A bright field and phase contrast illumination switching device for a microscope

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of bright field and phase contrast illumination switching device of microscope, comprising: light source module, including the bright field light source and phase contrast light source that can be independently controlled;Light path integration module, including the beam splitter of being set on the bright field light source and phase contrast light source emergent light path, the beam splitter is used to guide the light from the bright field light source with transmission as main mode to the emergent direction, and the light from the phase contrast light source with reflection as main mode to the same emergent direction;Condensing module, including the light source lens of being set on the emergent direction, for the light from the beam splitter converges to the sample to be observed. By adopting beam splitter, the optical path of two independent light sources of bright field and phase contrast is integrated, finally via the same condensing lens emergent, traditional mechanical moving parts are completely saved, fundamentally avoid the failure risk caused by mechanical wear, jam or failure, improve the reliability and stability of entire illumination system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of microscope technology, specifically to a bright-field and phase-contrast illumination switching device for a microscope. Background Technology

[0002] Microscopes are indispensable tools in modern scientific research and industrial testing. Among them, bright-field illumination and phase-contrast illumination are two of the most commonly used observation modes. Bright-field illumination provides uniform light and is suitable for observing samples with color or high contrast; while phase-contrast illumination can convert small phase differences in a sample into light and dark contrast, making it particularly suitable for observing transparent, colorless living cells or microorganisms, and it has extremely wide applications in the life sciences and medical fields.

[0003] In traditional microscope illumination systems, switching between brightfield and phase-contrast illumination is typically achieved mechanically. Specifically, to achieve phase-contrast illumination, a ring-shaped aperture matching the objective lens is inserted into the optical path to generate a ring beam; to switch back to brightfield illumination, this ring-shaped aperture is removed from the optical path and replaced with a regular aperture that produces uniform illumination. This switching operation usually relies on manually moving a slider or rotating a wheel.

[0004] Therefore, the existing technical solutions have the following obvious drawbacks: First, the mechanical switching components occupy a large space, which is not conducive to the miniaturization and compact design of the microscope structure; second, the mechanical movement has a response delay, which makes it impossible to achieve instantaneous high-speed switching of illumination modes, thus affecting the observation efficiency to some extent; third, the mechanical components are subject to failure risks such as wear and jamming, which affects the long-term reliability of the equipment.

[0005] In summary, there is an urgent need in the field for a novel microscope illumination scheme that is compact, responsive, and reliable, in order to overcome the various shortcomings of existing technologies that rely on mechanical components for mode switching. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a bright-field and phase-contrast illumination switching device for a microscope, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: A bright-field and phase-contrast illumination switching device for a microscope includes a light source module comprising independently controllable bright-field light sources and phase-contrast light sources. An optical path integration module includes a beam splitter disposed on the exit optical paths of the bright-field light source and the phase-contrast light source. The beam splitter is used to guide light from the bright-field light source towards the exit direction primarily through transmission, and to guide light from the phase-contrast light source towards the same exit direction primarily through reflection; and A focusing module includes a light source lens disposed in the emission direction for focusing light from the beam splitter onto the sample to be observed.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the light source module further includes: The first light-regulating element, disposed on the light-emitting path of the bright field light source, is used to modulate the light emitted by the bright field light source into a uniform light-emitting surface. The second light-regulating element, disposed on the light-emitting path of the phase-contrast light source, is used to modulate the light emitted by the phase-contrast light source into a uniform light-emitting surface.

