Differential interference microscope apparatus and an observing method using the same apparatus
US5572359A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 30, 1994 |
| Grant date | Nov 5, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 30, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B21/00
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A differential interference microscope which includes a light source, a condenser optical system for condensing beams of light from the light source and illuminating an object with the beams of light, an objective optical system for converging the beams of light from the illuminated object and forming an image of the object, a pick-up device for photoelectrically detecting the image of the object, and a contrast enhancement circuit for enhancing a contrast of the image on the basis of an output signal of the pick-up device. A first polarizing element and a first birefringent element are disposed sequentially in an optical path between the light source and the object. The first polarizing element changes the beams of light from the light source into predetermined beams of polarized light. The first birefringent element separates the polarized light into an ordinary ray and an extraordinary ray. A second birefringent element and a second polarizing element are disposed sequentially in an optical path between the object and the image. The second birefringent element guides the two light beams from the object onto the same optical path. The second polarizing element causes the two ligh…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.