Microscope apparatus

Abstract

A microscope apparatus configured to enlarge entrance pupils while maintaining the rotational symmetry of optical systems of a plurality of optical paths after ejection of light from an objective lens to bring out the performance of the objective lens. A microscope apparatus includes an objective lens having a function of collecting light from the object; and optical paths in which all lens groups are rotational symmetric systems and through which light exited from the objective lens passes, wherein when a sum of maximum diameters of entrance pupils of optical systems forming any two of the optical paths is set as ΣDi, and an axial luminous flux diameter determined from a maximum aperture angle α and a focal distance f of the objective lens is set as Dobj, a condition of the following expression is satisfied, ΣDi>Dobj where Dobj=2·f·sin α.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A microscope apparatus comprising, in order from an object side:
 an objective lens having a function of collecting light from the object; and   two or more optical paths through which the light exited from the objective lens passes, wherein   when maximum diameters of entrance pupils of optical systems forming any two of the optical paths among the two or more optical paths are set as Dep 1  and Dep 2 , a sum of the maximum diameters of the two entrance pupils is set as ΣDi″, a distance between centers of the two entrance pupils is set as Dx, and an axial luminous flux diameter determined from a maximum aperture angle α and a focal distance f of the objective lens is set as Dobj, a condition of the following expression is satisfied,
   ΣDi″>Dobj
 
   Dx≧Dep 1 
 
   Dep 1 =Dep 2   
   where Dobj=2·f·sin α.   
     
     
         2 . The microscope apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the number of the optical paths is 2. 
     
     
         3 . The microscope apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the number of the optical paths is 3. 
     
     
         4 . The microscope apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the two or more optical paths are movable relative to the optical axis of the objective lens while a positional relationship of each other is maintained. 
     
     
         5 . The microscope apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two or more optical paths comprises:
 afocal variable power optical systems that eject light, which is ejected substantially parallel to the optical axis of the objective lens from the objective lens, as a plurality of substantially parallel lights; and   an imaging lens that collects the substantially parallel lights ejected from the afocal variable power optical system, and   at least one of the afocal variable power optical systems comprises, at at least part of a section for changing the magnification from a high-power end state to a low-power end state, at least two lens groups that move to include components in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the objective lens.