Patent ID: 6924930

Claim:
A microscope for transmission viewing of a specimen, said microscope comprising: a light source for producing a light beam; an objective lens positioned for focusing the light beam produced by said light source on an area of the specimen for illuminating said area; and a reflector means positioned for reflecting light, which has been focused by the objective lens on the illuminated area and transmitted through the specimen, back through the illuminated area of the specimen; and a dichroic beam splitter for reflecting epi-fluorescence excitation light produced by said light source into said objective lens, wherein said light source is adapted to allow a change between different wavelengths for producing, alternately, transmitted light illumination and epi-fluorescence illumination; and wherein said dichroic beam splitter is essentially impermeable with respect to said excitation light and is essentially, but not completely, permeable with respect to fluorescent light and light for said transmitted light illumination.