JPH07333520A - Optical microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce relative displacing change between a sample and a lens which is caused by a heat source arranged in an optical microscope by fixing a stage and a stage receiver to the stage receiver holding part of a frame part and arranging the sighting driving part and the driving transmitting part of a guide part on the stage receiver holding part of the frame part. CONSTITUTION:The stage 10 on which the sample 9 is placed and the stage receiver 11 are fixed to the stage receiver holding part 3B of the frame part constituting a microscope main body. Then, the sighting driving part 20B and the driving transmitting part 18B of the moving guide 21B guiding an objective lens holding part 6 in an optical axis direction are arranged in the holding part 3B. Namely, since the sighting driving part 20B and the stage receiver 11 are arranged on the holding part 3B which is hardly thermally deformed because the heat of a lamp house 22 and a power source 23 is hardly conducted, the deviation in an optical axis direction of the lens holding part 6 driven by the sighting driving part 20B is reduced. By arranging the sighting driving part 20B and the stage receiver 11 at the same spot, the fluctuation caused by thermal deformation in both of them becomes the same.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical microscope with a vertical movement of an objective lens, and more particularly to an optical microscope in which the distance between the objective lens and the sample does not change due to thermal deformation or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an optical microscope with a vertical movement objective lens, a stage on which a sample is mounted is fixed, so that it cannot be moved or does not want to move such as a heavy object, observation of cells in a petri dish, and operation. Suitable for sample observation.

A known prior art of an objective lens vertical movement type optical microscope will be described below. FIG. 5 shows Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-1
It shows a schematic side view in which a part of the inside of the optical microscope disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 84312 is cut away. This optical microscope includes a support 1A, an observation support 2A, and a stage holder 3
A is provided, and these are integrated by screw welding adhesion, casting, die casting, or the like to form a frame portion. A lens barrel 5 having an eyepiece 4 is fixed to the observation support 2A.

A stage receiver 11 is fixed to the stage receiving / holding portion 3A by bolts 15. The stage receiver 11 has a condenser receiver 13 which can move up and down with respect to the stage receiver when a handle 14 is rotated. Is provided. The condenser 12 is fixed on the condenser receiver 13, and the light is focused on the sample 9 placed on the stage 10 fixed on the stage receiver 11. Further, the sample 9 is two-dimensionally driven on a plane by the stage 10.

A power source 23 shown by a dotted line is built in the pillar 1A and is electrically connected to a lamp house (light source) 22 fixed to the pillar 1A (not shown). A moving guide 21A, which is enlarged and shown in FIG. 6, is arranged in the column portion 1A, and a plurality of steel balls or the like are put in the column portion 1A so as to be movable along the optical axis direction. A dovetail portion 16A into which the objective lens holding portion 6 is inserted is formed on the moving guide 21A, and the objective lens holding portion 6 and the dovetail portion 16A are integrated. A revolver 7 holding an objective lens 8 is fixed to the objective lens holding portion 6.

A rack 17A is fixed to the moving guide 21A. The rack 17A is rotatable about a shaft (not shown) provided on the column 1A, and is coaxial and small.
The small gear of the drive transmission unit 18A, which integrates the large gear, is meshed. On the other hand, the large gear has a pinion 19A which is rotatable with respect to a shaft (not shown) provided on the column 1A and is connected to a focusing drive unit 20A having a reduction gear mechanism and the like built therein.
Are in mesh. Then, when a knob (not shown) of the focusing drive unit 20A is rotated, the rotation is decelerated and the pinion 19A, the large gear and the small gear of the drive transmission unit 18A are transmitted, and the rack 17A is moved up and down. move. Therefore, the moving guide 21A integrated with the rack 17A, and the objective lens holding portion 6 fixed to the moving guide 21A.
Is moved up and down.

Although not shown, the illumination light of the lamp house 22 enters the condenser 12 via the optical components in the stage receiving / holding portion 3A. The illumination light collected by the condenser 12 passes through the sample 9, reaches the eyepiece 4 through the objective lens 8.

When actually observing the sample 9, the power source 23 is energized, the lamp house 22 is made to emit light, and then the knob of the focusing drive section 20A is rotated to move the objective lens 8 up and down to make the sample 9 stand. This is done by focusing.

