Patent ID: 7050225

Claim:
A microscope apparatus comprising: an objective; a first image-forming optical system arranged to receive a beam of light from said objective, to form the beam of light from the objective into a first optical image at a first image-forming point and to relay the first optical image along a first optical path; an image source which provides a second image not derived from the light from the objective; a second image-forming optical system which cooperates with the image source to form a second optical image from the second image at a second image-forming point near the first image-forming point, the first image forming optical system relaying a light beam corresponding to a composite of the first and second optical images along the first optical path; a third image-forming optical system arranged on the first optical path to receive the composite light beam, to form a third optical image from the composite light beam at a third image-forming point, and to guide the third optical image to an eyepiece lens; a beam splitter arranged along the first optical path between the first image-forming point and the third image-forming point which is operable to split the composite light beam between the first optical path and a second optical path; a fourth image-forming optical system arranged on the second optical path which forms a fourth optical image from the portion of the composite light beam on the second optical path; an image pickup element arranged on the second optical path which receives the fourth optical image for conversion to an electronic display on a monitor, and a memory for receiving electric signals from said image pickup element, said memory storing the fourth optical image.