microscope

Abstract

The present invention relates to a microscope (100) for inspecting a sample (312), the microscope (100) comprising a microscope stage (310) for accommodating the sample (312) to be inspected, and further comprising a microscope housing (110) surrounding the microscope stage (310), the microscope housing (110) comprising a hinged door (130) and an opening (120), the hinged door (130) covering the opening (120) in a closed position and comprising an inner surface (134) and an outer surface (136), and in an open position, the inner surface (134) or the outer surface (136) forms an upper surface of a substantially horizontal working surface (132).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The concept of the present invention is directed to a microscope for examining a sample, the microscope comprising a microscope stage for accommodating the sample to be examined and further comprising a microscope housing surrounding the microscope stage. Such a microscope can be used particularly for examining a sample placed in a sample chamber, the sample chamber being incubated in an incubation atmosphere adapted to the sample. Generally, other uses and applications of such a microscope can also be envisaged.

Background Art

[0002] In the field of microscopic examination of living samples such as cells, it is common to use an incubated sample chamber and / or to supply a reagent to the sample before or during the examination of the sample. Such reagents are, for example, fluids for inducing a biological or chemical reaction with the sample or simply for preserving the sample, particularly liquids with or without chemically or biologically active substances, such as water, water-soluble or lipid-soluble substances or other substances, such as hormones or drugs in a suitable carrier substance. Usually, the sample itself is placed in a multi-well plate, a Petri dish or a microfluidic system on a microscope table. A pump can be used to supply the reagent to the sample. On the other hand, manual pipetting operations can be performed.

[0003] Various different types of containers such as Falcon tubes, Eppendorf tubes or flasks are used for storing the reagent. These containers are typically arranged outside the microscope housing and in some cases are arranged in a temperature-controlled box. In many cases, particularly in the case of stimulant agents such as hormones or drugs, only a small amount of reagent needs to be injected into the biological sample. On the other hand, in, for example, organ chip experiments, a larger amount of reagent has to be exchanged.

[0004] Additionally or alternatively, samples are tested in an incubation atmosphere. This incubation atmosphere provides the best possible conditions for living samples in terms of temperature, humidity, and gas composition. Access to the sample chamber is often required to supply reagents to the sample, but leakage of the incubation atmosphere should be limited.

[0005] Furthermore, in general, the handling of samples, particularly sample replacement, sample manipulation, and the supply of reagents to samples, should be facilitated. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In light of the tasks described above in modern microscopes, particularly for examining living specimens, there is a need for improved microscopes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Embodiments of the concept of the present invention provide a microscope for microscopic examination of a sample, the microscope comprising a microscope stage for housing a sample to be examined, and further comprising a microscope housing surrounding the microscope stage, wherein the microscope housing has an opening that can be closed by a hinged door, the door which, when open, constitutes a work surface, and when closed, forms at least a portion of the microscope housing. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a microscope for microscopic examination of a sample, the microscope comprising a microscope stage for housing a sample to be examined, and further comprising a microscope housing surrounding the microscope stage, wherein the microscope housing has a hinged door and an opening, the hinged door which, when closed, covers the opening and has an inner surface (facing inward from the microscope housing) also referred to as an inner surface area and an outer surface (facing outward from the microscope housing), and when open, the inner or outer surface becomes a substantially horizontal work surface, also referred to as an upper surface area, which provides a work space outside the inner space of the microscope housing that can be used by the user. "Substantially horizontal" includes a horizontal orientation of the work surface and substantially horizontal orientations, so that objects and articles placed on the work surface remain stable on the work surface without sliding or rolling off.