[0009]

According to the conventional example shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the heat of the illumination light generated in the lamp house 22 is transmitted by air and conducted by the mounting portion, so that the support portion 1 is formed.
As a result, the support 1A is warmed and extends in the optical axis direction. In addition, the power source 23 also heats the support 1A by the heat generated by the electric components, and becomes a factor of extending the support 1A. The influence of the extension of the column 1A is that the objective lens 8
When the change in the distance between the sample and the sample 9 (change in relative displacement) exceeds the depth of focus of the objective lens 8, the phenomenon of "out of focus" appears.

In the above conventional example, the objective lens holding portion 6
It is the gear rotation of the focusing drive unit 20A that is rotatably provided on the support 1A, and the position of the objective lens holding unit 6 is an absolute position with respect to the support 1A. Has become. For this reason, when the column portion 1A having the length La extends by ΔLa due to the heat generated by the lamp house 22, Δla at the focusing drive portion 20A located at the position la from the lower end.
And the absolute position of the objective lens holding portion 6 moves upward by Δla, so that the objective lens 8 moves upward by Δla with respect to the sample 9.

That is, the lamp house 22 and the power source 23
The objective lens 8 and the sample 9 are stretched by the extension of the supporting column 1A.
The relative displacement between and changes, and as a result, the sample is out of focus with long-term use.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides an optical microscope which reduces a relative displacement change between a sample and an objective lens by a heat source arranged in the optical microscope. With the goal.

[0013]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an optical microscope according to the present invention comprises a frame part having an observation support part for supporting a lens barrel and the like, a stage receiving / holding part, and a support part. Provided between the observation support section and the stage holding section, the objective lens holding section holding the objective lens, and the support section of the frame section, and moving the objective lens holding section in the optical axis direction. A guide part for guiding and a heat source such as a light source provided integrally with the support part are fixed, and a stage on which a sample is placed and a stage receiver are fixed to a stage receiver holding part of the frame part, and the guide is provided. The focusing drive unit and the drive transmission unit of the unit are arranged on the stage receiving and holding unit of the frame unit.

[0014]

According to the optical microscope of the first aspect of the invention, the focusing drive unit and the stage receiver are arranged in the stage receiver holding unit in which heat of the lamp house and the power source are less likely to be transmitted and thermal deformation is less likely to occur. The deviation of the objective lens holding unit driven by the focusing drive unit in the optical axis direction is reduced. Further, by disposing the focusing drive section and the stage receiver at the same location, the fluctuations due to thermal deformation of both are the same, and fluctuations in the relative distance between the objective lens and the sample are suppressed.

Further, according to the optical microscope of the second aspect, the heat conduction from the lamp house and the power source is further suppressed, and the fluctuation of the relative distance between the objective lens and the sample is further reduced. Become.

[0016]

The preferred embodiments of the optical microscope according to the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of an optical microscope according to the present invention, and is a side view showing a part of the optical microscope.

This optical microscope is provided with a support 1B, an observation support 2B, and a stage receiving / holding section 3B, which are integrally assembled by fastening parts such as screws, adhesion, welding, or a casting, a die. It is integrated by casting or the like to form a frame portion. Observation support 2B
A lens barrel 5 having an eyepiece 4 is fixed to
The imaging device 40 may be connected and fixed to the lens barrel 5.

A stage receiver 11 is fixed to the stage receiver holder 3B by bolts 15, and a condenser receiver 13 that can move up and down with respect to the stage receiver when the handle 14 is rotated. Is provided. The condenser 12 is fixed on the condenser receiver 13, and the light is focused on the sample 9 placed on the stage 10 fixed on the stage receiver 11. Further, the sample 9 is two-dimensionally driven on a plane by the stage 10.

A power source 23 shown by a dotted line is built in the pillar 1B and is electrically connected to a lamp house (light source) 22 fixed to the pillar 1B (not shown). A moving guide 21B, which is enlarged and shown in FIG. 2, is arranged in the pillar portion 1B, and a plurality of steel balls or the like are put in the pillar portion 1B so as to be movable along the optical axis direction. A dovetail portion 16B into which the objective lens holding portion 6 is inserted is formed on the moving guide 21B, and the objective lens holding portion 6 and the dovetail portion 16B are integrated. A revolver 7 holding an objective lens 8 is fixed to the objective lens holding portion 6.