[0009] In one possible implementation, a ring light generator is provided in the optical path between the second homogenizing element and the beam splitter; The ring light generator is used to convert the uniform light-emitting surface formed after passing through the second light-diffusing element into ring light.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the ring light generator is a ring light guide plate whose ring size matches the specifications of the phase contrast objective.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the bright field light source is a surface light source, and the phase contrast light source is an array light source. In one possible implementation, the beam splitter is a partially transmissive and partially reflective optical lens. In one possible implementation, the bright field light source and the phase contrast light source are controlled by a circuit to turn on and off, and the switching between the bright field lighting mode and the phase contrast lighting mode is achieved through electrical signal switching without mechanical switching.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: By using a beam splitter to integrate the optical paths of two independent light sources, bright field and phase contrast, and finally emitting light through the same condenser lens, the traditional mechanical moving parts are completely eliminated. Since there are no mechanical moving parts inside the device, the risk of failure caused by mechanical wear, jamming or malfunction is fundamentally avoided, and the reliability and stability of the entire lighting system are improved. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model; Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of internal structure cross section. Detailed Implementation

[0014] To further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by this utility model in order to achieve the intended utility model purpose, the following detailed description of the specific implementation methods, structure, features and effects of this utility model is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0015] like Figure 1 and 2 As shown, a bright-field and phase-contrast illumination switching device for a microscope includes: a light source module comprising an independently controllable bright-field light source 1 and a phase-contrast light source 2; a first homogenizing element 5a disposed on the light output path of the bright-field light source 1 for modulating the light emitted by the bright-field light source 1 into a uniform emitting surface; and a second homogenizing element 5b disposed on the light output path of the phase-contrast light source 2 for modulating the light emitted by the phase-contrast light source 2 into a uniform emitting surface. An optical path integration module includes a beam splitter 4 disposed on the output optical paths of the bright-field light source 1 and the phase-contrast light source 2, the beam splitter 4 being a beam splitter capable of partial transmission and partial reflection. The beam splitter 4 is used to guide the light from the bright-field light source 1 primarily through transmission towards the output direction, and to guide the light from the phase-contrast light source 2 primarily through reflection towards the same output direction; and a focusing module including a light source lens 6 disposed in the output direction for focusing the light from the beam splitter 4 onto the sample to be observed.

[0016] In this design, a ring light generator 3 is provided in the optical path between the second homogenizing element 5b (such as a diffuser) and the beam splitter 4; the ring light generator 3 is used to convert the uniform light-emitting surface formed after passing through the second homogenizing element 5b (such as a diffuser) into ring light. The inner and outer diameters of the ring light generator 3 are strictly matched with the specifications of the phase-contrast objective lens of the microscope.

[0017] The beam splitter 4 is a glass-coated beam splitter with a reflectivity to transmittance ratio of 80:20 for incident light. The beam splitter 4 is placed at approximately a 45-degree angle to the optical path. The beam splitter 4 transmits most of the light from the direction of the bright field light source 1 and reflects most of the light from the direction of the phase contrast light source 2, so that the two light paths eventually converge to the same exit direction.

[0018] The bright field light source 1 is a surface light source (such as a COB light source board), and the phase contrast light source 2 is an array light source (such as an LED array light source). The bright field light source 1 and the phase contrast light source 2 are controlled by circuits to turn on and off, and the switching between bright field lighting mode and phase contrast lighting mode is achieved through electrical signal switching without mechanical switching. In this invention, the circuit that controls the bright field light source 1 and the phase contrast light source 2 to turn on or off is a conventional microcontroller (such as an MCU) or a simple switching logic circuit. It is configured to output independent, programmable switching control signals (such as high / low levels) to the two light sources, thereby controlling them to light up when powered on or turn off when powered off, so as to realize electronic control switching. The working process of this utility model is described below: 1. Working process of bright field lighting mode: The microcontroller outputs a control signal to power on the bright-field light source 1, while keeping the phase-contrast light source 2 powered off. The light emitted by the bright-field light source 1 first passes through the first homogenizing element 5a, where it is modulated into a uniform emitting surface. This uniform emitting surface is then transmitted to the beam splitter 4. Due to the characteristics of the beam splitter 4, most of the light (e.g., 80%) is transmitted, while a small portion (e.g., 20%) is reflected. The light transmitted through the beam splitter 4 continues to propagate to the light source lens 6, where it is converged and uniformly illuminates the sample 7, thus creating a bright bright-field illumination effect.

