Patent ID: 11906721
Assignee: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS CMS GMBH
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 23:
24. A method for manipulating at least one beam path in a microscope, the method comprising:
determining a refractive index of a sample arranged in a sample volume and/or of an optical medium arranged in the sample volume; and
setting at least one microscope parameter based on the determined refractive index for manipulating the beam path,
wherein determining of the refractive index of the sample and/or of the optical medium arranged in the sample volume comprises the following method steps:
(i) focusing measurement light into the sample volume by an optical arrangement, wherein the measurement light is transmitted on a sample side of the optical arrangement by the optical medium and a further optical medium;
(ii) detecting the measurement light that is reflected by a reflective element and transmitted by a further optical arrangement or by the optical arrangement, using a detector arrangement or using a spatially resolving detector;
(iii) determining a working distance between the optical arrangement and the reflective element based on the measurement light detected by the detector, wherein, for the working distance, the focus of the measurement light lies on the reflective element;
(iv) varying at least one of the following parameters:
(iv.1) distance between the optical arrangement and the sample medium;
(iv.2) distance between the reflector and the further optical medium;
(iv.3) divergence of the measurement light,
wherein the varying results in a fixed distance change of a focus position of the measurement light;

(v) determining a further working distance according to method steps (i) to (iii);
(vi) determining a working distance change between the working distance and the further working distance; and
(vii) determining the refractive index based on the distance change and the working distance change.