A rack 17B is fixed to the moving guide 21B toward the objective lens holding portion 6 side, and the rack 17B is rotated about an axis (not shown) provided on the stage receiving and holding portion 3B. The small gears of the drive transmission unit 18B, which are free and coaxial, and which integrate small and large gears, mesh with each other. On the other hand, the large gear is a pinion 19B that is rotatable with respect to a shaft (not shown) provided on the stage receiving and holding unit 3B and is connected to a focusing drive unit 20B that incorporates a reduction gear mechanism and the like.
Are in mesh. Then, when a knob (not shown) of the focusing drive unit 20B is rotated, the rotation is decelerated and the pinion 19B, the large gear and the small gear of the drive transmission unit 18B are transmitted, and the rack 17B is moved up and down. move. Therefore, the moving guide 21B integrated with the rack 17B and the objective lens holding portion 6 fixed to the moving guide 21B are moved up and down.

The focusing drive unit 20B and the pinion 19B connected to the focusing drive unit 20B are located at a position where they are unlikely to extend in the optical axis direction under the influence of heat from the lamp house 22, that is, at the position of the stage receiving / holding unit 3B in the illustrated embodiment. , Is arranged at a position (about 1/2 la) where the distance in the height direction is smaller than the conventional position shown in FIG. In this way, since the focusing drive unit 20B and the pinion 19B are arranged at the position of the stage receiving / holding unit 3B, heat from the lamp house 22 is hard to be transmitted, and
Since the distance in the height direction is smaller than the conventional position, the amount of expansion due to heat is small, which causes the focusing drive unit 20B and the pinion 19B connected thereto to expand in the optical axis direction due to heat. It's getting harder. Further, although not shown in the figure, if a heat radiating means is provided at a position from the lamp house 22 to the focusing drive section 20B and the pinion 19B so as not to affect the stage receiving and holding section 3B, it is more effective. The extension in the optical axis direction can be suppressed. As such a heat radiation means, for example, the column 1
There is a heat insulating member or a heat radiating fin that is normally used, which is arranged between B and the stage receiving and holding unit 3B.

The illumination light of the lamp house 22 passes through an optical component (not shown) in the stage receiving / holding portion 3B,
It is incident on the condenser 12. The illumination light collected by the condenser 12 passes through the sample 9, passes through the objective lens 8, and
Up to the eyepiece 4.

When actually observing the sample 9, the power source 23 is energized, the lamp house 22 is made to emit light, and then the knob of the focusing drive section 20B is rotated to move the objective lens 8 up and down to make the sample 9 This is done by focusing on.

Next, the operation of the optical microscope having the above structure will be described. When the power supply 23 is energized, the lamp house 22
The column portion 1B gradually warms due to heat transfer and heat conduction from the observation support portion 2B, as shown by the two-dot chain lines in FIGS.
It extends upward together with the lens barrel 5. This amount of elongation (ΔLb)
Is roughly determined by the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material, the temperature rise, and the length Lb of the column 1B. Further, this elongation similarly occurs even when the temperature inside the room changes.

On the other hand, the heat from the lamp house 22 is
Although it also acts on the stage receiving / holding portion 3B as heat conduction and heat radiation from the illumination light flux, the amount of heat is very small as compared with the column portion 1B. Here, the position of the objective lens 8 is the gear rotation position of the focusing drive unit 20B and the absolute position with respect to the stage receiving and holding unit 3B, and when the stage receiving and holding unit 3B extends in the optical axis direction by heat, the same amount as that, It will move upward through the drive transmission unit 18B and the rack 17B. However, the amount of movement is
Compared with that shown in FIG. 5, the position of the pinion 19B (the length from the lower surface) is lb, which is shorter than that of the conventional la, and as described above, the amount of heat transferred is extremely small. (Δlb). Sample 9
The position of is determined by the position change of the stage receiving / holding portion 3B which is the mounting portion of the stage receiving portion 13. In the case of FIG. 1, the extension of the upper surface of the stage receiving / holding portion 3B is positionally almost the same as that of the pinion 19B, and thus is close to Δlb. Therefore, both the objective lens 8 and the sample 9 have Δl
It means that it extends upward and the relative distance between them hardly changes.

