A preparation element set including an image sensor including a sensor surface, a sensor back surface, and a board; a package including a front surface, a back surface, and terminals on the back surface, the front surface touching or facing the sensor back surface; and a transparent plate facing the sensor surface with a subject placed therebetween, wherein the board includes a board surface and a board back surface, a distance between the board surface and the sensor surface is less than a distance between the board back surface and the sensor surface, a distance between the board surface and the sensor back surface is more than a distance between the board back surface and the sensor back surface, conductive holes pierce the board from the board surface to the board back surface, and conductors on the board surface are electrically connected to terminals by using the conductive holes.

A module housing case is described. The modular housing case includes a fiber optic component housing defined as a cavity that is sized to receive a fiber optic connector. Within the cavity is a ferrule guide. The module housing case also has an internal cavity that is at least partially enclosed. Components to assist in magnification may be disposed at least partially within the internal cavity. Finally, the module housing case employs a camera lens alignment feature.

A dual-configuration microscope is provided that may be converted into an upright or inverted microscope. The microscope includes a base and a body having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the body is rotatably coupled to the base. The microscope further includes an objective coupled to the first portion of the body, a condenser coupled to the second portion of the body and a stage positioned between the objective and the condenser. The microscope further includes a first and second knob configured to adjust the position of the objective, wherein the first knob is disposed proximal to the first portion of the body and the second knob is disposed proximal to the second portion of the body.

A surgical microscope system includes a camera that is rotatable around a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis, the rotation axes being orthogonal to each other, so that a photographing direction of the camera is changeable at a given position. The first rotation axis is inclined with respect to a vertical axis, and therefore, a lower end of a first member is able to be set at a height that does not interfere with the photographing direction when the camera is horizontally oriented.

A system for detecting microbial cells in a sample includes an apparatus configured to image at least one cell in the sample, and a cooling device. The apparatus includes a holder having an internal portion and an external portion which are configured so as to secure a membrane between the portions, and an imaging device disposed above the external portion and configured to permit examination of the at least one cell. The apparatus further includes a stage attachable to a stage platform configured to connect to a motor, and a projecting member projecting from an upper surface of the stage and configured to receive and exchange solution. The cooling device includes a thermoelectric cooling element and/or at least one tube configured to circulate a cooling medium beneath the stage so as to cool the sample.

A solid immersion lens holder includes a first member having a first opening disposing a spherical face portion therein so that a part of the spherical face portion protrudes toward an objective lens side and a second member having a second opening disposing a contact portion therein so that a contact face protrudes toward a side opposite to the objective lens side. The first member includes three protrusion portions extending from an inner face of the first opening toward a center of the first opening and configured to be contactable with the spherical face portion.

The disclosure features methods and systems that include illuminating a candidate structure with radiation linearly polarized along a first polarization direction and obtaining a first image of the dendritic structure, illuminating the candidate structure with radiation linearly polarized along a second polarization direction and obtaining a second image of the dendritic structure, where an angle between the first and second polarization directions is at least 10, for a set of pixels corresponding to a first region of the candidate structure in the first and second images, determining a first change in average pixel intensity between the first and second images, and authenticating the candidate structure as a dendritic structure based on the first change in average pixel intensity.

A microscope for microscopic examination of a sample includes an illumination optics for illuminating the sample, an imaging optics for imaging the sample, a sample chamber for receiving the sample. The sample chamber has a door providing access into the sample chamber. The microscope further includes a first fan assembly arranged on a first side of the sample chamber for blowing atmosphere into the sample chamber or for draining atmosphere out of the sample chamber, through at least one first opening arranged on the first side in a first side wall of the sample chamber, and at least one second opening arranged on a second side in a second side wall of the sample chamber for allowing atmosphere from inside the sample chamber to exit the sample chamber or for allowing atmosphere from outside the sample chamber to enter the sample chamber.

The purpose of this invention is to create a low cost, easy to use, fiber end face and or connector inspection tool component that easily adapts and converts most all mobile communication devices with camera, screen and software capabilities into a microscope. The invention encapsulates and holds firm a fiber connector body and or fiber connector bodies and or ferrule housing or ferrule housings for the purpose of viewing the cleanliness and quality of the fiber end face and or faces. A Fiber end face is the component area and or areas the embodies the fiber core and or fiber cores, fiber ferrule end and or ferrule ends and fiber related end component and or components that are instrumental in the mating with other like components with fiber connector plug end faces and or related optical fiber components for the purpose connectors and splices prior to connecting and or join optical fibers where a connect/disconnect capability is required.

Provided is a medical observation apparatus including: a columnar microscope unit configured to image a minute part of an object to be observed with magnification and thereby output an imaging signal; and a support unit including a first joint unit holding the microscope unit in a rotationally movable manner around a first axis parallel to a height direction of the microscope unit, a first arm unit holding the first joint unit and extending in a direction different from the height direction of the microscope unit, a second joint unit holding the first arm unit in a rotationally movable manner around a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, and a second arm unit holding the second joint unit. In a plane passing through the first and second axes, a cross section of the microscope unit, the first and second joint units, and the first and second arm units is included in a circle that has a center at a focus position of the microscope unit and passes through an end point of the first joint unit that is at the maximum distance from the focus position. Thus, when imaging an object to be observed and displaying the image, the user's visual field for observing the displayed image can be sufficiently ensured.