Patent ID: 7359117
Filing Date: 2008-04-15
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A microscope comprising: a light source which illuminates a specimen; an objective located opposite to the specimen; a field stop projection lens, located on an illumination axis between the light source and the objective, to narrow a field of view of the specimen; a digital micromirror device which is conjugate with the specimen via the field stop projection lens and the objective, and which comprises a plurality of two-dimensionally arrayed micromirrors that are individually selectable to be turned on so as to reflect light along the illumination axis to the specimen; a reflection mirror which reflects illumination light from the light source onto the digital micromirror device; a shutter; a dichroic mirror which is located on an observation axis of the objective so as to reflect the illumination light emitted from the light source onto the objective and to pass observation light from the objective; an excitation filter which selectively passes light components of the illumination light that are suitable for excitation of a fluorescent material in the specimen; an absorption filter which selectively absorbs light components of the observation light; a camera located on the observation axis to pick up an observation image; a monitor which displays the image picked up by the camera; a drive controller which controls the digital micromirror device and the shutter; and a computer which controls the drive controller, camera and monitor such that: wherein when the shutter is closed, the shutter prevents stray light, from gaps between adjacent ones of the micromirrors, from reaching the specimen.