That is, in this embodiment, the change in relative displacement between the sample 9 and the objective lens 8 can be minimized by minimizing the expansion caused by the heat of the lamp house power supply. Therefore, as shown in the drawing, it is not necessary to readjust the focus even when various imaging devices 40 are attached to the upper part of the lens barrel 5 and a long-exposure photograph or a long-time observation using a TV camera or the like is performed. Further, it can be easily combined with a laser microscope having a shallow depth of focus (at the time of confocal) as compared with a general optical microscope. The influence of the extension of the observation support portion 2B leads to a change in the distance between the lens barrel 5 and the objective lens 8,
The effect is small. If it is desired to further improve the accuracy, it is possible to easily improve the accuracy by setting an infinity optical system between the objective lens 8 and the lens barrel 5.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the bolts 15 are used for fixing the stage receiver 11. However, if the rigidity is satisfactory, a fixing screw type, a one-touch detachable type, or an integral structure with the stage receiving / holding portion 3B is used. It doesn't matter. Further, although the lamp house 22 is separated from the supporting column 1B, it may be built in the supporting column 1B. Further, the focusing drive unit 20B and the movement guide 21B are connected by gears + rack, but belt + gear + rack or friction wheel + gear + rack may be used. Furthermore, although the rack and pinion is used for the rotation linear conversion, it is also possible to use other publicly known techniques (of course, unless the rotation-linear conversion is not affected by the thermal deformation of the column 1B). Not).

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The structure of the frame forming a part of the microscope is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the description thereof will be omitted. Further, the same components as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, the newly added component will be described in association with the frame configuration.

The microscope of this embodiment has a configuration for manipulator operation which has been put to practical use as an experiment of genetic engineering and biotechnology. That is, it is possible to perform operations such as puncturing, cutting, and injecting a sample using a manipulator in a state in which the sample can be observed with a microscope.

Petri dish 30 placed on the stage 10
The sample solution 33 is filled with a solution 35 and contains a sample 33 such as cells to be manipulated. Such a sample 33
Can be handled by the manipulator 29 that can freely move in the three axis directions, as described above. The manipulator 29 is a support rod 2 held by a fixing member 31.
It is fixedly supported by 7. This fixing member 31
Many screw parts 25 formed on the objective lens holding part 25
It is fixed to any one of a by a screw 31a. The objective lens holding portion 25 is formed by forming a large number of screw portions 25a as manipulator mounting means on the outer periphery of the side surface of the objective lens holding portion 6 shown in FIG. Further, the water immersion objective lens 34 held by the objective lens holding portion 25 is immersed in the solution 35 in the dish 30 so as to face the sample 33 in the dish 30.

The focusing of the illumination of the microscope is the same as that of the first embodiment described above.
The manipulator operation is applied to the sample 33.
In this observation, the power supply 23 of the lamp house 22 is energized to cause the lamp to emit light, and then the knob of the focusing drive unit 20B is rotated, the water immersion objective lens 34 is moved up and down, and the sample 33 is focused. . After that, the manipulator 29
Is moved three-dimensionally and the position of the sample 33 is adjusted to a position where cells and the like can be manipulated.

In this case, since the manipulator 29 is fixed to the objective lens holding portion 25 which is thermally stable (little vertical movement), as described in detail in the above embodiment,
Manipulator 29 for sample 33 during observation and operation
The effect of thermal deformation and vibration of is extremely small. Therefore,
It enables smooth and long-term experiments. Further, preferably, when the support rod 27 is configured to be short as shown in the figure, the influence of thermal deformation and vibration of the manipulator 29 on the sample 33 during observation and operation becomes smaller.

To replace the sample 33 (with each petri dish), remove the object that has been directly stabbed in cells or the like, rotate the knob of the focusing drive unit 20B, and move the objective lens holding unit 25 to the upper part to operate the manipulator. Since 29 also moves to the upper part, the sample can be exchanged by a simple operation.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the manipulator 2
Although 9 is attached to the objective lens holding portion 25 on the side surface of the objective lens holding portion 25, it may be attached to the front surface or the front surface of the objective lens holding portion 25. Alternatively, it may be attached to the revolver 7. Furthermore, manipulator 2
Although a screw is used as a mounting means of the objective lens holder 25 of FIG.
It is possible to use all the attachment methods which are known in the art.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The microscope of the above-described embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is of a type in which a transmission illumination optical system is incorporated in the frame, but the microscope of this embodiment is of a type in which an epi-illumination optical system is incorporated in the frame. Has become. Since the configuration is almost the same as the configuration of the above-described embodiment, only different parts will be described.

