Inverted microscope

Abstract

To provide an inverted microscope equipped with an immersion liquid supply device capable of easily supplying immersion liquid even during observation.SOLUTION: An inverted microscope comprises: a liquid immersion objective lens 102a; a dry objective lens 102b; a rotary revolver 103 on which a plurality of objective lenses are mountable and which rotates to switch the objective lenses; a support base 100; a focus mechanism 104 which moves the rotary revolver 103 in an optical axis O3a direction with respect to the support base 100; an immersion liquid supply base 11a fixed to the support base 100; an immersion liquid supply unit 11b which includes an immersion liquid supply tube 11c that is movable in an optical axis direction with respect to the immersion liquid supply base 11a and supplies immersion liquid to the liquid immersion objective lens; and transmission mechanisms (11ba, 11a) which allow transmission of movement of the focus mechanism in the optical axis direction to the immersion liquid supply unit when the liquid immersion objective lens is arranged within a focus range on the optical axis, and releases transmission of movement of the focus mechanism in the optical axis direction to the immersion liquid supply unit when the liquid immersion objective lens is arranged in a downward region located on the optical axis and outside the focus range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to an inverted microscope for observing an object (specimen) from below, and more particularly to an inverted microscope equipped with an immersion liquid supply device for supplying liquid (immersion liquid) between an objective lens and a cover glass. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Optical microscopes that use a plurality of optical lenses to observe a magnified optical image of an object to be observed have been widely used in the medical and industrial fields, for example.

[0003] A conventional optical microscope is usually configured to include, for example, an observation optical system consisting of an objective lens and an eyepiece lens that form a magnified optical image of an object to be observed, and an illumination optical system that illuminates the object to be observed.

[0004] In addition, this type of optical microscope is available in upright types, in which the objective lens is positioned above the object to be observed (hereinafter referred to as the specimen) and the specimen is observed from above, and inverted types, in which the objective lens is positioned below the specimen and the specimen is observed from below.

[0005] In optical microscopes of this type, as a means of improving the numerical aperture and obtaining a finer resolution, an immersion objective lens in which a liquid such as water or oil (hereinafter referred to as immersion liquid) is filled between the objective lens and the specimen (cover glass) is generally used.

[0006] When using an immersion objective lens in a conventional optical microscope, for example, before inserting the immersion objective lens into the optical path of the observation optical system, an immersion liquid must be dropped onto the cover glass or the tip lens of the objective lens using a dropper or the like. This type of work imposes a cumbersome burden on the user of the instrument.

[0007] Furthermore, when performing long-term observations using a microscope (such as time-lapse observations), it is necessary to continuously supply immersion liquid at specified time intervals to deal with evaporation of the immersion liquid, which places a significant operational burden on the user.

[0008] Therefore, in recent years, various optical microscopes using immersion objective lenses have been proposed, such as those equipped with immersion liquid supply devices that can automatically supply immersion liquid, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6051493.

[0009] The inverted microscope disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6051493 and the like is equipped with an immersion liquid supply device that continuously supplies or sucks immersion liquid between the cover glass (or specimen) and the outer lens of the immersion objective. This immersion liquid supply device consists of an immersion liquid storage tank fixed to the rotation center of the rotating nosepiece, a cap attached to the objective, and a connector that connects the immersion liquid storage tank and the cap.

[0010] With this configuration, the inverted microscope disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6051493 and the like can constantly supply immersion liquid even during specimen observation, and objective lenses can be easily switched by rotating the revolver. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 6051493 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] However, in the conventional inverted microscope disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent No. 6051493, etc., an immersion liquid supply device including an immersion liquid storage tank is mounted on the rotating nosepiece, which causes the rotating nosepiece to become large and heavy, and also results in the rotating nosepiece becoming a dedicated rotating nosepiece.

[0013] Furthermore, if the rotating nosepiece becomes heavy, it may take longer to converge vibrations that occur when the objective lens moves up and down, which could result in longer observation times. Also, if the user begins observation without realizing that the vibrations have not converged, the observed image may become unclear due to the vibrations.

[0014] Furthermore, in the conventional configuration disclosed in the above publications, the immersion liquid supply device is located at the center of rotation of the rotating nosepiece, so if immersion liquid leaks from the immersion liquid storage tank, for example, this could have a negative impact on the entire microscope.

[0015] The present invention aims to provide an inverted microscope equipped with an immersion liquid supply device that can easily switch between an immersion objective lens and a dry objective lens with a simple configuration and can easily replenish immersion liquid even during observation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] In order to achieve the above object, an inverted microscope according to one aspect of the present invention is an inverted microscope comprising: an immersion objective lens; a dry objective lens; a rotating nosepiece to which the immersion objective lens and the dry objective lens can be attached and which rotates to switch between the immersion objective lens and the dry objective lens and place them on an observation light path; a support base which is a fixed part; a focusing mechanism which moves the rotating nosepiece relative to the support base in a direction along the optical axis at an observation position of the objective lens; an immersion liquid supply base fixed to the support base; The objective lens system includes an immersion liquid supply unit that is movable in the optical axis direction and has an immersion liquid supply pipe fixed thereto that supplies immersion liquid to the immersion objective lens; and a transmission mechanism that, when the immersion objective lens is on the optical axis and located within a predetermined range that includes a position where the specimen is in focus, mechanically transmits movement of the focusing mechanism in the direction along the optical axis to the immersion liquid supply unit, and, when the immersion objective lens is on the optical axis and located in a lower region outside the predetermined range, cancels the transmission of movement of the focusing mechanism in the direction along the optical axis to the immersion liquid supply unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, an inverted microscope can be provided that is equipped with an immersion liquid supply device that can easily switch between an immersion objective lens and a dry objective lens with a simple configuration and can easily replenish immersion liquid even during observation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of an inverted microscope according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an external appearance of an immersion liquid supply device in an inverted microscope according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the external appearance of the immersion liquid supply device of FIG. 2 with some components (the immersion liquid supply base and the immersion liquid supply unit) removed; [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the immersion liquid supply device of FIG. 2, seen from a direction different from that of FIG. 2; [Figure 5]A schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line [5]-[5] in Figure 4; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between an immersion liquid supply device and a specimen container on a stage when the inverted microscope of the present invention is in an observation use state; [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of FIG. 6, showing the part indicated by the arrow [7]; [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing only an immersion liquid discharge unit included in the immersion liquid supply device of FIG. 2; [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the immersion liquid discharge unit shown in FIG. 8; [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an external appearance of an immersion liquid discharge unit when an inverted microscope according to an embodiment of the present invention is in an observation use state and an immersion objective lens is disposed in an observation optical path; [Figure 11] 10 , a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line

[11] -

[11] ; [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the external appearance of an immersion liquid discharge unit when an inverted microscope according to an embodiment of the present invention is in an observation use state and an immersion objective lens is positioned outside the observation optical path; [Figure 13] 12. A schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line

[13] -

[13] in FIG. 12. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the objective lens and the immersion liquid supply device when the vertically movable unit is at the lowest position in an inverted microscope according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 15] 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the objective lens and the immersion liquid supply device when the vertically movable unit rises from the state of FIG. 14 and the nosepiece support part abuts against the contact pin; [Figure 16] 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the objective lens and the immersion liquid supply device when the immersion objective lens is in the focus operation range (mid-point position) after the state of FIG. 15; [Figure 17] 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the objective lens and the immersion liquid supply device when the immersion objective lens is at the upper limit position in the focus operation range after the state of FIG. 16. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. The drawings used in the following description are schematic. Therefore, in these drawings, each component is shown at a size that allows it to be recognized on the drawing. For this reason, the dimensional relationships and scales of the components in the drawings may be different for each component. The present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments with respect to the quantities, shapes, size ratios, relative positional relationships, etc. of the components shown in the drawings.

[0020] First, an outline of the overall configuration of an inverted microscope according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of the inverted microscope according to this embodiment. Note that Fig. 1 shows a cross section of a portion of the stage 101, and omits the illustration of a portion of the focusing mechanism 104.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the inverted microscope 1 of this embodiment includes a support base 100, a stage 101, multiple objective lenses 102, a rotating nosepiece 103, a focusing mechanism 104, an observation optical system 105, a first illumination optical system 106, a second illumination optical system 107, a group of electronic components 108, an immersion liquid supply device 10, a correction collar remote control mechanism 15, and the like.