[0008] The hinged door may be configured to pivot downwards to open, thereby providing an upper horizontal or substantially horizontal work surface that also serves as a storage area, table, or shelf. Such a work space can be used to place items such as reagent containers, laboratory bottles, pipettes, sample containers such as multiwell plates, petri dishes, etc. Alternatively, the hinged door may be configured to pivot upwards to open, so that its outer surface becomes an upper horizontal or substantially horizontal work surface. Simultaneously, opening the hinged door exposes an opening in the microscope housing that provides direct or indirect access to the microscope stage, i.e., the sample chamber, and / or the sample itself. The opening may be sized to provide easy access to the microscope stage, on the one hand, and to minimize disturbance to the sample and / or the incubation atmosphere within the sample chamber, particularly in the case of an incubated sample chamber. When closed, the hinged door forms at least part of the microscope housing, thereby forming a preferably closed component of the microscope housing.

[0009] The microscope according to the concept of the present invention allows the user to inspect a sample and / or manipulate the sample through an opening provided in the microscope housing, while also having a work surface / table / storage area incorporated within the microscope housing.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, a hinged door, when open, provides direct or indirect access to the microscope stage through an opening in the microscope housing. Essentially, the opening in the microscope housing that provides access to the microscope stage can be closed directly by the hinged door or (as described in more detail below) by a separate door. This separate door itself is covered when the hinged door is closed. In the latter case, when open, the hinged door provides access to the microscope stage through a second door positioned in the opening of the microscope housing. When both the hinged door and the second door are closed, the second door is positioned behind the hinged door. Preferably, this second door is a sliding door and / or at least partially transparent.

[0011] In this embodiment, opening the first hinged door provides access to a second door, which, when closed, covers an opening in the microscope housing. The second door may be similar in size to (or even identical in size to) the first hinged door, and more preferably smaller, for example, about 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.25, or 0.2 times the size of the first hinged door. The smaller size of the second door ensures that disturbance of the sample and / or incubation atmosphere within the sample chamber is minimized. In this case, the second door may be positioned within or adjacent to the opening in the microscope housing and may be integrated into the front panel of the microscope housing such that, when the hinged door is closed, the front panel containing an opening that can be at least partially closed by the second door is covered by the closed hinged door. The sliding door allows only the desired portion of the opening necessary for handling the sample to be exposed. A second door, which is at least partially transparent, allows monitoring of the sample inside the sample chamber on the microscope stage, even when the opening is closed.

[0012] Embodiments of the first hinged door and the second door can be called a “double-wall” solution. The hinged door, when closed, forms part of the microscope housing and may be implemented as at least part of the front cover of the microscope housing. As already mentioned above, the second door, positioned behind the hinged door, may be formed within the front panel of the housing, which works to open and close an opening in the microscope housing, and this opening is smaller than the opening defined by the hinged door itself. Embodiments of the “double-wall” solution are described further below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, a hinged door is attached to a hinged lid of the microscope housing. When open, this hinged lid provides direct access to the microscope stage. In this embodiment, the hinged lid can move hingely upward, downward, or sideways to support the (closed) hinged door and provide access to the microscope stage. Preferably, the hinged lid is part of the microscope housing. In the “double-wall” embodiment, a second door also preferably forms part of the hinged lid of the microscope housing. In this embodiment, by opening the hinged lid, the user opens a preferably larger portion of the microscope housing compared to the opening exposed by opening the hinged door or the second door. Typically, the hinged lid is opened, for example, when the user requires wider access to the interior of the microscope housing to adjust optical components and / or the microscope stage. This embodiment is also described in further detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the microscope further has a hinge mechanism, and a hinged door is attached to a hinged lid of the microscope housing by a hinge mechanism having at least one hinge. Preferably, two hinges are used. Furthermore, it is preferable that the hinge mechanism includes a stopper configured to stop the opening movement of the hinged door. The opening movement of the hinged door is preferably a downward hinge movement, so that the stopper ensures that the hinged door is opened at a 90° angle to provide a horizontal working surface.

