US 5,818,637 AGranted

Computerized video microscopy system

OwnerRex A. Hoover, Robert G. Hooverinventors

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Abstract

A novel computer-controlled video microscopy system, features a rotatable objective lens turret. The lens turret is a rotatable cylindrical drum having an open end and closed end. A plurality of light-transmitting objective lenses are evenly spaced about the side wall of the cylindrical drum. The objective lenses are each directed perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the cylindrical drum. A computer is used to select a desired objective lens and signal a motor to rotate the cylindrical drum about its axis of rotation, so as to move the selected objective lens into the path of an approaching light beam. When the light beam enters the drum through the objective lens, a prism or mirror inside the cylindrical drum bends the light beam at a right angle and directs it out of the drum through its open end. An image carried by the light beam is then focused onto the imaging plane of a video camera. The microscope also features a computer-controlled stage which moves a sample in any direction in the x-y plane and an illumination system using either transmitted light or incident light.

Claims40

Dependent claims

A video microscopy system, comprising:

a) a means for supporting a sample;
b) a means for producing a vertical beam of light carrying an image of the sample;
and
c) an optical system comprising:
1) a rotatable objective lens turret, comprising:
i) a cylindrical drum having a tubular side wall, a open end, a closed end, and a horizontal axis of rotation, said tubular side wall being positioned in the path of the vertical light beam;
ii) a plurality of light-transmitting objective lenses which are spaced about the tubular side wall of the cylindrical drum, each individual objective lens in said plurality of objective lenses being directed perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the cylindrical drum;
iii) a means for selecting an objective lens from among the plurality of objective lenses and rotating the cylindrical drum about its axis of rotation until said selected objective lens enters the path of the vertical light beam;
and
iv) a means rigidly mounted inside the cylindrical drum for directing the vertical light beam out of the cylindrical drum through the open end;
and
2) a lens system adapted to focus an image carried by the light beam exiting the cylindrical drum onto the imaging plane of a video camera.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.