Apparatus for Aiding Manual, Mechanical Alignment of Optical Equipment
AssigneeComputer Power Supply, Inc.
InventorsWilliam F. TANNER, Marc C. WEISSFLOCH
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microscope subject illumination system including a position targeting accessory that identifies a point on a subject by a distinctive illumination pattern cast on the subject. The system includes an automatic control to switch between illumination sources so that the distinctive pattern is easier to discern during subject positioning. The control may automatically extinguish the targeting illumination after a configurable period of time.
Claims20
A subject-positioning aid for a microscope, comprising:
- means for casting a first visible-light marker on a subject;
- and
- means for casting a second visible-light marker on the subject, said first visible-light marker and said second visible-light marker intersecting at a point and visible on the subject under direct view, said point lying within an enlarged view of the subject as seen through the microscope, wherein
- the means for casting the first visible-light marker and the means for casting the second visible-light marker are fixed to the microscope;
- wherein
- the means for casting the first visible-light marker comprises a light source and a line-generator lens to cause the light source to cast a substantially planar fan of light onto the subject, and wherein
- the point at which the first and second visible-light markers intersect on the subject is substantially independent of a distance between the light-casting means and the subject.
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A subject-alignment aid for a Greenough binocular microscope comprising:
- a narrow-beam target-illumination light source
- mounted between left and right optical paths of the Greenough binocular microscope and oriented so that the target-illumination light source projects a targeting light beam coincident with a main optical axis of the microscope to form a pattern on a subject.
A microscope comprising:
- an optical system for providing an enlarged field of view of a subject;
- a targeting illumination system fixed to the optical system for projecting a distinctive, non-uniform pattern of light on the subject so that a portion of the pattern of light is visible under direct view and the portion of the pattern of light is visible in the enlarged field of view;
- and
- a control system for activating and deactivating the targeting illumination system, wherein the targeting illumination system comprises
- a first laser illumination source and a first line-generator lens to illuminate a first line on the subject;
- and
- a second laser illumination source and a second line-generator lens to illuminate a second line on the subject,
- the first and second lines intersecting at the portion of the pattern of light,
- the targeting illumination system oriented so that a location of the portion of the pattern of light on the subject does not change position significantly with changing distance between the subject and the optical system.
(canceled)
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.