[0022] The support base 100 is a fixed part that constitutes the main body of the inverted microscope 1. The support base 100 is roughly divided into a support base base part 100a, a support base rear part 100b, and a support base front part 100c.

[0023] Of these, the support base 100a is a block formed on the bottom surface of the inverted microscope 1 and extending in the front-to-rear direction. The support base rear portion 100b is a wall-shaped block extending upward from the rear edge of the support base 100a. The support base front portion 100c is a wall-shaped block extending upward from the front edge of the support base 100a. The support base 100 is formed in a generally concave shape when viewed from the side (see FIG. 1).

[0024] The support base 100 fixedly supports a stage 101. The support base 100 also holds the movable side of a focusing mechanism 104 so that it can move in a predetermined direction (a direction along the optical axis O3a of an objective lens 102, which will be described later). Inside the support base 100, an observation optical system 105, a first illumination optical system 106, a second illumination optical system 107, an electronic component group 108, etc. are arranged in predetermined positions and in predetermined configurations.

[0025] The stage 101 is a mounting table on which a dish 110, which is a specimen container, is placed. The stage 101 is made of a plate-like member with flat upper and lower surfaces. The stage 101 is fixed and supported at the upper ends of the rear support base 100b and the front support base 100c in a horizontal state.

[0026] A stage opening 101a is formed in approximately the center of the stage 101. This stage opening 101a is a through hole through which a dish 110 is placed and a specimen (not shown) contained in the dish 110 can be observed through a cover glass 110a of the dish 110. In other words, the stage opening 101a is formed to transmit illumination light and observation light when observing a specimen using the inverted microscope 1. For this reason, the size of the stage opening 101a is set so that the dish 110 will not fall out.

[0027] Here, the dish 110 is a specimen container that contains a specimen, which is an object to be observed. When observing a specimen using the inverted microscope 1, the dish 110 is placed on the stage 101. The dish 110 may be, for example, a typical dish with a cover glass 110a attached to the bottom surface.

[0028] The focusing mechanism 104 is a mechanism provided to focus the objective lens 102 on a specimen. The focusing mechanism 104 is held movably in a predetermined direction relative to the rear support base 100b of the support base 100. Here, the predetermined direction refers to the up-down direction of the inverted microscope 1. In the following description, the up-down direction of the inverted microscope 1 refers to the direction along the optical axis O3a of the objective lens 102, and is the direction along arrow Z shown in FIG. 1. In this case, the direction of arrow Z1 is referred to as the downward direction, and the direction of arrow Z2 is referred to as the upward direction.

[0029] The focusing mechanism 104 also supports the rotating nosepiece 103. To this end, the focusing mechanism 104 is configured to include a focusing base 104a, a nosepiece support 104b, an operating member, and a drive force transmission mechanism (not shown) that transmits the operating drive force of the operating member.

[0030] Of these, the focusing base 104a is configured to be movable up and down (in the direction of the optical axis O3a) relative to the support base rear part 100b. The nosepiece support part 104b is made of a plate-like member extending in a direction perpendicular to the focusing base 104a (horizontal direction). The base end of the nosepiece support part 104b is fixedly held to the upper end of the focusing base 104a, and the base end of the nosepiece fixing part 103b of the rotating nosepiece 103 is fixedly held to the tip end of the nosepiece support part 104b. The focusing base 104a and the nosepiece support part 104b are formed using a metal material whose main component is, for example, aluminum (including aluminum alloy), mainly in consideration of weight reduction and other factors.

[0031] With this configuration, the focusing mechanism 104 transmits the operating drive force of an operating member operated by a user of the inverted microscope 1 or the drive force of a drive motor or the like to the focusing base 104a via a predetermined drive force transmission mechanism (such as a rack and pinion), and moves the rotating nosepiece 103 up and down. In this way, as the rotating nosepiece 103 moves up and down, the objective lens 102 attached to the rotating nosepiece 103 moves in a direction along the optical axis O3a. This allows the objective lens to be focused on a specimen.

[0032] In short, the focusing mechanism 104 moves the rotating nosepiece 103 in the vertical direction relative to the support base 100, thereby moving the objective lens 102, which is located at a predetermined observation position, in the direction along the optical axis O3a. In this case, the focusing mechanism 104 and the rotating nosepiece 103 function as a vertically movable unit that moves up and down in the vertical direction. The focusing base 104a is disposed in a position where it does not interfere with the second illumination optical system 107.

[0033] It should be noted that a well-known configuration in a conventional microscope is applied to the focusing mechanism 104. Therefore, in the inverted microscope 1 of this embodiment, the detailed configuration and illustration of the focusing mechanism 104 are omitted.

[0034] The rotating nosepiece 103 holds a plurality of objective lenses 102 with different magnifications or shapes so that they can be exchanged with respect to the specimen, and is configured to be able to move up and down together with the focusing mechanism 104. The rotating nosepiece 103 is configured to have a nosepiece movable part 103a and a nosepiece fixed part 103b.

[0035] Of these, the revolver movable part 103a is a disk-shaped movable member configured to be able to mount a plurality of objective lenses 102. The revolver movable part 103a is rotatably disposed at a predetermined position near the tip of the revolver fixed part 103b.

[0036] Here, the revolver movable part 103a is configured to rotate about a predetermined rotation axis to place one of the multiple objective lenses 102 attached thereto at a predetermined position on the optical path O3 of the observation optical system 105. In this case, the predetermined position is a position where the optical axis O3a of the objective lens 102 coincides with a part of the optical path O3 of the observation optical system 105.

[0037] In other words, the rotating nosepiece 103 has a function of switching between a plurality of objective lenses 102 (immersion objective lens 102a and dry objective lens 102b; described in detail later) by rotation and arranging them on the optical axis O3a.

[0038] The part of the revolver movable part 103a where the objective lens 102 is attached uses a so-called RMS standard female screw as defined by, for example, Japan Industrial Standard JIS B 7141 (2012) or the international standard ISO 8038 (2013) of the International Organization for Standardization. Correspondingly, the attachment part of the objective lens 102 uses a similar RMS standard male screw.

[0039] Therefore, in the following description, the mounting portion of the revolver movable part 103b for the objective lens 102 will be referred to as the RMS part (see reference numeral 103x in Figures 8 and 9, which will be described later). In other words, the RMS part 103x is formed by a screw hole having a female thread that screws into an RMS-standard male thread on the objective lens side.

[0040] The rotating nosepiece 103 applied to the inverted microscope 1 of this embodiment has an example configuration including six RMS sections 103x so that, for example, six objective lenses 102 can be attached, as shown in FIG. 9 and other figures.

[0041] The multiple objective lenses 102 attached to the rotating nosepiece 103 include, for example, an immersion objective lens 102a and a dry objective lens 102b. Here, it is assumed that the immersion objective lens 102a is primarily a high-magnification objective lens, and the dry objective lens 102b is a low-magnification objective lens. In other words, the rotating nosepiece 103 can be attached with the immersion objective lens 102a and the dry objective lens 102b.

[0042] Furthermore, the base end of the nosepiece fixing part 103b is fixedly held at the tip of the nosepiece support part 104b of the focusing mechanism 104. With this configuration, the rotating nosepiece 103 is configured to be able to move up and down (in the direction of the optical axis O3a) by the focusing mechanism 104. Thus, by moving the rotating nosepiece 103 up and down (in the direction of the optical axis O3a), the objective lens 102 can be focused on the specimen.

[0043] The configuration of the rotating nosepiece 103 itself is substantially the same as that of a well-known one applied to a conventional microscope, and therefore, in this embodiment, further detailed configuration and illustration of the rotating nosepiece 103 will be omitted.

[0044] The observation optical system 105 is an optical unit that forms and observes an optical image of a specimen (not shown) in a dish 110 placed on the stage 101. The observation optical system 105 is configured to include an eyepiece 105a, a lens barrel 105b, multiple mirrors 105c, and multiple imaging lenses 105d.

