Observed portion fixing apparatus and microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9291546-B2
Application number	US-201313893084-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2013
Priority date	Sep 3, 2012
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

An immersion liquid retainer is an immersion liquid retainer used for an observation made with a microscope including an immersion objective. The immersion liquid retainer includes a fixing part in which a first penetration hole for viewing an observed portion of a specimen is formed and which is fixed to the specimen, and an immersion liquid retaining part where a concave part that has a bottom surface configured with a transparent flat plate and is intended to retain an immersion liquid is formed. The immersion liquid retaining part is joined to the fixing part or formed integrally with the fixing part so that the transparent flat plate covers the first penetration hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An observed portion fixing apparatus, comprising:
an immersion liquid retainer used for an observation made with a microscope including an immersion objective, the immersion liquid retainer including:
an immersion liquid retaining part including a concave part configured to retain an immersion liquid, and a transparent flat plate which forms a bottom of the concave part, and
a fixing part arranged under the immersion liquid retaining part, the fixing part having a first penetration hole for viewing an observed portion of a specimen, and the fixing part being configured to be fixed to the specimen,
wherein the immersion liquid retaining part is joined to the fixing part or formed integrally with the fixing part such that the transparent flat plate covers the first penetration hole; and

a support part provided on a stage where the specimen is placed, the support part supporting the immersion liquid retainer, the support part including:
a support part main body provided on the stage,
an arm part for supporting the immersion liquid retainer extending from the support part main body, and
a driving unit for moving the immersion liquid retainer relatively to the stage.

2. The observed portion fixing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a suction part for suctioning a gas within a space enclosed by the fixing part, the specimen, and the transparent flat plate,
wherein the suction part suctions the gas within the space via a second penetration hole formed in the immersion liquid retainer.

3. The observed portion fixing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second penetration hole is configured with a groove formed on a surface that is a surface of the fixing part and is the same as a surface making contact with the transparent flat plate.

4. The observed portion fixing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second penetration hole is configured with a groove formed on a joint surface for joining the fixing part and the immersion liquid retainer.

5. The observed portion fixing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the driving unit moves the immersion liquid retainer relative to the stage by driving the arm part.

6. A microscope, comprising:
the observed portion fixing apparatus according to claim 1 ;
an immersion objective immersed in an immersion liquid retained in the immersion liquid retainer of the observed portion fixing apparatus; and
a stage on which a specimen is placed.

7. The microscope according to claim 6 , wherein an inner diameter of the concave part of the immersion liquid retaining part is larger than an outer diameter of a tip of the immersion objective.

8. The observed portion fixing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the concave part formed in the immersion liquid retaining part stores the immersion liquid so as to immerse a tip of the immersion objective in the immersion liquid from below.

9. The observed portion fixing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the fixing part has the first penetration hole at a top part thereof, and the fixing part increases in width from the top part to a bottom part.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Nakasho Eiji

Classifications

• G02B21/33 Primary

  Immersion oils {, or microscope systems or objectives for use with immersion fluids} · CPC title

• G01N21/01 Primary

  Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation · CPC title