Microscope and lamphouse

Abstract

A microscope includes an illuminating unit that includes an excitation light source emitting an excitation light, and a phosphor receiving the excitation light and emitting illumination light in a specific wavelength range. The illuminating unit illuminates a specimen with the illumination light. The microscope also includes an observation unit for observing the specimen illuminated by the illuminating unit.

1 . A microscope, comprising: 
 an illuminating unit that includes an excitation light source emitting an excitation light, and a phosphor receiving the excitation light and emitting illumination light in a specific wavelength range, the illuminating unit illuminating a specimen with the illumination light; and    an observation unit for observing the specimen illuminated by the illuminating unit.    
   
   
       2 . The microscope according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the illuminating unit includes a collector lens that collects the illumination light, and    the phosphor is located in a focal position of the collector lens.    
   
   
       3 . The microscope according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 the excitation light source is a laser diode light source, and    the phosphor is held by the excitation light source.    
   
   
       4 . The microscope according to  claim 3 , wherein 
 the illuminating unit includes a light-source supporting adapter that supports the laser diode light source, and a lamp supporting member to which the light-source supporting adapter is mounted, the light-source supporting adapter being replaceable at least with a halogen lamp, wherein    the light-source supporting adapter positions the phosphor to the focal position of the collector lens when mounted to the lamp supporting member.    
   
   
       5 . The microscope according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 the excitation light source is a laser diode light source, and    the illuminating unit includes an optical fiber that brings the excitation light emitted from the laser diode light source to the phosphor, the optical fiber having one end optically connected to the laser diode light source and another end holding the phosphor.    
   
   
       6 . The microscope according to  claim 5 , wherein 
 the illuminating unit includes a fiber supporting adapter that supports the optical fiber, and a lamp supporting member to which the fiber supporting adapter is mounted, the fiber supporting member being replaceable at least with a halogen lamp, wherein    the fiber supporting adapter positions the phosphor to the focal position-of the collector lens when mounted to the lamp supporting member.    
   
   
       7 . The microscope according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the illuminating unit images a conjugate image of the phosphor, and    the phosphor has a size that the conjugate image of the phosphor is imaged with a predetermined size by the illuminating unit.    
   
   
       8 . The microscope according to  claim 7 , wherein 
 the predetermined size of the conjugate image is the same as an image size of a filament of a halogen lamp imaged by the illuminating unit.    
   
   
       9 . The microscope according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 the phosphor is replaceable, and the illuminating unit images a conjugate image of the phosphor at a magnification based on a size of the phosphor so that the conjugate image has a predetermined size.    
   
   
       10 . The microscope according to  claim 9 , wherein 
 the illuminating unit changes a focal distance of the collector lens according to the size of the phosphor so that the conjugate image has the predetermined size.    
   
   
       11 . The microscope according to  claim 9 , wherein 
 the illuminating unit includes a zoom lens, and changes a focal distance of the zoom lens according to the size of the phosphor so that the conjugate image has the predetermined size.    
   
   
       12 . The microscope according to  claim 9 , wherein 
 the illuminating unit includes a zoom lens, and a light source that is replaceable at least with the phosphor, the illuminating unit changing a focal distance of the zoom lens according to a size of an emitting element of the light source and the size of the phosphor so that the conjugate image has the predetermined size.    
   
   
       13 . The microscope according to  claim 12 , wherein 
 the illuminating unit includes a filter that is placed to or removed from an illumination optical path in the illuminating unit, and changes a spectral characteristics of the illumination light illuminating the specimen.    
   
   
       14 . The microscope according to  claim 13 , wherein 
 the filter includes at least one of a heat-absorbing filter, a color conversion filter, and a infrared cut filter.    
   
   
       15 . The microscope according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a microscope body that includes at least a portion of the illuminating unit and an internal power source supplying power to the excitation light source.    
   
   
       16 . The microscope according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the phosphor emits white illumination light.    
   
   
       17 . The microscope according to  claim 16 , wherein 
 the excitation light source emits the excitation light in an ultraviolet wavelength range.    
   
   
       18 . The microscope according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the illuminating unit includes an excitation-light cut filter that shields the excitation light after passing through the phosphor.    
   
   
       19 . The microscope according to  claim 18 , wherein 
 the excitation-light cut filter is provided together with the phosphor.    
   
