Patent ID: 7639420
Filing Date: 2009-12-29
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. An inverted fluorescence microscope, comprising: a stage for placing a sample for observation; a filter set arranged below the stage, the filter set including an excitation filter, a dichroic mirror, and an absorption filter; an objective lens arranged between the stage and the filter set; a sample cover for shielding said stage from an outside light, said sample cover being capable of being displaced upward, downward, or backward so as to expose said stage; an epi illumination system arranged below the stage and extending in a horizontal direction, the epi illumination system having a light source for epi illumination and an optical axis extending horizontally toward the filter set from the light source, and light emitted from the light source being directed to the stage via the excitation filter and the dichroic mirror of the filter set; and an imaging system arranged below the epi illumination system and extending in the horizontal direction, the imaging system having an imaging unit, an imaging mirror disposed below the filter set and an imaging barrel which guides light from the imaging mirror to the imaging unit, wherein the imaging barrel extends horizontally toward the imaging unit from the imaging mirror; wherein an axis of the epi illumination system extending in the horizontal direction from the light source and an axis of the imaging system extending in the horizontal direction from the imaging unit are arranged offset in a V shape when viewed from above, wherein the V shape is less than ninety degrees, and wherein the light source and the imaging unit are arranged offset to each other side by side to form a shape of a V to avoid interference with each other in a vertical direction, and wherein the epi illumination system and the imaging system are arranged in the shape of the V effective to set to minimum the vertical spacing between the epi illumination system and the imaging system positioned below the epi illumination system.