Patent ID: 7599114

Claim:
A stereomicroscope comprising: an eyepiece portion; a base; a column that is vertically disposed from the base, the column being coupled to a support member that extends vertically from the base so that the column is movable along a lengthwise direction of the support member; a microscope body that is attached to the eyepiece portion, is supported rotatably on an observer side of the column, has a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the column and extending toward the observer, and is capable of being rotated, in the entirety of the microscope body, around the rotation axis selectively between an observation position and a storing position; a support device that supports an imaging device and is supported on the opposite side of the column and the support member from the observer; and a tubular connecting member extending through an interior of the column between the microscope body and the support device, the connecting member being movable with the column and positioned in an upper portion of the column such that in a lowest position of the column relative to the base, the connecting member is positioned above the support member; the microscope body including an imaging optical system and a roof prism so that light from a sample is reflected by the roof prism substantially perpendicularly and led through the imaging optical system to the imaging device, an optical axis of the imaging optical system being substantially coaxial with the rotation axis and extending in a direction away from the observer, the optical axis further extending across the column and the support member through the connecting member.