ILLUMINATION UNIT FOR MICROSCOPES

Abstract

An illumination unit for microscopes has an MID structure for the free spatial arrangement of different electronic and optical components, so that surfaces of a three-dimensional carrier are available as a replacement for printed circuit boards. The MID structure designed as an illumination unit contains a closed annular main part having an annular free beam opening, where columns are arranged on the main part. On the free ends of the columns, illumination means are provided which can be contacted via conductor paths provided on the surface of the MID structure. The columns contain a cooling structure on a side surface facing away from the free beam opening, and a plug for the power supply and a control unit for controlling the illumination means are provided on the main part of the MID structure, The MID structure designed as an illumination unit is provided in a housing of a microscope objective.

Claims

1. An illumination unit for microscopes, comprising, a molded interconnected device (MID) structure for freely spatially arranging different electronic and optical components. wherein the MID structure has a closed, ring-shaped main body with a ring-shaped free beam aperture, wherein columns are arranged on the ring-shaped main body, wherein light-emitting means are arranged on free ends of the columns, and are contacted via conductor tracks provided on a surface of the MID structure, and wherein a plug for supplying power and a control unit for controlling the light-emitting means are provided on the ring-shaped main body of the MID structure.

2. The illumination unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the columns have, on a side surface facing away from the ring-shaped free beam aperture, a metallically coated portion formed as a cooling structure.

3. The illumination unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cooling structure is formed as an elevation on the side surface facing away from the ring-shaped free beam aperture.

4. The illumination unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-emitting means are controllable jointly, in groups, or individually by the control unit in order to set their respective individual intensities.

5. The illumination unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the MID structure is arranged in a housing of a microscope objective, wherein a front lens and optionally, optical lenses, of the microscope objective are arranged along an optical axis, wherein the MID structure is guided and held against stops of the housing, and wherein the light-emitting means protrude out of the housing of the microscope objective next to the front lens for uniformly lighting a sample to be observed and/or optically captured by the microscope objective.

6. The illumination unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein for correct positioning of the MID structure in a receptacle of the housing of the microscope objective, an adjustment projection is formed on a side surface of the ring-shaped main body facing away from the ring-shaped free beam aperture.

7. The illumination unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the microscope objective has a shielding unit preventing undesired incidence of light from the light-emitting means into an interior of the microscope objective.

8. The illumination unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the MID structure is able to be plugged into the housing of the microscope objective.

9. The illumination unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the housing of the microscope objective is formed in multiple parts, wherein individual segments and the MID structure are able to be plugged together or fixedly connectable to one another.

10. The illumination unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the housing of the microscope objective is formed as an MID structure, wherein the housing has conductor tracks and a further plug for electrically conductive connection of an integrated control unit to the light-emitting means.

11. The illumination unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein the integrated control unit is connected via the further plug at the housing of the microscope objective to an integrated drive for displacing at least one of the optical lenses along the optical axis.

Description

[0017] In the figures:

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a first exemplary embodiment of an illumination unit according to the invention;

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a detailed view of a second exemplary embodiment of an illumination unit according to the invention;

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a first exemplary embodiment of a microscope objective having the illumination unit according to the invention; and

[0021] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a second exemplary embodiment of a microscope objective having the illumination unit according to the invention.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a main body 2 of an MID structure 1 of an illumination unit according to the invention with integrated conductor tracks 3 for freely spatially arranging different electronic and optical components, such as diodes and sensors. The MID structure 1 formed as an illumination unit has a main body 2 surrounding a free beam aperture 1.1 in the shape of a ring. On the surface of the MID structure 1, conductor tracks 3 are provided, which are used to make electrical contact with light-emitting means 4 in the form of LEDs or OLEDs, which are arranged on the free ends of columns 5 protruding from the main body 2 of the MID structure 1. In order to be able to position the MID structure 1 correctly in a receptacle, for example in a housing 11 of the microscope objective 10 (see FIGS. 3 and 4), an adjustment projection 6 is formed on a side surface of the main body 2 facing away from the free beam aperture 1.1. A plug 7 and a control unit 8 are furthermore present on the main body 2. The plug 7 is used to contact external supply sources for electrical energy and/or to transmit data in the form of electrical signals. The control unit 8 for controlling the light-emitting means 4 is embodied in such a way that the light-emitting means 4 are controllable jointly, in groups or individually and that, for example, their respective intensities are settable.

