Illumination arrangement and surgical microscope incorporating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9510754-B2
Application number	US-201514747829-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2015
Priority date	Jun 26, 2014
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

An illumination arrangement includes illumination optics defining an optical axis and a light source for generating at least one illumination beam path for illuminating an object field at a specific illumination angle with a viewing beam path. At least one mirror is provided in the illumination beam path for deflecting light from the light source and the mirror has a longitudinal extent along the optical axis. A light-emitting surface region of the light source is variable (x) perpendicular to the optical axis without movable components. The illumination optics are embodied in such a way for obtaining a desired illumination that an illumination pupil is imaged within the longitudinal extent of the mirror.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An illumination arrangement for an optical instrument defining a viewing beam path, the illumination arrangement comprising:
an illumination optic defining an optical axis;
a light source for generating an illumination beam path for illuminating an object field at a specific illumination angle with said viewing beam path;
a mirror arranged in said illumination beam path and being configured to deflect the light of said light source;
said mirror having a longitudinal extent along said optical axis;
said light source having a light-emitting surface region variable perpendicularly to said optical axis without movable parts; and,
said illumination optic being configured to image an illumination pupil within said longitudinal extent of said mirror.

2. The illumination arrangement of claim 1 , wherein said light-emitting surface region includes a plurality of light-emitting subregions which can be activated independently from one another.

3. The illumination arrangement of claim 2 , wherein said light source is a multichip emitter LED defining said light-emitting subregions.

4. The illumination arrangement of claim 2 , wherein said light-emitting subregions have at least one of the following: different colors and different levels of brightness.

5. The illumination arrangement of claim 2 , wherein said mirror is a first mirror and wherein said illuminating arrangement comprises a second mirror.

6. The illumination arrangement of claim 5 , wherein said illumination arrangement comprises a third mirror.

7. The illumination arrangement of claim 1 , wherein said light source is configured to vary said illumination angle to provide different illumination angles.

8. The illumination arrangement of claim 7 , wherein said illumination angle lies in a range of 2° to 6°.

9. The illumination arrangement of claim 1 , wherein said light source is displaceable along said optical axis.

10. The illumination arrangement of claim 1 , wherein said light-emitting surface region defines at least three light-emitting subregions arranged so as to be distributed perpendicular to said optical axis.

11. The illumination arrangement of claim 10 , wherein said three light-emitting subregions are offset in two directions.

12. An opththalmologic surgical microscope comprising:
an optical system defining a viewing beam path;
an illumination arrangement including:
an illumination optic defining an optical axis;
a light source for generating an illumination beam path for illuminating an object field at a specific illumination angle with said viewing beam path;
a mirror arranged in said illumination beam path and being configured to deflect the light of said light source;
said mirror having a longitudinal extent along said optical axis;
said light source having a light-emitting surface region variable perpendicularly to said optical axis without movable parts; and,
said illumination optic being configured to image an illumination pupil within said longitudinal extent of said mirror.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Meditec Ag

Inventors

• Reimer Peter
• Liegel Juergen
• Bausewein Markus

Classifications

• G02B19/0066

  in the form of an LED array · CPC title

• G02B21/12

  affording bright-field illumination (G02B21/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B21/082 Primary

  for incident illumination only · CPC title

• A61B3/13

  Ophthalmic microscopes · CPC title

• A61B3/14 Primary

  Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography · CPC title