Patent ID: 8864311

Claim:
An illumination device for an observation device, said observation device having one, two or more observation beam paths having an observation beam bundle for observing an eye to be observed, in particular for a surgical microscope, having at least one light source for producing at least one illumination beam bundle which produces an illumination spot for illuminating an eye to be observed, wherein the illumination beam bundle runs coaxially to the observation beam bundle, is hereby characterized in that illumination device has illumination optics that is constructed according to the Köhler principle of illumination, in which at least one reflection diaphragm is provided in order to avoid light reflected from the surface of an objective element and an optical element in the form of a prism and/or a beam splitter plate and/or a partially transparent mirror and/or a perforated mirror is provided to superimpose the observation beam bundle and the illumination beam bundle, the reflection diaphragm being disposed in front of the optical element in the illumination beam path.