# US 10,120,179 B2 · Inverted microscope and inverted microscope system

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- Number: US 10,120,179 B2
- Document ID: US10120179B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/217,267
- Filed: 2016-07-22
- Published: 2017-02-02
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-07-31
- Assignees: Olympus Corporation
- Applicants: Olympus Corporation
- Inventors: Brendan Brinkman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120179B2

## CPC

- G02B 21/33: Immersion oils {, or microscope systems or objectives for use with immersion fluids}
- G01N 21/253: {for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus (analytical automats G01N35/00)}
- G02B 21/0088: {Inverse microscopes}
- G02B 21/24: Base structure
- G02B 21/26: Stages; Adjusting means therefor
- G01N 2021/0357: {Sets of cuvettes}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

This inverted microscope comprises the following elements: an immersion objective lens, a medium container which is disposed above the immersion objective lens with a gap, and which has a bottom surface having a transparent portion and being capable of retaining a first immersion medium between the transparent portion and the immersion objective lens, and also which is capable of storing inside thereof a second immersion medium having a refractive index which is the same as or similar to that of the first immersion medium; and a movable stage to support a sample container, which accommodates a specimen, in a horizontally movable manner inside the medium container and which has a transparent portion in at least a part of a bottom surface thereof.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An inverted microscope system comprising:
an immersion objective lens;
a medium container which is disposed above the immersion objective lens with a gap, wherein the medium container has a bottom surface facing the immersion objective lens and having a transparent portion;
a first immersion medium retained between the immersion objective lens and the bottom surface of the medium container;
a second immersion medium stored in the medium container;
a sample container including a plurality of sample containing portions, each of the plurality of sample containing portions being configured to accommodate a sample, and each of the plurality of sample containing portions having a transparent portion at least in a part of a bottom surface thereof; and
a movable stage which supports the sample container in the medium container such that a gap is provided between the bottom surface of the medium container and the bottom surfaces of the sample containing portions, and which moves the sample container in a horizontal direction relative to the medium container, wherein the sample containing portions are arranged along a moving direction in which the sample container is moved relative to the medium container by the movable stage.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The inverted microscope system according to claim 1, wherein:
the medium container has an annulus shape extending around a vertical axis, and
the movable stage supports the sample container in a movable manner around the vertical axis.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The inverted microscope system according to claim 1, further comprising a first medium supply portion that supplies the first immersion medium to the gap between the immersion objective lens and the medium container.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The inverted microscope system according to claim 1, further comprising a second medium supply portion that supplies the second immersion medium to an inside of the medium container.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The inverted microscope system according to claim 1, further comprising a container stage that supports the medium container in a horizontally movable manner with respect to the immersion objective lens.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The inverted microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the sample container is a multi-well container that has a plurality of wells which are arranged at intervals along the moving direction, wherein each of the sample containing portions comprises one of the wells.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The inverted microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the sample container comprises a plurality of cuvettes that are arranged at intervals along the moving direction by the movable stage, wherein each of the sample containing portions comprises one of the cuvettes.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The inverted microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the sample container includes a multi-well container that has a plurality of wells which are arranged at intervals along the moving direction by the movable stage, and a plurality of cuvettes which are inserted in the plurality of wells, respectively, wherein the wells accommodate a third immersion medium, and wherein each of the sample containing portions comprises one of the wells and one of the cuvettes.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The inverted microscope system according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the movable stage to arrange, on an optical axis of the immersion objective lens, the sample containing portions that are placed at different positions along the moving direction by the movable stage.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The inverted microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the second immersion medium has a refractive index which is the same as or similar to that of the first immersion medium.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The inverted microscope system according to claim 8, wherein the third immersion medium has a refractive index which is the same as or similar to that of the first immersion medium.