[0015] Furthermore, the hinge mechanism preferably includes a cable and a cable brake, the cable being mounted to a cable brake configured to brake the opening movement of the hinged door and / or define the opening angle of the hinged door. The cable may be made of steel or a fabric such as nylon. The cable may be biased to provide resistance to the opening movement of the hinged door. An opening angle of the hinged door, preferably 90°, can also be defined.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the hinged door is provided with a door locking mechanism configured to lock the hinged door in its closed position and to unlock the hinged door in response to user operation. In a simpler version, the door locking mechanism may include a magnet, a hook, or a snap lock. The hinged door may be held / locked in the closed position by magnetic force or a latched hook. To open the hinged door, the user can easily open it by grasping the hinged door itself or by operating a lever or button to release the door locking mechanism.

[0017] In the "double-walled" embodiment described above, the opening of the microscope housing is formed in the front panel of the housing. In this case, it is preferable that the door locking mechanism is configured to lock the hinged door to the front panel of the housing in its closed state. In this case, the door locking mechanism comprises, for example, a magnet, a hook and / or a snap lock, which interacts with the front panel of the housing.

[0018] In one embodiment of the concept of the present invention, the microscope further comprises an illumination optical system for illuminating a sample to be examined, and a door locking mechanism is actuarily connected to the illumination optical system such that illumination of the sample by the illumination optical system can be initiated only when the hinged door is closed and locked to the front panel. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when the illumination optical system comprises a laser emitting one or more laser beams, thereby protecting the user from such laser beams as long as the hinged door is open. In the latter case, the laser beams are automatically switched off.

[0019] It is even more advantageous if the microscope is equipped with internal lighting inside at least a portion of the housing that forms the housing or sample chamber, and this internal lighting is configured to automatically switch on when the hinged door is unlocked or open. This allows the user to observe and inspect the sample or sample chamber directly, through an open second door, or even through a closed transparent second door.

[0020] As described above, in one preferred embodiment where a hinged door is attached to the hinged lid of the microscope housing, the hinged lid comprises a lid interlock mechanism and the hinged door comprises a separate door interlock mechanism. The lid interlock mechanism interacts with the door interlock mechanism to keep the hinged door in a closed state when the hinged lid is open and as long as the hinged lid remains open. The lid interlock mechanism is configured to allow the hinged door to be opened only when the hinged lid is in a closed state. In other words, the door interlock mechanism and the lid interlock mechanism interact to avoid simultaneous opening of both the hinged door and the hinged lid, thus ensuring operational safety.

[0021] Other advantages and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

[0022] It should be noted that the features described above and those further described below can be used not only in the combinations shown, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a microscope according to the concept of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of a microscope according to the concept of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing one embodiment of a microscope according to the concept of the present invention having an open hinged lid. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 having a closed hinged lid. [Figure 5] It is a schematic diagram showing, on a large scale, an embodiment of a door lock mechanism, an interlock mechanism and a cable brake in a microscope according to the concept of the present invention. [Figure 6]It is a figure similar to that shown in FIG. 3, showing a lid locking mechanism.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, the drawings will be comprehensively described, and the same reference numerals indicate the same or at least structurally identical components.

[0025] FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of a microscope 100 for inspecting a sample, particularly a living sample such as a cell, and the sample is disposed particularly within an incubated sample chamber. FIG. 1 schematically shows a microscope housing 110, which surrounds a microscope stage for accommodating a sample to be inspected and other microscope components such as an illumination optical system for illuminating the sample and an imaging optical system for imaging the sample (see also FIG. 3).

[0026] The microscope housing 110 includes an opening 120 that can be closed by a hinged door 130. In this embodiment, the size of the opening 120 is much smaller than the size of the hinged door 130, but it is recognized that the size of the opening 120 may be larger and equivalent to the size of the hinged door 130. However, particularly in the case of an incubated sample chamber, it is preferable to have an opening size that is about 0.25 times or less the size of the hinged door. Since the opening 120 provides access to the sample chamber and the microscope stage, the small opening 120 ensures that the disturbance of the sample itself and / or the incubation atmosphere of the sample chamber can be minimized. For the sake of clarity, microscope components that can be seen through the opening 120 are not shown in FIG. 1. In this regard, reference is made to FIG. 3.

