DIFFUSE OPTICS ILLUMINATOR FOR REFLECTANCE MICROSCOPY AND METHOD OF PROVIDING DIFFUSE LIGHT FOR REFLECTANCE MICROSCOPY

摘要

An illuminator and a reflectance microscope or system utilizing the illuminator for eliminating the need of a special light source, a reflected light vertical illuminator, and condenser lenses. The system may utilize an ordinary light source. The illuminator includes embedded chromophoric and diffusion properties. The illuminator further has a size and a shape to enable proximate positioning relative to the specimen to be observed. The illuminator further has an opening or aperture through which the specimen may be viewed. As such, the opening of the illuminator permits placement of the illuminator between the objective lens and the specimen. This positioning enables reflectance type or dark field microscopy with a simple and durable illuminator without complex optics. A method of using the reflectance microscope includes illuminating a specimen by the illuminator on a same side of the specimen as is the objective lens relative to a plane of the specimen normal to the optical path.