[0023] In further possible embodiments of the invention, further components, for example heat sinks, and/or other electrical and/or electronic components can additionally or alternatively be arranged on the main body 2.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of a section of an illumination unit, embodied according to the invention as an MID structure 1, with a cooling structure 9. Located on the main body 2 is a column 5, on the free end of which a light-emitting means 4 is provided, which is contacted via the conductor track 3 that is shown as an example. A cooling structure 9 in the form of a metallically coated portion of the column 5 is formed on a side surface of the column 5. The cooling structure 9 advantageously faces away from the free beam aperture 1.1 (see FIG. 1) in order to reduce disruptive influences due to air flows of different density and refractive power.

[0025] In further exemplary embodiments not shown in more detail, the cooling structure 9 is formed as fins or as differently shaped elevations.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the microscope objective 10 having the illumination unit according to the invention, formed as the MID structure 1, which is arranged in a housing 11 of the microscope objective 10. Optical lenses 13 and a front lens 13.1 of microscope objective 10 are optionally arranged along an optical axis 12. The MID structure 1 is guided against stops 14 of the housing 11 of the microscope objective 10 and held there. The stops 14 are part of a receptacle 16 for holding and positioning the MID structure 1. The light-emitting means 4 protrude out of the housing 11 next to the front lens 13.1 and enable illumination of a region located in front of the front lens 13.1 from different directions. In this way, for example, uniform lighting of a sample (not shown in more detail) to be observed and/or optically captured by means of the microscope objective 10 is possible. An undesirable incidence of light from the light-emitting means 4 into the optical system of the microscope objective 10 is achieved by means of a shielding unit 17 by way of a corresponding arrangement and shielding of the interior of the microscope objective 10 against the light-emitting means 4. In the exemplary embodiment, said shielding unit 17 is embodied as a partition in the form of a light-proof side wall of the microscope objective 10 (shown in a shortened form). Only light that comes from the region in front of the front lens 13.1 and is collected by the latter passes into the microscope objective 10. The light-emitting means 4 can be controlled jointly or selectively by means of the control unit 8, wherein the control unit 8 is arranged externally in this case. The MID structure 1 is advantageously plugged into, and thus efficiently mountable in, the housing 11 of the microscope objective 10. Individual mounting of each individual light-emitting means 4 is not required. An exchange of the MID structure 1 is also easily possible as necessary.

[0027] In addition, the housing 11 of the microscope objective 10 can also be formed in multiple parts. For example, segments thereof are then able to be plugged together or screwed together. Such an embodiment of the housing 11 makes the mounting and any replacement of the MID structure 1 easier. The housing 11 of the microscope objective 10 itself can also be produced by means of MID technology. The objective 10 and/or the housing 11 can be used in a microscope M (merely indicated).

[0028] The housing 11 itself can be produced by means of MID technology. As shown schematically in FIG. 4, the housing 11 has conductor tracks 3, which electrically conductively connect a plug 7.1 of the objective 10 to the optionally likewise integrated control unit 8 and the light-emitting means 4. A drive 15, which, in particular is likewise integrated, can be present in addition to the control unit 8. By means of the former, for example, at least one of the lenses 13 is displaceable along the optical axis 12 (symbolized by a double-headed arrow) in order to perform a zoom function, for example.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0029] 1 MID-Structure [0030] 1.1 Free beam aperture [0031] 2 Main body [0032] 3 Conductor track [0033] 4 Light-emitting means [0034] 5 Column [0035] 6 Adjustment projection [0036] 7 Plug [0037] 7.1 Plug of the microscope objective [0038] 8 Control unit [0039] 0 Cooling structure [0040] 10 Microscope objective [0041] 11 Housing [0042] 12 Optical axis [0043] 13 Lens [0044] 13.1 Front lens [0045] 14 Stop [0046] 15 Drive [0047] 16 Receptacle [0048] 17 Shielding unit [0049] M Microscope