Bright field-dark field illumination system
AssigneeAmerican Optical Corporation
InventorsKrishnaiyer Swaminathan, Milton H. Sussman
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Abstract
An illumination system for bright field/dark field microscopy has a swinging deflector which is normally positioned on the optical axis when bright field microscopy is used and which is swung off the optical axis when dark field microscopy is used. When the deflector is swung off the optical axis an alternate illumination axis is utilized to provide a reduced portion of the observation axis having coaxial counterflowing light passing there along.
Claims4
A vertical bright-field and dark-field microscope illuminator having a light source and a microscope objective with a shoulder aligned on an optical axis, which comprises, a first lens system for collecting light from the source, a second lens system for receiving light from said first lens system and focusing an image of the source, a partially transmissive mirror selectively positionable on the optical axis to deflect light from said second lens system toward the objective for bright-field microscopy, an annular reflector located on the optical axis near the objective, an alternate optical axis used when said mirror is positioned off the optical axis, a relay system on said alternate optical axis to focus light presented to said annular reflector near the objective shoulder for dark-field microscopy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.