Patent ID: 10877235

Abstract:
The invention relates to a balancing device (14) for balancing a microscope (12) with respect to a rotation axis (1000), the balancing device (14) comprising a balancing weight (16) arranged around and assigned to the rotation axis (1000), such that the balancing weight (16) is rotatable around the rotation axis (1000), wherein a center of mass of the balancing weight (16) is arranged apart from the rotation axis (1000). The balancing device (14) further comprises a lever (18) for indicating a torque acting on the balancing device (14) and/or on the balancing weight (16), wherein the lever (18) is arranged around and assigned to the rotation axis (1000) to be rotatable around the rotation axis (1000), wherein the lever (18) extends within the balancing weight (16) and is movable by the torque within a predetermined range with respect to the balancing weight (16), and wherein an electrical potential of the lever (18) is set to a predetermined first potential value. Furthermore, the balancing device (14) comprises at least one stopper element (32), which is immobile with respect to the balancing weight (16) and forms at least one end point of the range of the lever (18), wherein the stopper element (32) and the lever (18) are in electrical contact when the lever (18) is arranged at the at least one end point of the range and wherein the lever (18) and the stopper element (32) are electrically isolated from each other when the lever (18) is apart from the at least one end point. In addition, the balancing device comprises control means configured to set an electrical potential of the stopper element (32) to a predetermined second potential value different from the first potential value at least when the lever (18) is apart from the at least one end point, to observe the electrical potential of the stopper element (32) and/or of the lever (18) and to indicate the lever (18) being arranged at the first end point when the electrical potential of the stopper element (32) departs from the predetermined second potential value and/or when the electrical potential of the lever (18) departs from the predetermined first potential value. The invention further relates to a stand (10) for a microscope (12) and to a method for balancing a microscope (12).