[0027] Figure 1 shows the hinged door 130 in the open position, which constitutes a work surface 132. Figure 4 shows the hinged door 130 in the closed position, forming part of the microscope housing 110. More specifically, the outer surface or outer area 136 of the closed hinged door 130 becomes part of the closed microscope housing.

[0028] In the open position, the hinged door 130, or more precisely, the inner surface or inner area 134 of the hinged door 130, is configured as a work surface that provides a workspace outside the internal space of the microscope housing, and this work surface can be used to place reagent containers, laboratory bottles, pipettes, sample containers such as multiwell plates, petri dishes, etc. When the hinged door is open, it is preferable that the work surface 132 can withstand a minimum load of 500g or 1kg or 2kg and a maximum load of approximately 5kg or 4kg, more preferably approximately 3kg or 2kg. This concept allows the user to inspect the sample inside the microscope housing 110 and / or manipulate the sample through the opening 120, while the work surface 132 is integrated inside the microscope housing 110 or into an integrated part of the microscope housing 110, so that the work surface can be used as a workspace / table / storage area without the need to use an external table or bench.

[0029] As can be seen from Figure 1, the opening 120 is formed in the front panel 140 of the housing 110. In this configuration, the hinged door 130 may form part of the front cover 160 of the microscope 100. Figure 1 shows three different parts of the front cover 160, namely the lower front cover 162, the middle front cover 164, and the upper front cover 166. When the hinged door 130 is closed, the hinged door 130 forms part of the microscope housing by forming the upper front cover 166, as shown in Figure 4.

[0030] Figure 1 further shows a hinged lid 150, which will be described in more detail in relation to the embodiment in Figure 3. Furthermore, Figure 1 shows a hinge mechanism 170 for mounting the hinged door 130 to the microscope housing 110. The hinge mechanism 170 comprises at least one hinge 172, two hinges 172 in this embodiment. The hinge mechanism 170 further comprises a cable 176, which is mounted to a cable brake (see Figure 5). As shown in Figure 1, the cable 176 is connected to one of the hinges 172 by a cable holder 178. The cable brake, which will be described further in relation to Figure 5, works for the purpose of braking the opening movement of the hinged door 130 and / or for defining the opening angle of the hinged door 130. As can be seen from Figure 1, the opening angle is preferably substantially or exactly 90°.

[0031] The hinged door 130 is further equipped with a door locking mechanism 180. This door locking mechanism 180 is configured to lock the hinged door 130 in the closed position and to unlock the hinged door in response to user operation. For this purpose, a hook 180a is provided, which engages with a corresponding opening 180b to lock the hinged door 130. Alternatively (or additionally), a magnet may be provided, which interacts with the front panel 140 to hold the door 130 in the closed position. The interlocking mechanism between the door and the lid will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 5.

[0032] Figure 2 schematically illustrates another embodiment of the microscope according to the concept of the present invention. This embodiment is very similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 1. Therefore, to avoid repetition, the description of Figure 1 will be referenced, and only the differences from the embodiment in Figure 1 will be described below.

[0033] As can be seen in Figure 2, the opening 120 in the microscope housing 110 is covered by a second door 142, which is configured as a sliding door 142, so that the opening 120 can be exposed by sliding the door 142 to the left. Having the second door 142 is particularly useful when examining living cells in an incubated sample chamber. The loss of the incubation atmosphere can be minimized. Only a portion of the opening 120 can be opened, which is necessary for changing the sample or manipulating the sample within the microscope housing 110. The second door 142 is preferably formed from a material that is at least partially transparent, so that the user can inspect the sample or the inside of the microscope housing 110 even when the door 142 is closed.

[0034] For other features, options, and components of the microscope 100 shown in Figure 2, please refer to the description in Figure 1.