[0045] Of these, the eyepiece 105a is an optical lens for observing an optical image of the specimen. The lens barrel 105b is a cylindrical member that mounts and arranges the eyepiece 105a and multiple imaging lenses 105d on the observation optical path O3 in a direction along the optical path O3. The multiple mirrors 105c are arranged at predetermined positions on the observation optical path O3 and are optical path bending members that reflect the light beam from the specimen to bend the observation optical path O3 and guide it from the specimen on the stage 101 to the eyepiece 105a. The multiple imaging lenses 105d are a group of optical lenses that form an optical image of the specimen at a predetermined focal position.

[0046] The first illumination optical system 106 is an optical unit that guides illumination light from a light source device (not shown) along a first illumination optical path O1 to a specimen and irradiates the specimen with the light as transmitted illumination light. The first illumination optical system 106 is composed of, for example, a condenser lens 106a as well as an aperture stop, a field stop, a condenser lens, etc. (not shown). Of these, the condenser lens 106a is an optical member that condenses the light beam from the light source device.

[0047] The second illumination optical system 107 is an optical unit that guides illumination light from a light source device (not shown) along a second illumination optical path O2 to a specimen and irradiates the specimen with the light as epi-illumination light. The second illumination optical system 107 is composed of a condenser lens 107a, a dichroic mirror 107b, an aperture stop, a field stop, a condenser lens, etc. (not shown).

[0048] Among these, the condenser lens 107a is an optical element that condenses the light beam from the light source device, and the dichroic mirror 107b is an optical element that reflects the light beam from the light source device along the second illumination light path O2 toward the specimen, and transmits the light after the light beam is reflected by the specimen and guides it to the observation light path O3 of the observation optical system 105.

[0049] The first illumination optical system 106 and the second illumination optical system 107 are substantially the same as those used in microscopes with a conventional general configuration. Therefore, in this embodiment, further detailed configurations and illustrations of the first illumination optical system 106 and the second illumination optical system 107 are omitted.

[0050] 1, a light source device is connected to each of the first illumination optical system 106 and the second illumination optical system 107. These light source devices are fixedly disposed on the support base 100.

[0051] The electronic component group 108 is an electrical component including a power supply and an electric circuit board on which a control circuit and the like for controlling the entire inverted microscope 1 are mounted. The electronic component group 108 also includes a drive motor and its drive control circuit for driving the elevation of the focusing mechanism 104, and a drive motor and its drive control circuit for rotating the rotating nosepiece 103. The electronic component group 108 also includes a liquid supply pump and a drain pump for driving the immersion liquid supply device 10 (described later), as well as a drive motor and their drive control circuits for driving the correction collar remote control mechanism 15 that acts on the correction collar 102x of the immersion objective lens 102a. The liquid supply pump and the drain pump may be controlled by a control device disposed outside the inverted microscope 1, rather than by the electronic component group 108. The correction collar remote control mechanism 15 may be manually operated remotely rather than by a drive motor. In this embodiment, the immersion liquid supply device 10 is attached, thereby reducing the space available for the user to directly access the correction collar. For this reason, if the correction collar is operated manually or by motor drive from a remote location, a significant effect can be obtained in terms of improving operability.

[0052] As described above, the electronic component group 108 is disposed inside the support base 100. Since the electronic component group 108 is not directly related to the present invention, it is assumed that the electronic component group 108 is substantially the same as that used in a conventional microscope with a general configuration, and therefore detailed configuration and illustrations thereof will be omitted.

[0053] Next, the detailed configuration of the immersion liquid supply device 10 in the inverted microscope 1 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 2 to 11. Here, the immersion liquid supply device 10 is attached to the rotating nosepiece 103, and is a device for supplying immersion liquid to the immersion objective lens 102a arranged in the observation optical path.

[0054] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the immersion liquid supply device. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the immersion liquid supply device of FIG. 2 with some components (the immersion liquid replenishing base and the immersion liquid replenishing unit) removed. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the immersion liquid supply device of FIG. 2, viewed from a different direction than that of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line [5]-[5] in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the immersion liquid supply device and a specimen container on a stage when the inverted microscope is in an observation use state. Here, FIG. 6 is a cross-section corresponding to the cross-section taken along the line [5]-[5] in FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part, showing an enlarged portion indicated by the arrow symbol [7] in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the immersion liquid discharge unit included in the immersion liquid supply device, with only the immersion liquid discharge unit removed. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the main part, showing the immersion liquid discharge unit of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the immersion liquid discharge unit when the inverted microscope is in an observation use state and the immersion objective lens is positioned in the observation optical path. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line

[11] -

[11] in FIG.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the immersion liquid supply device 10 is configured to include an immersion liquid replenishing unit 11, an immersion liquid discharging unit 13, and the like.

[0056] The immersion liquid supply unit 11 is a structural unit that is configured to supply (supply) a predetermined immersion liquid to the immersion objective lens 102a that is placed at a predetermined observation position.

[0057] The immersion liquid supply unit 11 is configured to include an immersion liquid supply base 11a, an immersion liquid supply section 11b, an immersion liquid supply pipe 11c, a biasing spring 11d, an immersion liquid supply tube 11e, an immersion liquid supply section fixing plate 11f, and the like.

[0058] Of these, immersion liquid supply base 11a is a foundation member of immersion liquid supply unit 11. Immersion liquid supply base 11a is fixed to support base 100 via immersion liquid supply part fixing plate 11f. Here, immersion liquid supply base 11a is arranged at a predetermined position near the outer periphery of revolver movable part 103a of rotating revolver 103.

[0059] The immersion liquid supply unit 11b is configured to be movable up and down relative to the immersion liquid supply base 11a in the direction along the optical axis O3a. As shown in Figure 6 and other figures, the immersion liquid supply unit 11b has a contact pin 11ba, a positioning member 11bb, and a tube holding unit 11bc. The contact pin 11ba, positioning member 11bb, and tube holding unit 11bc are integrally formed.

[0060] Here, the contact pin 11ba is a member that constitutes a part of a transmission mechanism that transmits the elevation of the focusing mechanism 104 to the immersion liquid supply unit 11b or releases the transmission.

[0061] That is, when the focusing mechanism 104 moves up and down, the contact pin 11ba comes into contact with and is pressed against a predetermined portion on the upper surface of the nosepiece support part 104b or the nosepiece fixing part 103b at a predetermined timing, thereby transmitting the upward and downward movement of the focusing mechanism 104 to the immersion liquid supply part 11b.

[0062] Furthermore, when the focusing mechanism 104 moves up and down, the contact pin 11ba is released from contact with a predetermined portion on the upper surface of the nosepiece support part 104b or the nosepiece fixing part 103b at a predetermined timing, thereby releasing the transmission of the up and down movement of the focusing mechanism 104 to the immersion liquid supply part 11b.

[0063] The positioning member 11bb is a component that positions the immersion liquid supply unit 11b at a predetermined position when the transmission of the up and down movement of the focusing mechanism 104 by the contact pin 11ba to the immersion liquid supply unit 11b is released (see Figure 14 described below).

[0064] As shown in FIG. 6 and other figures, the positioning member 11bb is formed with a flange portion 11bba and a hollow shaft portion 11bbb. A contact pin 11ba is inserted into and fixed to the hollow shaft portion 11bbb. At this time, the tip of the contact pin 11ba protrudes downward by a predetermined amount from the tip of the hollow shaft portion 11bbb. The hollow shaft portion 11bbb is slidably inserted into a through hole 11aa (see FIG. 6) of the immersion liquid supply base 11a.

[0065] Here, a part of the immersion liquid supply base 11a (through hole 11aa) constitutes a part of a transmission mechanism that transmits the elevation of the focusing mechanism 104 to the immersion liquid supply unit 11b or releases the transmission.

[0066] In this case, the flange portion 11bba abuts against the upper surface of the immersion liquid supply base 11a, thereby positioning the positioning member 11bb in the direction of the arrow Z1 (see FIG. 14, which will be described later).

[0067] In the state shown in Figure 6, the revolver fixing part 103b rises in the direction of arrow Z2 due to the lifting action of the focusing mechanism 104, and a part of the upper surface of the revolver support part 104b or the revolver fixing part 103b abuts against the lower end surface of the contact pin 11ba, pushing up the immersion liquid supply part 11b by a predetermined amount in the direction of arrow Z2 (approximately the same state as Figure 17 described later).

