Optical microscope with modifiable lighting and operating process of such a microscope

US7064893B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES · FR

Inventors

• Jérôme Boutet · Le Pont-de-Claix, FR
• Francois Perraut · Petite-Île, FR
• Philippe Peltie · Le Pont-de-Claix, FR
• Philippe Rizo · Le Gorget, FR

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 2, 2003
• Grant date: Jun 20, 2006
• Expiry date: Jan 1, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B21/06
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An optical microscope is adapted for observation of several spots of an object by a modifiable optical transmission screen placed on the path of the optical beam and able to generate in the object plane a screen image coinciding substantially with the spots of the object. The modifiable optical transmission screen can comprise a matrix of mirrors, each of the mirrors presenting a first position enabling the light beam to be reflected to the object along the optical path and a second position enabling the light beam to be diverted from the optical path. Alternatively, the modifiable optical transmission screen can comprise a matrix of liquid crystal elements, each of the liquid crystal elements presenting a first transparent state, a second opaque state and, possibly, a third polarising state. The light source can be a light-emitting diode array.