[0035] Figure 3 schematically shows a microscope 100 according to the concept of the present invention. The embodiment of this microscope 100 described above includes a hinged open lid 150. Opening the hinged lid 150 provides access to the interior of the microscope housing 110, in this embodiment, to the upper interior portion. Thus, the user can freely inspect or adjust any components within the upper portion of the microscope housing 110 that would otherwise be covered by the lid 150. In the illustrated embodiment, the user has access to, for example, the internal illumination 330, the illumination optics 320, the microscope stage 310, and the sample 312. On the outside of the housing 110, the front cover 162 is provided with a button 340 for unlocking the hinged lid 150 before opening the hinged lid 150.

[0036] As can be seen from Figure 3, the microscope 100 is a transmitted light microscope having an imaging optical system located below the microscope stage 310 in the lower part of the microscope housing 110.

[0037] Figure 4 schematically shows the microscope 100 shown in Figure 3, which has a hinged lid 150 in the closed state. The outer surface of the lid 150 is indicated by 136. As already mentioned above, the front cover 160 of the microscope 100 has three parts 162, 164, and 166. The microscope 100 is similar to a cube in the closed state. In this embodiment, the hinged door 130 can be opened by simply grasping the hinged door 130 and pulling it to the open state.

[0038] In relation to Figure 5, the door lock mechanism 180, the interlock mechanism 580, and the hinge mechanism 170 will be described in more detail below.

[0039] The hinge mechanism 170 has already been described in relation to Figure 1. Figure 5 shows this mechanism in more detail. The cable 176 is clamped between the cable holder 178 and the cable brake 574. While the cable is fixed in place by the cable holder 178 within the hinge 172, the cable brake 574 brakes the opening movement of the hinged door 130, allowing the corresponding resistance to be adjusted by the adjustment screw 578 and the opening angle of the hinged door 130 to be defined by the adjustment of the opening angle adjustment screw 576.

[0040] In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the door lock mechanism 180 is configured as door interlock mechanisms 180a and 180b to enable interlock engagement with the lid interlock mechanism 580. The hinged lid 150 is equipped with a lid interlock mechanism 580 that interacts with the door interlock mechanisms 180a and 180b, and when the hinged lid 150 is open, it keeps the hinged door 130 closed. The lid interlock mechanism 580 is configured to allow the hinged door 130 to open only when the hinged lid 150 is closed. In other words, the door interlock mechanisms 180a and 180b and the lid interlock mechanism 580 interact to prevent both the hinged door 130 and the hinged lid 150 from opening simultaneously, thus ensuring operational safety.

[0041] Additionally, the hinged door 130 is equipped with a magnet 180c on its inner surface 134, which holds the hinged door 130 in a closed position by magnetic force against the front panel 140.

[0042] The lid interlock mechanism 580 uses the hook 180a of the door interlock mechanisms 180a, 180b to lock the door 130 to the lid 150 as soon as the lid 150 is opened by operating the button 340 (see also Figure 6).

[0043] On the other hand, when the hinged door 130 is open (which is only possible when the hinged lid 150 is closed), the hook 180a is disengaged from the lid interlock mechanism 580, and the corresponding switching element of the interlock mechanism 580 is closed. As a result, the hinged lid 150 is blocked. This prevents the simultaneous opening of the hinged door 130 and the hinged lid 150, thereby ensuring the safety of operation.

[0044] Figure 6 shows a diagram similar to Figure 3 to illustrate the lid locking mechanisms 341a and 341b in more detail. When the lid 150 is closed, the locking members 341a and 341b interlock with each other to lock the lid 150 in the closed position. By operating / pressing the button 340, the locking members 341a and 341b are released, and the hinged lid 150 can be opened. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 100 Microscopes 110 Microscope Housing 120 aperture 130 Hinged doors 132 Work surface 134 Inner self 136 Exterior 140 Front Panel 142 The Second Door 150 Hinged Lid 160 Front Cover 162 Lower front cover 164 Intermediate Front Cover 166 Upper front cover 170 Hinge Mechanism 172 Hinge 176 Cables 178 Cable holder 180 Door locking mechanism 180a hook, switching element 180b aperture 180c magnet 310 Microscope Stage 312 samples 320 Illumination optical system 330 Interior lighting 340 buttons 341a, 341b Locking member of lid locking mechanism 574 Cable Brake 576 Opening angle adjustment 578 Resistance adjustment 580 Lid Interlock Mechanism