[0068] The pipe holding portion 11bc is a component that holds the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c in a predetermined form. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the pipe holding portion 11bc is fixed in a form in which it is placed on a part of the upper surface side of the flange portion 11bba of the positioning member 11bb.

[0069] Here, the immersion liquid supply unit 11b including the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c held by the pipe holder 11bc is movable in the direction of the optical axis O3a relative to the immersion liquid supply base 11a fixed to the support table 100.

[0070] In this case, the tube holder 11bc holds the immersion liquid supply tube 11c so that the tip of the immersion liquid supply tube 11c faces the revolver movable part 103a of the rotating revolver 103. Furthermore, the tube holder 11bc holds the immersion liquid supply tube 11c so that the tube tip 11ca is positioned near the tip lens 102aa (see Figures 5 to 7) of the immersion objective lens 102a when the immersion objective lens 102a is placed at a predetermined observation position (see also Figures 15 to 17 described below).

[0071] The immersion liquid supply pipe 11c is a nozzle that discharges immersion liquid toward the vicinity of the tip surface of the tip lens 102aa of the immersion objective lens 102a placed at the observation position, and supplies the immersion liquid (200) between the tip lens 102aa and the cover glass 110a (see FIG. 7). As described above, the pipe tip 11ca of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c is held so as to be positioned near the tip lens 102aa when the immersion objective lens 102a is placed at the observation position. In this case, the position (particularly the horizontal position) of the pipe tip 11ca of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c is positioned outside the light beam passing area (the area indicated by symbol [A] in FIG. 6) of the objective lenses (102a, 102b) placed at the observation position.

[0072] The position of the immersion liquid supply unit 11b in the Z direction is adjusted by moving the contact pin 11ba in the Z direction. For this purpose, a slit-shaped groove (slot) is provided on the upper end surface of the contact pin 11ba. When the contact pin 11ba is rotated using this slit-shaped groove, the contact pin 11ba moves in the Z direction due to a so-called screw extension / retraction action. After the position of the contact pin 11ba has been adjusted in the Z direction, its movement in the Z direction is restricted by a lock set screw 11g (see FIG. 4) provided on the positioning member 11bb, and the predetermined adjusted position is maintained.

[0073] Normally, when the objective lens 102 is placed at a predetermined observation position, the tip position of the objective lens 102 in the Z direction may vary depending on the type or shape of the objective lens. It also varies depending on variations in the processing and assembly of the focusing mechanism 104 and the rotating nosepiece 103. Therefore, as described above, the position of the immersion liquid supply unit 11b in the Z direction is adjusted using the contact pin 11ba. This allows the position in the Z direction of the pipe tip 11ca of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c attached to the immersion liquid supply unit 11b to be adjusted according to the tip position of the objective lens 102. By providing such a position adjustment mechanism, the immersion liquid discharged from the pipe tip 11ca of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c can be adjusted so that it is accurately discharged toward the tip of the immersion objective lens 102a placed at the predetermined observation position.

[0074] The biasing spring 11d is a component that maintains the position of the immersion liquid supply unit 11b at a predetermined position relative to the immersion liquid supply base 11a. The biasing spring 11d is arranged to span between the immersion liquid supply base 11a and the immersion liquid supply unit 11b. A tension coil spring or the like is used as the biasing spring 11d.

[0075] With this configuration, the biasing spring 11d constantly biases the immersion liquid supply unit 11b (movable member) toward the immersion liquid supply base 11a (fixed member), thereby maintaining a state of contact between the flange portion 11bba and the upper surface of the immersion liquid supply base 11a, thereby positioning the immersion liquid supply unit 11b at a predetermined position.

[0076] Also, as shown in Figure 6, when the revolver support part 104b or the revolver fixing part 103b rises in the direction of the arrow Z2 due to the lifting action of the focusing mechanism 104, and the upper surface of the revolver support part 104b or the revolver fixing part 103b abuts against the lower end surface of the contact pin 11ba, and a force in the direction of the arrow Z2 is applied to the immersion liquid supply part 11b, the immersion liquid supply part 11b is pushed up in the direction Z2 against the biasing force of the biasing spring 11d.

[0077] The immersion liquid supply tube 11e is connected to an immersion liquid storage tank and a liquid supply pump (not shown), and is an immersion liquid flow pipe for supplying the immersion liquid from the tank to the immersion liquid supply unit 11b.

[0078] The immersion liquid supply unit fixing plate 11f is fixed to the support base 100 (the upper surface of the rear part 100b of the support base). As described above, the immersion liquid supply base 11a is placed on and fixed to this immersion liquid supply unit fixing plate 11f. In this way, the immersion liquid supply base 11a is fixed to the support base 100 via the immersion liquid supply unit fixing plate 11f.

[0079] The transmission mechanism is a mechanism unit that transmits the elevation of the focusing mechanism 104 to the immersion liquid supply unit 11b or releases the transmission. In this embodiment, for example, the transmission mechanism is configured by the contact pin 11ba and the through hole 11aa of the immersion liquid supply base 11a.

[0080] For example, when the immersion objective lens 102a is located on the optical axis O3a and within a predetermined range (called the focus operating range) that includes the position where the specimen is in focus, the transmission mechanism mechanically transmits the up and down movement of the focusing mechanism 104 along the optical axis O3a to the immersion liquid supply unit 11b, and moves the immersion liquid supply unit 11b in the same direction in conjunction with the movement of the focusing mechanism 104.

[0081] Furthermore, for example, when the immersion objective lens 102a is located on the optical axis O3a and in a lower region outside a predetermined range in the Z direction (a region from the initial observation state to just before entering the focus operation range), the transmission mechanism cancels the transmission of movement of the focusing mechanism 104 in a direction along the optical axis O3a to the immersion liquid supply unit 11b. Note that the focus operation range is determined taking into consideration variations in the distance from the bottom surface of the specimen container (the surface that comes into contact with the stage) to the top surface of the cover glass, and the range of the distance from the bottom surface of the specimen container to the observation surface of the specimen that is actually to be observed (usually, a specimen on the top surface of the cover glass is observed, but there are also cases where the interior of the specimen in the thickness direction is observed).

[0082] Furthermore, when the movable side members (the revolver support part 104b and the revolver fixing part 103b) of the focusing mechanism 104 reach a predetermined position in the Z direction, the movable side members come into contact with the contact pin 11ba of the immersion liquid supply part 11b and press the contact pin 11ba, thereby moving the immersion liquid supply part 11b in the direction of the optical axis O3a (the Z2 direction).

[0083] The immersion liquid discharge unit 13 is a structural unit that recovers the immersion liquid discharged from the tip of the immersion objective lens 102a supplied from the immersion liquid replenishing unit 11. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the immersion liquid discharge unit 13 is composed of an objective cap 13a, which is an annular member, a flow path part set 13b, an immersion liquid discharge unit mounting member 13c, a fixed lid 13d, an immersion liquid receiving part set 13e, and the like (see mainly Figure 9, etc.).

[0084] Of these, the objective cap 13a is an annular member that is provided at the tip of the immersion objective lens 102a and guides the immersion liquid discharged radially from the tip of the immersion objective lens 102a to a tubular member (drainage pipe 13bb) of the flow path section 13b (see symbol F in Figure 11).

[0085] The objective cap 13a has a cap through-hole 13aa, a cap groove 13ab, a drainage groove 13ac, and a connecting flange 13ad.

[0086] Of these, the cap through-hole 13aa is a through-hole that passes through a light beam that passes through the immersion objective lens 102a to which the objective cap 13a is attached. The cap through-hole 13aa is formed at a position where the optical axis O3a of the immersion objective lens 102a passes through its center when the immersion objective lens 102a to which the objective cap 13a is attached is placed at the observation position. Therefore, when the objective cap 13a is attached to the immersion objective lens 102a, the tip lens 102aa (see FIGS. 5 to 7) is exposed from the cap through-hole 13aa.

