Patent ID: 8110394

Claim:
A culture microscope apparatus comprising: (i) an optical system for observing a specimen, the optical system including an objective lens to observe the specimen; (ii) a culture device defining at least three regions including: a region I where temperature and humidity are maintained at a level equal to that in an environment inside a body of a human being or an animal by the culture device, a region II, which is provided in a space not including the region I and adjacent to the region I, and where the temperature is on a level equal to that of the region I and the humidity is maintained at a normal humidity level by the culture device, and a region III, which is provided in a space under the region I and the region II and adjacent to the region II, on a normal temperature and normal humidity level outside of the culture device, wherein the specimen is located in the region I, and the objective lens extends through a boundary between the regions I and II; and (iii) a transparent optical member that is positioned on a boundary between the regions II and III, the transparent optical member being located on an optical axis of the optical system, so that light for the optical system passes through the boundary between the regions II and III.