Claims

1. A microscope (100) for examining a sample (312), wherein the microscope (100) comprises a microscope stage (310) for housing the sample (312) to be examined, and further comprises a microscope housing (110) surrounding the microscope stage (310), The microscope housing (110) comprises a hinged door (130) and an opening (120), the hinged door (130), when closed, covers the opening (120) and comprises an inner surface (134) and an outer surface (136), and when open, the inner surface (134) or the outer surface (136) becomes the upper surface of a substantially horizontal working surface (132). The hinged door (130) is attached to a hinged lid (150) of the microscope housing (110), and the hinged lid (150), when open, provides access to the microscope stage (310). Microscope (100).

2. The hinged door (130), when open, provides access to the microscope stage (310) through the opening (120). The microscope (100) according to claim 1.

3. The microscope further comprises a second door (142) located within or in the opening (120) of the microscope housing (110), wherein the hinged door (130), when open, provides access to the microscope stage (310) through the second door (142). A microscope (100) according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The second door (142) is a sliding door. The microscope (100) according to claim 3.

5. The opening (120), including the second door (142), forms part of the hinged lid (150) of the microscope housing (110). The microscope (100) according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The opening (120) is formed in the front panel (140) of the microscope housing (110). A microscope (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The hinged door (130) is attached to the hinged lid (150) of the microscope housing (110) by a hinge mechanism (170) comprising at least one hinge (172). The microscope (100) according to claim 6.

8. The hinge mechanism (170) includes a stopper configured to stop the opening movement of the hinged door (130). The microscope (100) according to claim 7.

9. The hinge mechanism (170) includes a cable (176) and a cable brake (574), the cable (176) being connected to the cable brake (574) which is configured to brake the opening movement of the hinged door (130) and / or define the opening angle of the hinged door (130). The microscope (100) according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The hinged door (130) is provided with a door locking mechanism (180) configured to lock the hinged door (130) in its closed state and to unlock the hinged door (130) in response to user operation. A microscope (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The door locking mechanism (180) is configured to lock the hinged door (130) to the front panel (140) in its closed state. A microscope (100) according to claim 10, relating to claim 6.

12. The microscope (100) further comprises an illumination optical system (320) for illuminating the sample (312) to be examined, and the door locking mechanism (180) is actuarily connected to the illumination optical system (320) such that illumination of the sample (312) by the illumination optical system (320) can be started only when the hinged door (130) is in the closed position and locked to the front panel (140). The microscope (100) according to claim 11.

13. The microscope (100) further comprises an internal light (330) inside the microscope housing (110), the internal light (330) being configured to automatically switch on when the hinged door (130) is unlocked or open. A microscope (100) according to any one of claims 10 to 12.

14. The hinged lid (150) of the microscope housing (110) is provided with a lid interlock mechanism (580), and the door lock mechanism (180) is configured as a door interlock mechanism (180a, 180b), wherein the lid interlock mechanism and the door interlock mechanism are configured to lock the hinged door (130) in a closed position when the hinged lid (150) is open, and to allow the hinged door (130) to be opened only when the hinged lid (150) is in a closed position. A microscope (100) according to any one of claims 10 to 13.

15. The hinged door (130), when closed, is implemented as at least part of the front cover (160) of the microscope housing (110). A microscope (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. The opening (120) is closable by the hinged door (130), A microscope (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. The hinged door (130) is opened by pivoting downwards to become a horizontal work surface (132), and the inner surface of the hinged door (130) is configured as the work surface (132) in the opened state. A microscope (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. The hinged door (130), when closed, forms at least a portion of the microscope housing (110). A microscope (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

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