Patent ID: 6400502
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A microscope comprising:a light source; an illumination optical system that irradiates a sample with an illumination light emitted from the light source; a stage that places the sample; an image-forming optical system that collects an observed light exiting from the sample; a detector that detects the observed light passing through the image-forming optical system; a processing unit that processes a signal from the detector; a display that displays an image of the sample based on a video signal from the processing unit; an illuminance reducing unit that reduces illuminance of the illumination light on the sample to be lower than a specified value which is enough for observation by the display; a control unit that controls an operation of the illuminance reducing unit; and a stage driving system that drives the stage, wherein said control unit makes the illuminance reducing unit operative according to a moving velocity of the stage by the stage driving system, and reduces illuminance of the illumination light on the sample to be lower than the specified value which is enough for displaying an image of the sample on the display, and said display displays an image of the sample as a still picture, the image being one when the illuminance reducing unit was in an inoperative state immediately before an operative state, while the illuminance reducing unit is in the operative state.