Correction device for an optical arrangement and confocal microscope with such a device

Abstract

A correction device for an imaging optical arrangement exhibiting a light path ( 1 ), in particular for a microscope, that exhibits at least one plane-parallel transparent plate ( 9 ), which is held in a mounting plate in the image beam path ( 1 ) and is propelable around at least one axle in a tipping and/or a swiveling motion, in order in adjust a definite parallel misalignment of the beams in the image beam path ( 1 ) by a change in the tipping situation of the plate ( 9 ). A confocal microscope with such a correction device exhibits a confocal screen ( 4 ), which illustrates a specimen mark ( 10 ), whereby the plane-parallel plate ( 9 ) is placed in front of the detector unit ( 2 ) in the light path ( 1 ), in order to center the illustration of the aperture diaphragm on the detector unit.

1 - 14 . (canceled)  
     
     
         15 . Correction device for an imaging optical arrangement ( 1 ) having a beam path, comprising: 
 at least one plane-parallel transparent plate ( 9 ),    a mounting plate ( 11 ) in the image beam path, wherein the mounting plate ( 11 ) holds the plate ( 9 ) in the image beam path and moves the plate ( 9 ) in at least one of a tilting movement and a swiveling around at least one axis, in order to adjust a definite parallel misalignment (dx, dy) of the beams in the light path by change of the tilting situation of the plate ( 9 ).    
     
     
         16 . Device according to  claim 15 , wherein the imaging optical arrangement ( 1 ) is a microscope.  
     
     
         17 . Device according to  claim 15 , wherein the plate ( 9 ) has at least one of a tilting and swiveling movement around at least two axes.  
     
     
         18 . Device according to  claim 15 , comprising at least two plane-parallel transparent plates ( 9 ), each of the plates ( 9 ) being tiltable around one axis.  
     
     
         19 . Device according to  claim 15 , further comprising a servo unit (C), which records at least one operating parameter of the optical arrangement ( 1 ) and which adjusts the tilting situation to be dependent of the value of the operating parameter.  
     
     
         20 . Device according to  claim 15 , further comprising an automatic control loop (C) that uses the tilting situation of the plate ( 9 ) as a correcting variable.  
     
     
         21 . Device according to  claim 15 , comprising two plane-parallel transparent plates ( 9 ), wherein the plates ( 9 ) are independently ovable and are made from materials of different dispersion, in order to adjust one of a color-independent and aimed color-dependent parallel misalignment.  
     
     
         22 . Device according to  claim 18 , whereby at least one plate ( 9 ) comprises two sub panels ( 9   a ,  9   b ) and is made with materials of different dispersion, in order to compensate color transverse errors in the light path.  
     
     
         23 . Confocal microscope having a beam path and comprising: 
 a confocal screen ( 4 ),    a detector unit ( 2 ) following the confocal screen ( 4 ), and    a correction device according to  claim 15  for focusing a selected specimen range ( 10 ) on the confocal screen ( 4 ),    wherein the plate ( 9 ) is placed first in the light path of the detector unit ( 2 ), in order to center the illustration of the selected specimen range ( 10 ) on one of the detector unit ( 2 ) and an illustration of the screen ( 4 ) on the detector unit ( 2 ).    
     
     
         24 . Microscope according to  claim 23 , wherein the detector unit covers a locally resolved detector ( 2 ).  
     
     
         25 . Microscope according to  claim 23 , further comprising changeable or adjustable elements ( 3 ) in the light path, and 
 a servo unit (C), which records at least one operating parameter of the confocal microscope and which adjusts the tilting situation to be dependent of the value of the operating parameter, wherein the servo unit (C) records a configuration of the changeable or adjustable elements ( 3 ) as operating parameters.    
     
     
         26 . Microscope according to  claim 25 , wherein the light path guides radiation of different wavelengths and the servo unit (C) records the wavelength in the light path as an operating parameter.  
     
     
         27 . Microscope according to  claim 23 , further comprising further comprising an automatic control loop (C) that uses the tilting situation of the plate ( 9 ) as a correcting variable, wherein the automatic control loop (C) maximizes the radiation intensity at the detector unit ( 2 ) and/or minimizes an image misalignment.  
     
     
         28 . Microscope according to  claim 23 , further comprising a servo unit (C), which records at least one operating parameter of the optical arrangement ( 1 ) and which adjusts the tilting situation to be dependent of the value of the operating parameter, and 
 wherein the confocal screen is designed as a split diaphragm ( 4 ) and the detector unit is designed as detector line ( 2 ) and wherein the tilting situation is two-axle adjusted such that the image of a specimen line is centered on the slit diaphragm ( 4 ).    
     
     
         29 . Microscope according to  claim 23 , further comprising a servo unit (C), which records at least one operating parameter of the optical arrangement ( 1 ) and which adjusts the tilting situation to be dependent of the value of the operating parameter, and 
 wherein the confocal screen is designed as a split diaphragm ( 4 ) and the detector unit is designed as detector line ( 2 ) and wherein the tilting situation is two-axle adjusted such that the image of the slit diaphragm ( 4 ) is centered two-axle on the detector line ( 2 ).    
     
     
         30 . Microscope according  claim 23 , wherein the plate ( 9 ) has at least one of a tilting and swiveling movement around at least two axes, wherein the plate ( 9 ) is provided between the specimen range ( 10 ) and the confocal screen ( 4 ) and also between the screen ( 4 ) and the detector unit ( 2 ).  
     
     
         31 . Microscope according to  claim 23 , comprising at least two plane-parallel transparent plates ( 9 ), each of the plates ( 9 ) being tiltable around one axis wherein one of the plates ( 9 ) is provided between the specimen range ( 10 ) and the confocal screen ( 4 ) and another of the plates ( 9 ) is provided between the screen ( 4 ) and the detector unit ( 2 ).  
     
     
         32 . Microscope according to  claim 23  wherein the microscope has an excitation light path for the illumination of the selected specimen range ( 10 ), and wherein the plane-parallel plate ( 9 ) is included in the excitation light path.