The frame portion of the microscope comprises a column portion 1C, an observation support portion 2C and a stage receiving / holding portion 3C.
An epi-illumination optical system is built in the observation support 2C and the pillar 1C, and a lamp house 22 is fixed to the upper rear part of the pillar 1C. Although not shown, the power supply 23 and the lamp house 22 are electrically connected. As the observation illumination light, the light emitted from the lamp house 22 reaches the objective lens 8 through the column 1C and the optical system arranged in the observation support 2C. Since the transmission illumination optical system is built in the stage receiving / holding unit 3C, the condenser 12, the condenser receiver 13, and the condenser receiver 13 in the microscope of the above-described embodiment are accordingly accompanied.
The handle 14 has been omitted from the construction.

Since the heat generated from the lamp house 22 does not have a frame above it, most of the radiant heat escapes into the air, but some of the heat is emitted from the lamp house 22.
The heat is transferred from the fixed portion of the above to the support portion 1C as heat conduction. By the heat and the heat of the power source 23 warming the support 1C,
As described above, thermal deformation occurs in the column 1C. However, the amount of deformation is considerably smaller than that in each of the above-described embodiments because the absolute amount of heat applied to the column 1C is reduced. The heat source of the lamp house 22 is the focusing part 20B.
Since the stage receiving / holding portion 3C is less affected by heat, the relative displacement change between the objective lens 8 and the sample 9 is considerably smaller than that in the above-described embodiment. That is, in terms of thermal deformation, the epi-illumination type is superior to the transmissive type.

As described above, since the thermal deformation is small, it is further advantageous for long-time exposure photography of incident light and combination with LSM (laser microscope). Also,
In this embodiment, the epi-illumination optical system is incorporated in the observation support 2C, but the epi-illumination optical system may be configured (not included) between the lens barrel 5 and the observation support 2C.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. Of course, also in the second and third embodiments, a heat insulating member or the like having a low thermal conductivity is provided between the heat source and the focusing drive section and the drive transmission section. You may provide the heat dissipation means of. According to this structure, it is possible to further reduce the change in relative displacement between the objective lens and the sample.

[0040]

As described above, according to the optical microscope of the present invention, the change in relative displacement between the sample and the objective lens is reduced by the heat source arranged in the optical microscope.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a first embodiment of an objective lens vertical movement type optical microscope of the present invention, in which a part is cut away.

2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in the optical microscope shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a second embodiment of an objective lens vertical movement type optical microscope of the present invention, in which a part is cut away.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a third embodiment of an objective lens vertical movement type optical microscope according to the present invention, with a part thereof cut away.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a conventional objective lens vertical movement type optical microscope, a part of which is cut away.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in the optical microscope shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1B, 1C ... Struts, 2B, 2C ... Observation support, 3B,
3C ... Stage receiving / holding section, 6, 25 ... Objective lens holding section, 7 ... Revolver, 8 ... Objective lens, 9, 33 ... Sample,
10 ... Stage, 11 ... Stage receiver, 17B ... Rack, 18B ... Drive transmission part, 19B ... Pinion, 20B ...
Focusing drive part, 21B ... Movement guide, 22 ... Lamp house, 23 ... Power supply, 29 ... Manipulator, 34 ... Water immersion objective lens.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. In an objective-lens vertical-movement type optical microscope, a frame portion having an observation support portion for supporting a lens barrel and the like, a stage receiving / holding portion, and a column portion, the observation support portion, and the stage holding portion. Is provided between the objective lens holding portion for holding the objective lens and the column portion of the frame portion,
A stage for mounting a sample and a stage receiver are provided, which includes a guide unit for guiding the objective lens holding unit so as to move in the optical axis direction, and a heat source such as a light source integrally provided on the support unit. An optical microscope characterized by being fixed to a stage receiving / holding section of a frame section, and by arranging a focusing drive section and a drive transmitting section of the guide section in the stage receiving / holding section of the frame section. 2. The optical microscope according to claim 1, further comprising heat dissipation means provided between the heat source and the focusing drive section and drive transmission section of the guide section.