Illumination device for a surgical microscope

The invention concerns an illumination device having a stop (8) for a surgical microscope, whose stop (8) is capable of covering a partial light flux of the illumination system, the coverage not being accomplished completely as a result of the particular configuration of the stop.

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What is claimed is:

1. An illumination device on a surgical microscope having a principal objective on a principal axis and an illumination optical system and a light source, there being providedbetween the principal objective and the illumination optical system a light distribution and deflection apparatus with which, in an operating state, deflection of one portion of a light flux of the illumination optical system at a small angle to theprincipal axis, and another portion of the light flux of the illumination optical system parallel to the principal axis is effected, such that a portion of the light distribution and deflection apparatus can be covered by a stop, wherein the stop is notcompletely opaque.

2. The illumination device as defined in claim 1, wherein the stop is configured as a neutral-color light filter.

3. The illumination device as defined in claim 1, wherein the stop is arranged or is slidable between the illumination optical system and at least one entry surface of the light distribution and deflection apparatus.

4. The illumination device as defined in claim 3, wherein the light distribution and deflection apparatus comprises a plurality of light entry surfaces and the stop is configured as an inherently opaque disk having selectively advanceable lightopenings which, in accordance with requirements, give the illumination optical system beam access, to a varying extent, to the plurality of light entry surfaces into the light distribution and deflection apparatus.

5. The illumination device as defined in claim 1, wherein the light distribution and deflection apparatus comprises a plurality of light entry surfaces and the stop is configured as a liquid crystal element that, in electronically activatedfashion, exposes unrestrictedly selectable portions of the plurality of light entry surfaces.

6. The illumination device as defined in claim 1, wherein the stop is configured as a perforated panel or perforated film.

7. The illumination device as defined in claim 6, wherein the stop is configured as a metallized glass or plastic plate.

8. The illumination device as defined in claim 7, wherein the stop is configured as a partially transparent mirror surface that deflects some light beams emerging from the light distribution and deflection apparatus back toward the light source.

9. The illumination device as defined in claim 1, wherein the stop is configured as a metal or plastic grid.

10. The illumination device as defined in claim 1, wherein the stop comprises a selective color selection filter.

11. The illumination device as defined in claim 1, wherein the stop carries, at light-transmissive points, optical elements to influence a partial illumination beam passing through it.

12. An illumination device on a surgical microscope having a principal objective about a principal axis and an illumination optical system and a light source, wherein there is provided between the principal objective and the illumination opticalsystem a light distribution and deflection apparatus which, in an operating state, effects deflection of one portion of a light flux of the illumination optical system at a small angle to the principal axis, and deflection of another portion of the lightflux of the illumination optical system parallel to the principal axis, the light distribution and deflection apparatus being arranged so that with its light entry surface it faces toward the illumination optical system in such a way that at least apartial light flux through the light distribution and deflection apparatus is controllable independently of the other partial light flux, and that there is provided for control purposes a stop that cannot completely cover the partial light flux inquestion.