Observation apparatus with focal position control mechanism

Abstract

An AF apparatus for a microscope (1) of the present invention includes: an observational optical system (6) which radiates light on an object under inspection (3) via one of multiple interchangeable objective lens (2) and which has a CCD (imaging device) (5) for observing reflected light from the object under inspection (3); a light flooding portion (7) which radiates a laser (non-visible light) on the object under inspection (3) via the objective lens (2) of the observational optical system (6); a focal point detection optical system (10) which has a photo-detector (photo-electric conversion portion) (8) that is arranged at an image surface of a light figure of the reflected laser from the object under inspection and that outputs signals corresponding to the position of the light figure inside the image surface, and which detects the relative distance between the objective lens (2) and the object under inspection (3); an object position adjusting unit (11) which adjusts the focal position of the object under inspection (3) based on the output signals from the focal point detection optical system (10); and a diaphragm unit (12) which adjust the area on which the laser is radiated so as to be inside the imaging area of the CCD (5).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.