[0087] The cap groove 13ab is a groove into which a partial area of ​​the tip of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c is placed when the immersion liquid supply device 10 is placed at a predetermined position. Here, the predetermined state of the immersion liquid supply device 10 is assumed to be, for example, a state in which the immersion objective lens 102a with the objective cap 13a attached is placed at the observation position of the inverted microscope 1, and the immersion objective lens 102a is placed within a predetermined range that includes the position where the immersion objective lens 102a focuses on the specimen (see FIGS. 5 to 7 and also see FIGS. 15 to 17, which will be described later). Note that it is desirable to adjust the mounting position of the immersion liquid supply base 11a relative to the support stand 100 so that the position of the tip of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c and the position of the cap groove 13ab in the horizontal plane are aligned.

[0088] The drain groove 13ac is a circumferential groove formed around the outer periphery of the objective cap 13a. The drain groove 13ac is a receiving groove that receives the immersion liquid that is discharged in the radial direction from the tip of the immersion objective lens 102a. The drain groove 13ac is also formed to guide the received immersion liquid in a predetermined direction (see symbol F in FIG. 11). Here, the predetermined direction is the installation direction of the drain pipe 13bb, which is a tubular member of the flow path section assembly 13b.

[0089] For this reason, the drainage groove 13ac is formed with a slope SL of a predetermined angle AN in cross section, as shown in Fig. 11 etc. In this case, the slope SL of the drainage groove 13ac is set so as to form an inclination with the position where the drainage pipe 13bb is installed on the downstream side when the immersion objective lens 102a with the objective cap 13a attached is placed at the observation position. Here, a through-hole 13ae (see Fig. 11) is formed in the bottom portion of the drainage groove 13ac opposite the position where the drainage pipe 13bb is installed.

[0090] The connecting flange 13ad is an attachment portion for connecting the objective cap 13a to the flow path assembly 13b. A plurality of screw holes are formed in the connecting flange 13ad. A bolt 51 is inserted into each of the plurality of screw holes. The threads of the bolts 51 are screwed into the screw holes of the flow path assembly 13b. In this way, the objective cap 13a is integrally assembled with the flow path assembly 13b.

[0091] Although not shown, a sealing member of a predetermined form (e.g., an O-ring) is disposed on the inner peripheral edge of the cap through-hole 13aa of the objective cap 13a. This sealing member serves to seal the gap between the objective cap 13a and the outer surface of the barrel of the immersion objective lens 102 when the objective cap 13a is attached to the tip of the immersion objective lens 102. Providing this sealing member prevents the immersion liquid from entering the objective cap 13a through the cap through-hole 13aa. This prevents the immersion liquid that has entered the objective cap 13a from running down, for example, the outer surface of the barrel of the immersion objective lens 102a and eroding various components below (e.g., the RMS portion 103x of the rotating nosepiece 103).

[0092] The flow path assembly 13b is a component that receives the immersion liquid (see symbol F in Figure 11) that is discharged from the tip of the immersion objective lens 102a and guided by the objective cap 13a, and further guides it through a drainage pipe 13bb to a dish member 13ea (described below) fixed to the outer periphery of the rotating nosepiece 103 (see symbol F in Figure 11).

[0093] The flow path assembly 13b has a connecting member 13ba and a drainage pipe 13bb, which is a tubular member. Of these, the connecting member 13ba is a component member connected to the objective cap 13a. The connecting member 13ba has a flow path 13baa (see FIG. 11) therein.

[0094] The flow path 13baa has an opening 13bc (see FIGS. 9 and 11) formed at one end on the upper surface side, and the base end of a tubular member (drainage pipe 13bb) is connected to the other internal end. The opening 13bc at the one end on the upper surface side is connected to a through-hole 13ae (see FIG. 11) in the objective cap 13a.

[0095] The drain pipe 13bb is a tubular member that guides the discharged immersion liquid (see symbol F in FIG. 11) that has been guided from the through-hole 13ae of the objective cap 13a through the opening 13bc to the flow path 13baa to the dish member 13ea (described later). The base end of the drain pipe 13bb is connected to the other end of the flow path 13baa of the connecting member 13ba. The drain pipe 13bb protrudes outward from the connecting member 13ba. In this case, the tip outlet 13bba of the drain pipe 13bb is positioned near the outer periphery of the immersion objective lens 102a.

[0096] Here, the drainage pipe 13bb is arranged on the connecting member 13ba with an inclination such that the other end side (the side of the tip discharge port 13bba) is lower in the Z direction (vertical direction) than the base end side.

[0097] The drain pipe 13bb is arranged such that its tip outlet 13bba faces the tray member 13ea (described later) when viewed from the top-bottom direction. This allows the tip outlet 13bba of the drain pipe 13bb to overlap with the flat surface of the tray member 13ea when viewed from the Z direction. In this case, the tip outlet 13bba is positioned higher than the tray member 13ea in terms of positional relationship in the Z direction.

[0098] With this configuration, the immersion liquid discharged in the radial direction from the tip of the immersion objective lens 102a flows along the arrow F shown in Figure 11, and is guided to the drain pipe 13bb, and then to the tray member 13ea of ​​the immersion liquid receiver assembly 13e and the drain tube 13eb. The discharged immersion liquid is then finally discharged into a drain tank (not shown). In this way, the immersion liquid discharge unit 13 forms a flow path through which the discharged immersion liquid flows by the objective cap 13a and the flow path assembly 13b.

[0099] The flow path section set 13b is fixed to the revolver movable section 103a of the rotating revolver 103 by using an RMS section 103x, of the multiple (six in this embodiment) RMS sections 103x provided on the revolver movable section 103a of the rotating revolver 103, that does not have the immersion objective lens 102a and the dry objective lens 102b attached thereto.

[0100] To this end, the immersion liquid discharge unit 13 has an immersion liquid discharge unit mounting member 13c and a fixed lid 13d. Of these, the immersion liquid discharge unit mounting member 13c is a component disposed between the flow path section assembly 13b and the revolver movable section 103a.

[0101] The immersion liquid discharge unit mounting member 13c is formed to have a main body portion 13ca and a plurality of arm portions 13cb. The main body portion 13ca has a generally cylindrical shape, and the flow path portion assembly 13b is fixed to the upper surface side by a plurality of bolts 52. The lower surface side of the main body portion 13ca is disposed in a generally central region of the revolver movable portion 103a.

[0102] The multiple arms 13cb are formed with their base ends extending from the side surface near the lower end of the main body 13ca. The multiple arms 13cb have circular rings at their tips with holes formed therein that correspond to the RMS sections 103x of the nosepiece movable section 103a. The inner diameter of the circular rings is set to be approximately the same as or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the RMS sections 103x. Note that the configuration example of this embodiment illustrates a configuration having three arms 13cb. These three arms 13cb are formed in a shape that allows them to be disposed alternately with respect to the six RMS sections 103x formed on the nosepiece movable section 103a (see FIG. 9, etc.).

[0103] The fixed lid 13d has a male thread portion 13da that screws into the female thread of the RMS portion 103x, and a lid portion 13db that closes the hole portion of the RMS portion 103x (see FIG. 9).

[0104] Then, with the rings of the three arms 13cb of the immersion discharge unit mounting member 13c aligned with three of the six RMS sections 103x of the revolver movable section 103a, the male threads 13da of the fixed cover 13d are inserted through the rings of the arms 13cb, and then each male thread 13da is screwed into the corresponding female thread of the RMS section 103x. This secures the immersion discharge unit mounting member 13c to the revolver movable section 103a. The flow path section assembly 13b is then secured to the immersion discharge unit mounting member 13c using a plurality of bolts 52. The objective cap 13a is secured to the flow path section assembly 13b using a plurality of bolts 51.

[0105] In this way, the objective cap 13a, flow path assembly 13b, and immersion discharge unit mounting member 13c of the immersion discharge unit 13 are fixed as a single unit to the revolver movable part 103a. Therefore, when the revolver movable part 103a is rotated to switch the objective lens 102, the structural unit formed by integrating the objective cap 13a, flow path assembly 13b, and immersion discharge unit mounting member 13c rotates together with the revolver movable part 103a.

[0106] At this time, the drain pipe 13bb provided in the flow path assembly 13b of the immersion liquid drain unit 13 also rotates together with the rotation of the revolver movable part 103a.

