# US 10,371,934 B2 · Microscope arrangement comprising a plurality of microscopes, and method for operating a plurality of microscopes, in particular in a learning environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,934 B2 - Document ID: US10371934B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/351,499 - Filed: 2016-11-15 - Published: 2018-05-17 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-15 - Assignees: Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. - Applicants: Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. - Inventors: Qingsong Zou; Anthony Lim; Apria Laksono; Michelle Li; Andreas Klopfer; Vincent Vaccarelli - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371934B2 ## CPC - G02B 21/368: {details of associated display arrangements, e.g. mounting of LCD monitor} - G02B 21/365: {Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes (G02B21/361, G02B21/362 take precedence)} - G02B 21/367: {providing an output produced by processing a plurality of individual source images, e.g. image tiling, montage, composite images, depth sectioning, image comparison} - G09B 5/02: with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip - G09B 19/00: Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass (teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26) - H04N 7/181: {for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A microscope arrangement includes a plurality of microscopes arranged in a geometric pattern. A control device has a display screen and a data link. The data link connects the microscopes to the control device and is configured to transfer microscopy data at least from the microscopes to the control device. The display screen comprises display symbols. Each display symbol represents microscopy data received by the control device from a different one of the microscopes. The display symbols are, in at least one operational state of the control device, arranged moveable on the display screen and are adapted to be moved into the geometric pattern. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A microscope arrangement comprising: a plurality of microscopes arranged in a geometric pattern; and a control device having a display screen and a data link, the data link connecting the microscopes to the control device and being configured to transfer microscopy data at least from the microscopes to the control device, the display screen comprising display symbols, each display symbol representing microscopy data received by the control device from a different one of the microscopes, wherein the display symbols are, in at least one operational state of the control device, arranged moveable on the display screen and are adapted to be moved into the geometric pattern. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The microscope arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the microscopes comprises a camera which is configured to capture at least one set of microscopic image data at least as part of the microscopy data, and wherein the at least one set of microscopic image data is at least part of the display symbol. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The microscope arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the microscopic image data of at least three of the plurality of microscopes are displayed simultaneously at least as part of the display symbols associated with the respective microscopes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The microscope arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the microscopic image data comprise video data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The microscope arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the microscope arrangement comprises a display device connected to the data link, and wherein the control device is adapted to direct image data via the data link to the display device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The microscope arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the image data comprise microscopic image data generated by a camera of one of the microscopes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The microscope arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the microscope arrangement comprises workstations, wherein each of the microscopes is assigned to a different workstation, and wherein the display device is separate from the plurality of microscopes, connected to the data link and configured to be observed from at least two of the workstations simultaneously. ### Claim 8 A method for operating a plurality of microscopes, the method comprising: positioning a plurality of microscopes in a geometric pattern; connecting the microscopes to a control device by a data link, the control device comprising a display screen; displaying, on the display screen, display symbols, each display symbol representing a different one of the plurality of microscopes; and moving the display symbols on the display screen into a pattern which corresponds to the geometric pattern of the microscopes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein an appearance of one of the display symbols representing a respective one of the microscopes depends on microscopy image data received by the control device from the respective one of the microscopes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the display symbols each display image data received by the control device from the respective one of the microscopes represented by the respective one of the display symbols. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein any one of the plurality of microscopes is controllable by the control device to display image data received by a respective one of the microscopes via the data link. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of the display symbols simultaneously display microscopic image data received from the respective microscopes assigned to the respective display symbols. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein microscopic image data comprising video data from a respective one of the microscopes is displayed in a respective one of the display symbols. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the video data are generated by a camera of the respective one of the microscopes and are displayed in real time. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium having instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer having a display screen and a data link to a plurality of microscopes arranged in a geometric pattern, causes the computer to perform a method of operating the plurality of microscopes comprising: displaying, on the display screen, display symbols, each display symbol representing a different one of the plurality of microscopes; and moving the display symbols on the display screen into a pattern which corresponds to the geometric pattern of the microscopes.