light is possible in this way and the combination at a proper ratio of both is possible as well.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention has applications in the medical, academic, and industrial application fields.
For example, an objective for magnifying observation that allows you to magnify and observe the outer surface or surface layer of an object to be observed, such as human skin, minute living things, or integrated circuits, in its original position without any processing. It relates to a tool (hereinafter simply referred to as "objective tool j").

[Conventional technology]

The most important thing in this type of magnified observation is the control of the irradiation light irradiated onto the object to be observed or the control of the image light from the object. In other words, the irradiation light that irradiates the object to be observed generally includes incident light that illuminates the object from the front, side light that irradiates the object at a steep angle close to parallel to the front of the object, and light that irradiates the object with a transparent surface. In the case of an object to be observed, there is such a thing as transmitted light, which illuminates the surface layer from the inside using the light that has passed through the object. Although incident light is suitable for overall observation, it is susceptible to the effects of reflected light from the surface of the object being observed, and side light provides shadows that allow for the observation of three-dimensional structures that cannot be seen with incident light alone. It is excellent for making observations possible, and although transmitted light can only be used for objects that are translucent, it can be used to observe the surface layer of objects to a certain depth in a silhouette-like manner. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, if these multiple lights can be selected freely and combined appropriately, more effective observations can be made.

Several techniques have already been proposed regarding such light processing.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-308527 is one of the proposals, which was previously proposed by the applicant. By forming the light guide cap in a hemispherical or hemispherical shape, side emitted light (horizontal light) can be Mainly reflected light and transmitted light are used in appropriate combinations to enable good observation. Another example, Japanese Patent Application No. 1-273419, allows the selection of image light, allowing for more multifaceted observation. However, none of these methods allows selection of the irradiation light.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an objective tool that allows selection of irradiation light.

[Means to solve the problem]

For this purpose, an irradiation hole is formed in the center at the tip of the objective body, which has a built-in light guiding means for guiding the irradiation light for illuminating the object to be observed, and an optical system for enlarging the image of the object to be observed. In an objective for magnifying observation which is connected to a transparent light guide cap having a hemispherical front part, the light guide means is divided into two systems: a light guide means for side light and a light guide means for incident light. The irradiated light from the light guide means for side light enters the inside of the light guide cap from the base end surface of the light guide cap, and the light irradiated from the light guide means for incident light enters the inside of the light guide cap. This is achieved by

[For production]

In this objective, the irradiation light guided from the light source by the side light guide means enters the solid interior of the light guide cap from the base end surface of the light guide cap, passes through the interior by total reflection, and passes through the irradiation hole. It becomes side light that irradiates the observed object approximately parallel to the front of the object, and the irradiated light that has been guided from the light source by the incident light guide means is irradiated through the inner space of the light guide cap. The reflected light that illuminates the object to be observed from the front through the hole, and the reflected light that passes through the transparent light guide cap in areas other than the irradiation hole, or the reflected light that passes through the surface layer of the object to illuminate the surface layer of the object from within. It becomes transmitted light. Therefore, by supplying irradiation light only from either the side light guide means or the incident light guide means, or by changing the luminous intensity of both, it is possible to select either the incident light or the side light. The ratio between the two can be changed as appropriate.

σ Implementation example: ′ An embodiment of this invention will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 5, the objective 1 includes an objective main body 2, a light guide cap 3, and a light shield 4. As shown in FIG.

The objective main body 2 is a cylindrical object that incorporates a light guiding means 6 for guiding irradiation light for illuminating the object to be observed M and an optical system 7 for enlarging the image of the object to be observed. Furthermore, it has a built-in image sensor 8 (CCD element), and its signal is sent via a cable 8c to an observation display via an amplifier (not shown), which allows magnifications ranging from 50 times to several thousand times. It is now possible to do so.

The light guiding means 6 is for guiding irradiated light from a light source provided in an amplifier (not shown), and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the light guiding means 6s for side light and the light guide for incident light It is divided into two systems: a light means 6d.