[0019] 2. Phase contrast lighting mode operation process: The microcontroller outputs a control signal to power on the phase-contrast light source 2, while keeping the bright-field light source 1 powered off. The light emitted from the phase-contrast light source 2 first passes through the second homogenizing element 5b, where it is initially modulated into a uniform emitting surface. This uniform emitting surface then passes through the light guide ring 3. The light guide ring 3 shapes it into a ring-shaped light spot with uniform brightness and matching size. This ring-shaped light spot is transmitted to the beam splitter 4. Due to the characteristics of the beam splitter 4, most of the light (e.g., 80%) is reflected, and a small portion (e.g., 20%) is transmitted. The ring-shaped light spot reflected by the beam splitter 4 changes direction and propagates to the light source lens 6. After being converged by the lens 6, it illuminates the sample 7 to be observed as a precise ring-shaped light cone. This ring-shaped light spot matches the phase-contrast ring plate in the objective lens, thereby forming a phase-contrast illumination effect on the sample.

[0020] 3. Mode switching process: When a user or system needs to switch observation modes, they simply send a command to the microcontroller. The microcontroller then changes its output signal, cutting off the current to the currently lit light source while simultaneously turning on the current to the other light source. The states of the two light sources are reversed, and the lighting mode switches instantly. The entire switching process involves no moving mechanical parts and is completed solely through electronic control.

[0021] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "coaxial", "bottom", "one end", "top", "middle", "other end", "upper", "side", "top", "inner", "front", "center", "both ends", "left and right", "front and back", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0022] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "setting," "connection," "fixing," "screw connection," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Unless otherwise explicitly limited, those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0023] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model in any way. Although the present utility model has been disclosed above with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present utility model. Any indirect modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present utility model without departing from the scope of the present utility model shall still fall within the scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A bright-field and phase-contrast illumination switching device for a microscope, characterized in that, include: The light source module includes an independently controllable bright field light source (1) and a phase contrast light source (2). The optical path integration module includes a beam splitter (4) disposed on the outgoing optical path of the bright field light source (1) and the phase contrast light source (2). The beam splitter (4) is used to guide the light from the bright field light source (1) to the outgoing direction in a transmission-dominant manner, and to guide the light from the phase contrast light source (2) to the same outgoing direction in a reflection-dominant manner. as well as A focusing module includes a light source lens (6) disposed in the emission direction for focusing light from the beam splitter (4) onto the sample to be observed.

2. The bright-field and phase-contrast illumination switching device for a microscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light source module also includes: The first light-regulating element (5a) is disposed on the light-emitting path of the bright field light source (1) to modulate the light emitted by the bright field light source (1) into a uniform light-emitting surface. The second light-regulating element (5b) is disposed on the light-emitting path of the phase-contrast light source (2) to modulate the light emitted by the phase-contrast light source (2) into a uniform light-emitting surface.

3. The bright-field and phase-contrast illumination switching device for a microscope according to claim 2, characterized in that, A ring light generator (3) is provided in the optical path between the second homogenizing element (5b) and the beam splitter (4); The ring light generator (3) is used to convert the uniform light-emitting surface formed after passing through the second uniform light element (5b) into ring light.

4. The bright-field and phase-contrast illumination switching device for a microscope according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ring light generator (3) is a ring light guide plate, and its ring size matches the specifications of the phase contrast objective.

5. The bright-field and phase-contrast illumination switching device for a microscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bright field light source (1) is a surface light source, and the phase contrast light source (2) is an array light source.

6. The bright-field and phase-contrast illumination switching device for a microscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, The beam splitter (4) is an optical lens that partially transmits and partially reflects light.

7. The bright-field and phase-contrast illumination switching device for a microscope according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The bright field light source (1) and the phase contrast light source (2) are controlled by circuits to turn on and off, and the bright field lighting mode and the phase contrast lighting mode are switched without mechanical switching by electrical signal switching.

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