# US 2014/0152959 A1 · Eclipse illumination combined with coaxial red reflex illumination > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0152959 A1 - Document ID: US20140152959A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/088,488 - Filed: 2013-11-25 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Applicants: Leica Microsystems (Schweiz) AG - Inventors: Manfred Kuster; Carlo Spizuoco - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152959A1 ## CPC - G02B 21/10: affording dark-field illumination (G02B21/14 {and G02B21/125} take precedence) - A61B 90/20: Surgical microscopes characterised by non-optical aspects - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract The present invention relates to an illumination device for a surgical microscope, comprising at least one light source (10, 20) for generating a first illumination beam path (80) that makes available a first illumination region in an object plane (70), and a second illumination beam path (90) that makes available a second illumination region in the object plane (70), such that the first illumination region and second illumination region at least partly overlap, and comprising a switching device (50) with which illumination of the object plane with the first and/or with the second illumination beam path (80, 90) can selectably be made available, and an eclipse filter (40), introducible into the first illumination beam path (80), by means of which the first illumination beam part (80) is partly darkenable. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An illumination device for a surgical microscope, the illumination device comprising: a first light source (10) for generating a first illumination beam path (80) that provides a first illumination region in an object plane (70); a second light source (20) for generating a second illumination beam path (90) that provides a second illumination region in the object plane (70), wherein the first illumination region and the second illumination region at least partly overlap; a switching device (50) operable to control the first light source (10) and the second light source (20), whereby illumination of the object plane (70) with the first illumination beam path (80) and/or with the second illumination beam path (90) can selectably be provided; and an eclipse filter (40) introducible into the first illumination beam path (80) for partially darkening the first illumination beam path (80). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the eclipse filter (40) is positionable in a plane (13′) of the first illumination beam path (80) which is conjugated with the object plane (70). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the eclipse filter (40) is positionable to provide a darkened region of the first illumination beam path (80) in the object plane (70) corresponding substantially to the second illumination region provided by the second illumination beam path (90). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the eclipse filter (40) is positionable to provide a darkened region of the first illumination beam path (80) in the object plane (70), and wherein the second illumination region provided by the second illumination beam path (90) completely overlaps the darkened region of the first illumination beam path (80). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The illumination device according to claim 4, wherein the second illumination region defines an annular overlap region surrounding the darkened region. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The illumination device according to claim 5, wherein the annular overlap region has a radius in a range from 1 mm to 3 mm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the eclipse filter has a variable diameter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The illumination device according claim 1, wherein at least one of the first illumination beam path (80)and the second illumination beam path (90) has an illuminated field diameter that is variable. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The illumination device according to claim 6, wherein the second illumination beam path (90) has an illuminated field diameter that is variable and the eclipse filter has a variable diameter, wherein the illuminated field diameter of the second illumination beam path (90) and the diameter of the eclipse filter (40) can be varied in controlled fashion to maintain the radius of the annular overlap region in a range from 1 to 3 mm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the eclipse filter (40) is selectably introducible into and removable from the first illumination beam path (80). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the eclipse filter (40) has a controllable light transmittance. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the first illumination region provided by the first illumination beam path (80) and the second illumination region provided by the second illumination beam path (90) are concentric with respect to one another in the object plane (70). ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the first illumination beam path (80) provides a main illumination, and the second illumination beam path provides a coaxial or red-reflex illumination. ### Claim 14 A surgical microscope comprising: an observation beam path (95); an object plane (70) observable via the observation beam path (95); a first light source (10) for generating a first illumination beam path (80) that provides a first illumination region in the object plane (70); a second light source (20) for generating a second illumination beam path (90) that provides a second illumination region in the object plane (70), wherein the first illumination region and the second illumination region at least partly overlap; a switching device (50) operable to control the first light source (10) and the second light source (20), whereby illumination of the object plane (70) with the first illumination beam path (80) and/or with the second illumination beam path (90) can selectably be provided; and an eclipse filter (40) introducible into the first illumination beam path (80) for partially darkening the first illumination beam path (80).