Image magnifying and pick-up system with lighting light-guide device

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting light-guide device for an image magnifying and pick-up system which is capable of efficiently and effectively directing illuminating light to the surface of the observed portion of a specimen.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a lighting light-guide device which can afford sufficient illumination to provide a satisfactory magnified display of the observed portion of the specimen, irrespective of any fine recessed configuration that may be present in the observed portion.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an image magnifying and pick-up system incorporating a lighting light-guide device comprising: a lens tube; a magnifying optical system located within the lens tube; an image pick-up element at the proximal or rear end of the lens tube for converting an optical image obtained through the optical system into an electrical signal; a light-guide cap mounted at the distal or front end of the lens tube, which is formed of a transparent material and a substantially hemi-spherical in shape, and an illumination system for introducing illuminating light into the light-guide cap from the annular end surface thereof.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the optical fibers each have a distal radiant end surface and are held by an annular retaining ring.
The radiant end surfaces of the optical fibers are preferably annularly embedded in the retaining ring while being maintained in close contact with one another, and -he retaining ring either contacts with the annular end surface of the light-guide cap or faces the annular end surface of the light-guide cap having a small gap therebetween.
In a Preferred embodiment of the present invention, the light-guide cap is formed into a relatively flat shape at the bottom and the observation aperture is formed at a central portion of the bottom.
The cap of a hemi-spherical shape may have a section with a substantially parabolic shape including the relatively flat bottom