[0107] The immersion liquid receiving assembly 13e receives the immersion liquid discharged from the drain pipe 13bb and ultimately discharges it into a drain tank (not shown). The immersion liquid receiving assembly 13e includes a pan member 13ea, a drain tube 13eb, and a pan fixing member 13ed. Of these, the pan member 13ea is generally semicircular in shape and has a circumferential groove with a generally concave cross section. The shape of the pan member 13ea is preferably a substantially annular ring. However, because various components are disposed around the revolver 103, in order to avoid interference with these components, in this embodiment, the pan member 13ea is generally semicircular in shape. Specifically, the pan member 13ea is preferably generally semicircular in shape with a central angle of 180 degrees or greater.

[0108] The dish member 13ea is disposed at a position surrounding a part of the outer periphery of the revolver movable part 103a. In this case, as described above, the bottom surface of the circumferential groove of the dish member 13ea and the tip discharge port 13bba of the drainage pipe 13bb are arranged to overlap with each other when viewed from the Z direction, and the tip discharge port 13bba is disposed on the upper side.

[0109] The dish member 13ea is tilted relative to the optical axis O3a. Preferably, the tilt of the dish member 13ea is set to be approximately the same as the tilt of the drainage pipe 13bb. This configuration allows the dish member 13ea to collect the immersion liquid from the drainage pipe 13bb in the circumferential groove at approximately the center in the circumferential direction.

[0110] The tray member 13ea has a drain port 13ec formed in the bottom surface of a circumferential groove in the approximate center of the circumferential direction (see FIGS. 11 and 13). As a result, the immersion liquid guided from the drain pipe 13bb to the tray member 13ea is guided to the drain port 13ec.

[0111] The plate member 13ea is fixed to, for example, the nosepiece fixing part 103b in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the nosepiece fixing part 103b (see FIGS. 8 and 10).

[0112] The drain tube 13eb is a tubular member having a base end connected to the outlet 13ec and the other end connected to a drain tank and a drain pump (not shown). The drain tube 13eb finally drains the immersion liquid discharged from the dish member 13ea through the outlet 13ec into the drain tank (not shown).

[0113] The dish fixing member 13ed is a fixing member that supports the dish member 13ea, and is fixed to a part of the nosepiece fixing part 103b using screws or the like.

[0114] A correction collar remote control mechanism 15 is disposed near the immersion liquid supply device 10. This correction collar remote control mechanism 15 is a mechanical unit that acts on the correction collar 102x of the immersion objective lens 102a to perform optical correction of the immersion objective lens 102a.

[0115] The immersion objective lens 102a is equipped with a correction mechanism that corrects image quality degradation (e.g., image quality degradation due to spherical aberration) that occurs when observing a specimen through the cover glass 110a. This correction mechanism consists of a correction collar 102x and a drive mechanism (not shown). Of these, the correction collar 102x is an operating member of the mechanism that adjusts optical performance such as spherical aberration. The correction collar 102x has a circular ring shape and is rotatably provided on the outer periphery of the immersion objective lens 102a. The rotational operating force of this correction collar 102x acts on the internal drive mechanism (not shown).

[0116] The drive mechanism (not shown) is configured to move some of the lens groups provided inside the immersion objective lens 102 in the optical axis direction in conjunction with the rotation of the correction collar 102x. This allows the correction mechanism to correct image quality degradation such as spherical aberration caused by thickness errors in the cover glass during microscope observation. Note that the correction mechanism itself provided in the objective lens is a well-known technique, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0117] The correction collar remote operation mechanism 15 is a mechanical unit for remotely operating the correction collar 102x of the immersion objective lens 102a. The correction collar remote operation mechanism 15 is, for example, composed of a drive force transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational drive force of an electric motor to the correction collar 102x. In this case, the drive force transmission mechanism is configured using well-known technology, for example, by combining pulleys, belt members, multiple gears, etc. Therefore, detailed explanation and illustration thereof will be omitted. This completes the configuration of the inverted microscope 1 of this embodiment.

[0118] Next, the operation of the inverted microscope 1 of this embodiment configured as described above will be described below. First, when the inverted microscope 1 is in an observation use state, the user rotates the rotating nosepiece 103 to position the desired objective lens 102 on the optical axis O3a of the observation optical path O3.

[0119] When the immersion objective lens 102a is positioned on the optical axis O3a of the observation optical path O3 and a specimen can be observed, the immersion liquid replenishing unit 11 in the immersion liquid supply device 10 is in a state as shown in Figures 6 and 7. Here, the state in which a specimen can be observed refers to a state in which the immersion objective lens 102a is positioned within a predetermined range that includes the position where the specimen is in focus. In other words, when in this state, the inverted microscope 1 performs focus control.

[0120] 6, the tip surface of the tip lens 102aa of the immersion objective lens 102a is located in close proximity to the cover glass 110a. At this time, the pipe tip 11ca of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c of the immersion liquid replenishing unit 11 is located in the vicinity of the tip lens 102aa and outside the light passing area of ​​the observation optical path O3.

[0121] Furthermore, at this time, a portion of the tip side of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c, including the pipe tip 11ca, is positioned in the cap groove 13ab of the objective cap 13a. In this state, when the immersion liquid supply device 10 is driven and controlled, immersion liquid is discharged from the pipe tip 11ca of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c. As a result, the immersion liquid is discharged into the gap between the tip surface of the tip lens 102aa and the cover glass 110a. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, a predetermined amount of the immersion liquid 200 remains due to surface tension so as to fill the gap between the tip surface of the tip lens 102aa and the cover glass 110a. In this state, observation with the inverted microscope 1 is performed.

[0122] Meanwhile, the immersion liquid discharge unit 13 at this time is as shown in Figures 10 and 11. Note that in Figures 10 and 11, the immersion liquid supply unit 11 is not shown.

[0123] 10 and 11, when the immersion liquid is discharged from the pipe tip 11ca of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c as described above, a predetermined amount of the immersion liquid remains in the gap space between the tip face of the tip lens 102aa and the cover glass 110a. However, on the other hand, the immersion liquid exceeding the predetermined amount flows down in the radial direction from the tip of the immersion objective lens 102a and the tip of the objective cap 13a.

[0124] The immersion liquid being discharged at this time first flows from the tip of the objective cap 13a into the drain groove 13ac, as indicated by the symbol F in Figure 11. Next, the immersion liquid flows down the drain groove 13ac, passes through the through-hole 13ae of the objective cap 13a and the opening 13bc of the connecting member 13ba of the flow path assembly 13b, and flows into the flow path 13baa. After that, the immersion liquid is further guided by the drain pipe 13bb to the tray member 13ea of ​​the immersion liquid receiving assembly 13e. Then, it flows from the tray member 13ea through the outlet 13ec and the drain tube 13eb, and is finally discharged into a drain tank (not shown).

[0125] 10 (a state in which the immersion objective lens 102a is positioned on the optical axis O3a), consider a case in which the rotatable nosepiece 103 is rotated to position another objective lens (e.g., the dry objective lens 102b) on the optical axis O3a. Note that the rotation direction of the rotatable nosepiece 103 in this case is the direction indicated by the rotation direction R in FIG. 11, i.e., the rotation direction around the rotation center axis Ax of the nosepiece movable part 103a.

[0126] Fig. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing the exterior of the immersion liquid discharge unit when the inverted microscope is in observation use and the immersion objective is positioned away from the observation optical path. That is, it is assumed that an objective other than the immersion objective 102a (dry objective 102b) is positioned on the optical axis O3a of the observation optical path O3. Fig. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line

[13] -

[13] in Fig. 12.

[0127] Suppose that the rotating nosepiece 103 is rotated in the state shown in Fig. 10 to bring it into the state shown in Fig. 12. At this time, for example, one of the dry objective lenses 102b is disposed on the optical axis O3a of the observation optical path O3.

[0128] In this state, the immersion objective lens 102a is positioned off the optical axis O3a, and the components of the immersion liquid discharge unit 13, including the drain pipe 13bb, other than the immersion liquid receiver assembly 13e, rotate together with the immersion objective lens 102a, resulting in the state shown in Figures 12 and 13.