   
       20 . A lamphouse, comprising: 
 an excitation light source that emits an excitation light; and    a phosphor that receives the excitation light and emits illumination light in a specific wavelength range, the lamphouse being detachably mounted to a microscope body.    
   
   
       21 . The lamphouse according to  claim 20 , further comprising 
 a collector lens that collects the illumination light, wherein    the phosphor is located in a focal position of the collector lens.    
   
   
       22 . The lamphouse according to  claim 21 , wherein 
 the excitation light source is a laser diode light source, and    the phosphor is held by the excitation light source.    
   
   
       23 . The lamphouse according to  claim 21 , further comprising 
 an optical fiber that brings the excitation light emitted from the laser diode light source to the phosphor, wherein    the excitation light source is a laser diode light source, and    the optical fiber has one end optically connected to the laser diode light source and another end holding the phosphor.    
   
   
       24 . The lamphouse according to  claim 20 , wherein 
 the phosphor is located in a focal position of a collector lens when the lamphouse is mounted to a mounting port of the microscope body, the collector lens being located inside the microscope body and collecting the illumination light.    
   
   
       25 . The lamphouse according to  claim 24 , wherein 
 the excitation light source is a laser diode light source, and    the phosphor is held by the excitation light source.    
   
   
       26 . The lamphouse according to  claim 24 , further comprising 
 an optical fiber that brings the excitation light emitted from the laser diode light source to the phosphor, wherein    the excitation light source is a laser diode light source, and    the optical fiber has one end optically connected to the laser diode light source and another end holding the phosphor.    
   
   
       27 . The lamphouse according to  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 a light-source supporting adapter that supports a laser diode light source being the excitation light source and the phosphor held by the laser diode light source together; and    a lamp supporting member to which the light-source supporting adapter is mounted, the light-source supporting adapter being replaceable at least with a halogen lamp, wherein    the light-source supporting adapter positions the phosphor to the focal position of the collector lens when the lamphouse is mounted to a mounting port of the microscope body and the light-source supporting adapter is mounted to the lamp supporting member.    
   
   
       28 . The lamphouse according to  claim 24 , further comprising 
 an optical fiber that has one end optically connected to the excitation light source and another end holding the phosphor, and brings the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source to the phosphor;    a fiber supporting adapter that supports the optical fiber; and    a lamp supporting member to which the fiber supporting adapter is mounted, the fiber supporting member being replaceable at least with a halogen lamp, wherein    the fiber supporting adapter positions the phosphor to the focal position of the collector lens when the lamphouse is mounted to a mounting port of the microscope body and the fiber supporting adapter is mounted to the lamp supporting member.    
   
   
       29 . The lamphouse according to  claim 20 , wherein 
 the phosphor has a size that a conjugate image of the phosphor is imaged at a predetermined size by an illumination lens system included in the microscope body, when the lamphouse is mounted to a mounting port of the microscope body.    
   
   
       30 . The lamphouse according to  claim 29 , wherein 
 the predetermined size of the conjugate image is the same as an image size of a filament of a halogen lamp imaged by the illuminating lens system.    
   
   
       31 . The lamphouse according to  claim 21 , further comprising 
 an external frame that houses the excitation light source, the phosphor, and the collector lens, and is detachably mounted to a mounting port of the microscope body.    
   
   
       32 . The lamphouse according to  claim 24 , further comprising 
 an external frame that houses the excitation light source and the phosphor, and is detachably mounted to a mounting port of the microscope body.    
   
   
       33 . The lamphouse according to  claim 20 , wherein 
 the excitation light source is powered by an internal power source included in the microscope body when the lamphouse is mounted to a mounting port of the microscope body.    
   
   
       34 . The lamphouse according to  claim 20 , wherein 
 the phosphor emits white illumination light.    
   
   
       35 . The lamphouse according to  claim 34 , wherein 
 the excitation light source emits the excitation light in an ultraviolet wavelength range.    
   
   
       36 . The lamphouse according to  claim 20 , further comprising 
 an excitation-light cut filter that shields the excitation light after passing through the phosphor.    
   
   
       37 . The lamphouse according to  claim 36 , wherein 
 the excitation-light cut filter is provided together with the phosphor.