Patent ID: 7630113

Claim:
A microscope optical system comprising: an objective lens to be located nearest to a sample, in an optical path between the sample and a camera; a variable magnification optical system that forms an intermediate image conjugate with the sample, together with the objective lens, the variable magnification optical system having a low magnification state and a high magnification state; a mirror having a reflecting surface disposed in the optical path between the objective lens and the variable magnification optical system so as to guide light from the sample along the optical path to the camera, the mirror being arranged to change position of the reflecting surface by tilting of the mirror about each of two axes so as to change a direction of the optical path; a monitor that displays an image of the sample taken by the camera with the variable magnification optical system in the low magnification state with coordinates of a plurality of user-selectable fields of view superimposed therewith; a mirror controller which stores a table of data for determining respective tilt amounts of the mirror associated with the coordinates of said user-selectable fields of view, the table of data including a list of coordinates of the user-selectable fields of view and respective amounts of tilt of the mirror, said table of data having been corrected for image distortion of the user-selected field of view due to an amount of tilt of the mirror; and a computer operatively connected to the mirror controller and the variable magnification optical system, wherein, when one of the user-selectable fields of view is selected by the user, the computer determines an amount of mirror tilt needed to move from a current field of view to the user-selected field of view, without moving the sample, according to said table of data and instructs the mirror controller to tilt the mirror by the determined amount of mirror tilt, and the computer instructs the variable magnification system to change to the high magnification state such that the monitor displays a magnified image of the user-selected field of view when tilting of the mirror is completed.