[0129] When the immersion objective lens 102a and the immersion liquid discharge unit 13 are in the state shown in FIG. 10, the tip discharge port 13bba of the drain pipe 13bb is positioned horizontally lower than the tip of the objective cap 13a.

[0130] As a result, in the state shown in Figure 10, the immersion liquid discharged radially from the tip of the objective cap 13a is smoothly guided to the drain groove 13ac, the flow path 13baa, the drain pipe 13bb, and the dish member 13ea, and then passes through the drain tube 13eb and is finally discharged into the drain tank (not shown).

[0131] 12, the tip outlet 13bba of the drain pipe 13bb is positioned away from the tray member 13ea. However, at this time, the horizontal position of the tip outlet 13bba of the drain pipe 13bb is positioned higher than the tip of the objective cap 13a.

[0132] 12, even if discharged immersion liquid remains inside the flow path section (drain groove 13ac of objective cap 13a, flow path 13baa of flow path section assembly 13b, drain pipe 13bb, etc.), the remaining discharged immersion liquid will not flow out from tip outlet 13bba of drain pipe 13bb. Therefore, in the state of FIG. 12, i.e., when immersion objective lens 102a is positioned at a position off optical axis O3a on observation optical path O3, immersion liquid discharged from the tip of objective cap 13a will not unintentionally leak into the microscope.

[0133] Next, the operation of the inverted microscope of this embodiment when an immersion objective lens is used for observation will be described below. FIGS. 14 to 17 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the inverted microscope of this embodiment when an immersion objective lens is used for observation. Of these, FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the objective lens and the immersion liquid supply device when the vertically movable unit of the inverted microscope is at its lowest position. FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the objective lens and the immersion liquid supply device when the vertically movable unit rises from the state of FIG. 14 and the nosepiece support part abuts against the contact pin. FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the objective lens and the immersion liquid supply device when the immersion objective lens is in the focus operation range (mid-point) after the state of FIG. 15. FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the objective lens and the immersion liquid supply device when the immersion objective lens is in the upper limit position of the focus operation range after the state of FIG. 16.

[0134] 14 to 17, the following measures have been taken to avoid cluttering the drawings. For example, with regard to the unit consisting of the focusing mechanism 104 and the rotating nosepiece 103 as a vertically movable unit in the inverted microscope 1 of this embodiment, only the rotating nosepiece 103 fixed to the focusing mechanism 104 is shown, and the focusing mechanism 104 itself is omitted from the illustration. Furthermore, the immersion liquid supply device 10 is shown with the immersion liquid replenishing unit 11 and the immersion liquid discharging unit 13, but of these, only the objective cap 13a of the immersion liquid discharging unit 13 is shown.

[0135] First, the state shown in Figure 14 is referred to as the initial state of observation operation in the inverted microscope 1. In this state, the objective lens 102 (immersion objective lens 102a in the example of Figure 14) is on the optical axis O3a of the observation light path O3. Also, at this time, the tip of the objective lens 102 is in a region below, sufficiently separated from the specimen (dish 110) that is the observation target. The position of the objective lens 102 at this time is referred to as the retracted position.

[0136] When the objective lens 102 is in the retracted position, the flange portion 11bba of the immersion liquid supply unit 11 of the immersion liquid supply device 10 abuts against a predetermined portion on the upper surface of the immersion liquid supply base 11a. This prevents the immersion liquid supply unit 11 from moving any further in the direction of arrow Z1, and the positioning of the immersion liquid supply unit 11 is restricted. On the other hand, the focusing mechanism 104 and the rotating nosepiece 103 can be moved further in the direction of arrow Z1.

[0137] When the objective lens 102 is at least in the retracted position or in a region below the retracted position, the pipe tip 11ca of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c is located in a position away from the tip of the objective lens 102 in the Z direction. Therefore, in this state, even if the revolver movable part 103a of the rotating revolver 103 is rotated, the objective lens 102 will not interfere with the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c.

[0138] Therefore, as shown in Figure 14, when the objective lens 102 is in the retracted position, the revolver movable part 103a can be rotated to easily and safely switch to the desired objective lens 102 to be used for observation.

[0139] The immersion liquid receiving part set 13e, which includes the pan member 13ea, is fixed to the nosepiece fixed part 103b. Therefore, the immersion liquid receiving part set 13e remains immobile regardless of the rotation of the nosepiece movable part 103a, and at this time, the immersion liquid receiving part set 13e does not interfere with the rotation of the nosepiece movable part 103a.

[0140] After the desired objective lens 102 to be used for observation is thus positioned on the optical axis O3a of the observation optical path O3, a predetermined operation is performed on the focusing mechanism 104 to move the focusing mechanism 104 in the direction of arrow Z2 in Figure 14. Then, the rotating nosepiece 103 fixed to the focusing mechanism 104 also moves in the same direction of arrow Z2.

[0141] The rotating nosepiece 103 has the objective lens 102 fixed to a nosepiece movable part 103a and the immersion liquid discharge unit 13 fixed to a nosepiece fixed part 103b. Therefore, these components move in the same direction as the focusing mechanism 104 and the rotating nosepiece 103 move in the direction of arrow Z2 in conjunction with each other.

[0142] When the objective lens 102 eventually reaches a predetermined position in the Z direction, a part of the upper surface of the nosepiece support part 104b or the nosepiece fixing part 103b comes into contact with the lower end of the contact pin 11ba of the immersion liquid supply part 11b. The state at this point is shown in Figure 15. Here, the predetermined position of the objective lens 102 in the Z direction is the lower limit position within a predetermined range (focus operating range) that includes the position where the specimen is in focus.

[0143] Furthermore, at the point shown in Figure 15, i.e., when the upper surface of the revolver fixing part 103b comes into contact with the lower end of the contact pin 11ba of the immersion liquid supply part 11b, an adjustment is made so that a portion of the tip side of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c is positioned in the cap groove 13ab of the objective cap 13a.

[0144] 15, if the focusing mechanism 104 and the rotatable nosepiece 103 continue to move in the direction of the arrow Z2, the focusing mechanism 104 and the rotatable nosepiece 103 move the contact pin 11ba of the immersion liquid supply unit 11b in the same direction of the arrow Z2 against the biasing force of the biasing spring 11d, thereby causing the objective lens 102 and the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c to move in the same direction in conjunction with each other.

[0145] At this time, the positional relationship between the objective lens 102 and the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c in the Z direction is always maintained and remains constant. The state during this movement is shown in Figure 16. Then, the state shown in Figure 17 is reached.

[0146] 17, the movement of the focusing mechanism 104 and the rotating nosepiece 103 in the direction of the arrow Z2 is restricted by a restricting means (not shown). That is, the state shown in FIG. 17 is the upper limit position of the predetermined movement range (focusing operation range) of the objective lens 102 in the Z direction.

[0147] That is, the focus operation range of the inverted microscope 1 is a range in which the state in FIG. 15 is the lower limit position and the state in FIG. 17 is the upper limit position. The objective lens 102 is positioned on the optical axis O3a of the observation position, and the specimen is observed while moving within the focus operation range. When the inverted microscope 1 is in this state, the tube tip 11ca of the immersion liquid supply tube 11c is positioned outside the light passage area of ​​the observation optical path O3 of the objective lens 102. Therefore, the inverted microscope 1 is configured so that immersion liquid can be replenished even while the microscope is in use for observation.

[0148] When the focusing mechanism 104 and the rotatable nosepiece 103 move down in the direction of arrow Z1 from the state shown in Fig. 17, they pass through the state shown in Fig. 16 and eventually reach the state shown in Fig. 15. In this way, during the period from the state shown in Fig. 17 to the state shown in Fig. 15, the movement of the focusing mechanism 104 and the rotatable nosepiece 103 in the direction of arrow Z1 is transmitted to the objective lens 102 and the immersion liquid supply unit 11b, which includes the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c. As a result, the objective lens 102 and the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c move in the same direction in an interlocking manner.