Each prefecture is formed by a large number of optical fibers 95.9d, and the tip of the optical fiber 95 of the side light guiding means 6s is connected to the light guiding cap 3, which will be described later, at the connection part between the objective main body 2 and the light guiding cap 3. The tips of the optical fibers 9d of the incident light guide means 6d are arranged in an annular shape so as to face the base end surface 10 of the side light guide means 6s. The light guide caps 3 are arranged so as to face the inner space of the light guide cap 3. Each prefecture can selectively turn on/off the irradiation light and control the intensity of the irradiation light. still,
Although the optical fibers 9 are sparsely shown in FIG.
In reality, they are arranged in a dense arrangement as shown in FIG.

The light guide cap 3 is for bringing the tip of the cap into contact with the surface of the object M to be observed so that the surface of the object M to be observed is aligned with the focus of the objective lens of the optical system 7. Side emitted light Ls from the irradiated light by the emitted light guide means 6s
It is made of highly transparent synthetic resin such as acrylic resin (methacrylic resin).

It is screwed onto the tip of the objective main body 2 by a screw 11 formed at the rear portion 3r, and the above-mentioned focusing is performed in this screwed state.

More specifically, it consists of a cylindrical rear part 3r and a hemispherical front part 3f, the rear part 3r has a proximal end surface 10 formed at the end, and the front part 3f has a small irradiation at the center of its tip. Hole 1
2 is drilled.

Then, if only the side light guiding means 6s is turned on and the irradiation light is applied only to the base end surface 10 of the light guide cap 3, this irradiation light is transmitted from the base end surface lO to the inside of the light guide cap 3 (solid By passing through this interior by total reflection and exiting from the inner surface of the irradiation hole 12, only the side radiation Ls that illuminates the object M to be observed at a steep angle close to parallel to the front surface of the object M is obtained; If only the incident light guide means 6d is turned on and the irradiation light is applied only to the inner space of the light guide cap 3, the irradiation light will be directed to the inner surface of the light guide cap 3 and the light shield 4.
The object to be observed M from the irradiation hole 12 through the space between the outer surface of
The incident light Ld that illuminates the object from the front and the transmitted light Lt accompanying this incident light Ld, that is, the incident light Ld, passes through the light guide cap 3 at a portion other than the irradiation hole 12, enters the inside of the object M, and covers the surface layer of the object M. Only the transmitted light Lt that illuminates from the inside can be obtained,
Furthermore, by changing the intensity of the irradiated light from the side light guiding means 6s and the irradiating light from the incident light guiding means 6d, the side emitted light Ls and the incident light Ld can be combined in an appropriate ratio.

The light shielding body 4 is for blocking other light and guiding only the image light from the object to be observed to the optical system 7 of the objective main body 2, and the rear part 4r is shaped like the inner surface of the light guiding cap 3. The front portion 4f is shaped like a conical tube, and a condensing hole 13 is formed at the tip thereof.

Note that the objective tool 1 in this example has a built-in image sensor 8,
It is possible to observe through a display, but it is not necessary to do so, and it is also possible to observe directly from an objective.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the objective tool according to the present invention, the light guide means is formed in two systems, the light guide means for side emitted light is made to correspond to the base end surface of the light guide cap, and the light guide means for incident light is made to correspond to the base end surface of the light guide cap. Since it is made to correspond to the inside of the lens, it is possible to select either incident light or side light, and it is also possible to combine both in an appropriate ratio, which has the effect of enabling more effective observation. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of the objective, Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view seen from the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the case in which irradiation light is applied by the incident light guide means, and FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the objective tool. - To 1 = 1 object 2 - 1 object main body 3 ・°° Light guide cap 3f - Front part 6 - Light guide means 6 s ′°゛Light guide means for side emitted light d ------ 1. Light guiding means for incident light 12 - - - Irradiation hole M - - 1. Object to be observed Fig. 1 ■ 2nd section d Fig. 3 = ° - Fig. 4] 9d 1° - 2

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An irradiation hole is formed in the center at the tip of the objective body, which incorporates a light guiding means for guiding irradiation light for illuminating the object to be observed and an optical system for enlarging the image of the object to be observed. In an objective for magnifying observation formed by connecting a transparent light guide cap having a hemispherical front part, the light guide means is divided into two light guide means for side light and a light guide for incident light.
The irradiated light from the side light guide means enters the inside of the light guide cap from the base end surface of the light guide cap,
An objective tool for magnified observation, characterized in that the irradiated light from the light guide means for incident light enters inside a light guide cap.