[0149] 15, when the focusing mechanism 104 and the rotating nosepiece 103 are further lowered in the direction of the arrow Z1, the transmission of the movement of the focusing mechanism 104 and the rotating nosepiece 103 in the direction of the arrow Z1 to the objective lens 102 and the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c is released. As a result, the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c remains in a predetermined position (the positioned position shown in FIG. 14), while the objective lens 102 (the rotating nosepiece 103) can continue to move in the direction of the arrow Z1.

[0150] As described above, according to the embodiment, the immersion liquid supply unit 11b including the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c is configured to be fixed to the support base 100. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the weight of the rotating nosepiece 103 (objective lens 102) from increasing. Therefore, vibrations that occur when the rotating nosepiece 103 (objective lens 102) is driven in the Z direction by the focusing mechanism 104 are suppressed, making it possible to always perform stable observation.

[0151] In addition, the immersion liquid supply tube 11e connected to the immersion liquid supply unit 11 is also configured to be fixed to the support base 100. With this configuration, when the rotating nosepiece 103 is rotated to switch the objective lens 102, there is no need to worry about the immersion liquid supply tube 11e becoming tangled, and the stability of the components can be ensured, which can also contribute to the miniaturization of the microscope itself.

[0152] When the objective lens 102 is moved in the Z direction within the focus operation range by the focusing mechanism 104, the immersion liquid supply unit 11b including the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c is moved in the same direction in conjunction with the movement of the objective lens 102 in the Z direction. With this configuration, the positional relationship between the tip of the objective lens 102 and the pipe tip 11ca of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c can be stably maintained constant within the focus operation range where observation is performed. Therefore, immersion liquid can be stably supplied even during observation.

[0153] Furthermore, even if there is variation in the distance from the top surface of the stage 101 to the observation surface, the positional relationship in the Z direction between the objective lens 102, the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c, and the observation surface is maintained constant, so that immersion liquid can always be replenished stably.

[0154] When the objective lens 102 is positioned in a lower region outside the focus operation range, the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c is configured to be disengaged from the movement of the objective lens 102 in the Z direction. With this configuration, the immersion objective lens 102a and the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c are positioned apart in the Z direction. Therefore, when the objective lens 102 is switched, interference between the objective lens 102 and surrounding components can be avoided.

[0155] This allows for easy and safe switching of the objective lens 102. For example, when switching the objective lens 102, it is possible to prevent the immersion liquid remaining in the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c or the like from leaking or scattering due to interference between the objective lens 102 and surrounding components.

[0156] When the objective lens 102 is within the focus operating range and a specimen is being observed, the pipe tip 11ca of the immersion liquid supply pipe 11c is configured to be located outside the light passing area of ​​the observation optical path O3 of the objective lens 102. With this configuration, even during observation, immersion liquid can be replenished whenever desired without interrupting the observation.

[0157] For example, even in the case of long-term observation such as time-lapse observation, the immersion objective 102a can be replenished with immersion liquid at a desired timing without interrupting the observation, which makes it easy to deal with evaporation of the immersion liquid that occurs during long-term observation.

[0158] Furthermore, when performing long-term observations, for example, by adopting a configuration that automatically controls immersion liquid replenishment, immersion liquid can be automatically replenished according to predetermined conditions such as a specified time interval, making it easier to perform continuous long-term observations.

[0159] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining the disclosed multiple constituent elements. For example, if the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved and the effects of the invention can be obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in one embodiment, the configuration from which these constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as the invention. Furthermore, constituent elements from different embodiments may be appropriately combined. The present invention is not limited by specific embodiments other than as limited by the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0160] 1...Inverted microscope 10……Immersion liquid supply device 11...Immersion liquid supply unit 11a...Soaking liquid supply base 11aa……through hole 11b……Immersion liquid supply section 11ba...contact pin 11bb……Positioning member 11bba……Flange part 11bbb……Hollow shaft part 11bc……Pipe holding part 11c……Immersion liquid supply pipe 11ca……tube tip 11e... Immersion liquid supply tube 11f……Immersion liquid supply part fixing plate 11g...Lock set screw 13...Immersion liquid drain unit 13a...Objective cap 13aa……Cap hole 13ab……Cap groove 13ac...Drainage trench 13ad...Connecting flange 13ae……Through hole 13b...Flow path assembly 13ba... Connecting member 13baa...channel 13bb...Drainage pipe 13bba……Tip outlet 13bc……opening 13c...Immersion liquid drain unit mounting member 13ca...Main body 13cb……arm part 13d……Fixed lid 13da...screw part 13db……Lid part 13e……Immersion liquid receiver assembly 13ea... Plate material 13eb...Drainage tube 13ec……Exhaust port 13ed... Plate fixing parts 15...Remote control mechanism for correction collar 51, 52....Bolts 100...Support stand 100a...support base 100b...Rear of support stand 100c...Front part of support stand 101...Stage 101a...Stage opening 102...Objective lens 102a...Immersion objective lens 102aa……Front lens 102b...Dry objective lens 102x……correction ring 103...Revolving nosepiece 103a……Revolver moving part 103b……Nosepiece fixing part 103x...RMS section 104……Focusing mechanism 104a...Focusing base 104b……Revolver support 105...Observation optical system 105a...eyepiece 105b...telescope tube 105c...Mirror 105d...imaging lens 106...1st illumination optical system 106a...Condenser lens 107...Second illumination optical system 107a...Condenser lens 107b...Dichroic mirror 108...Electronic components 110...Dish 110a……Cover glass O1: First illumination path O2……Second illumination optical path O3...Observation light path O3a……optical axis

Claims

1. 1. An inverted microscope, comprising: an immersion objective lens; A dry objective lens, a rotating revolver to which the immersion objective lens and the dry objective lens can be attached, and which switches between the immersion objective lens and the dry objective lens by rotating the revolver to place the immersion objective lens and the dry objective lens on the observation optical path; A support base that is a fixed part; a focusing mechanism that moves the rotating nosepiece relative to the support base in a direction along the optical axis at the observation position of the objective lens; an immersion liquid supply base fixed to the support base; an immersion liquid supply unit that is movable in the optical axis direction relative to the immersion liquid supply base and has an immersion liquid supply pipe fixed thereto for supplying immersion liquid to the immersion objective lens; When the immersion objective lens is on the optical axis and is located within a predetermined range including a position where a specimen is in focus, movement of the focusing mechanism in a direction along the optical axis is mechanically transmitted to the immersion liquid supply unit, a transmission mechanism that, when the immersion objective lens is located on the optical axis and in a lower region outside the predetermined range, cancels transmission of movement of the focusing mechanism in a direction along the optical axis to the immersion liquid supply unit; An inverted microscope comprising:

2. 2. The inverted microscope according to claim 1, further comprising a flow path that guides the immersion liquid discharged from the tip of the immersion objective lens to a dish member fixed to the outer periphery of the rotating nosepiece.

3. 3. The inverted microscope according to claim 2, wherein the flow path section further includes a tubular member that guides the immersion liquid discharged from the tip of the immersion objective lens to the dish member.

4. 4. The inverted microscope according to claim 3, further comprising an annular member provided at the tip of the immersion objective lens for guiding the immersion liquid discharged in the radial direction from the tip of the immersion objective lens to the tubular member.

5. 5. The inverted microscope according to claim 4, wherein the annular member further comprises a groove in which the immersion liquid supply pipe is disposed.

6. 4. The inverted microscope according to claim 3, wherein the tubular member is attached to the immersion objective lens side and rotates together with the rotatable nosepiece when the rotatable nosepiece is switched.

7. 4. The inverted microscope according to claim 2, wherein the flow path section is fixed to the rotating nosepiece by utilizing an RMS section of the rotating nosepiece in which the immersion objective lens and the dry objective lens are not attached.

8. 2. The inverted microscope according to claim 1, wherein the immersion objective lens is provided with a correction collar for adjusting spherical aberration, and the inverted microscope further comprises a remote control mechanism for remotely controlling the correction collar.

9. 2. An inverted microscope according to claim 1, wherein the transmission mechanism moves the immersion liquid supply unit in the optical axis direction by contacting and pressing the immersion liquid supply unit when a movable member of the focusing mechanism reaches a predetermined Z position.

10. 2. An inverted microscope according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the immersion liquid supply pipe is positioned outside the light beam passing area when the immersion objective lens or the dry objective lens is positioned during observation.

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