Camera to microscope adaptor with a special optical element

Claim 2

An optical element intended for coupling the automatic exposure control of a photographic camera having a rectangular photographic format to an image-forming optical instrument by diverting light from at least one portion of said image that will not fit within said format to said automatic exposure control, said optical element comprising: a first reflecting surface parallel to an edge of said format and oriented to reflect light from said optical instrument laterally with respect to said camera''s optic axis; a second reflecting surface oriented to reflect said light into said camera''s automatic exposure control; a dioptric surface, between said second reflecting surface and said automatic exposure control, for changing the solid angle subtended by said light so as to increase the amount of said light reaching the photosensitive detector of said automatic exposure control; and a homogeneous transparent medium through which said light travels from said first reflecting means to said dioptric surface via said second reflecting means.

Claim 3

The optical element of claim 1, further comprising a total internal reflective surface on said homogeneous transparent medium to reflect said light from said first reflecting means to said second reflecting means.

Claim 4

An adaptor for functionally joining a self-contained photographic camera to an image-forming optical instrument, said adaptor comprising: attaching means for joining said camera to said optical instrument so that the image formed by said optical instrument may be photographed by said camera, said attaching means including clamping means for releasably locking said attaching means to said optical instrument, retaining means for releasably receiving said camera, and means for providing a separation between said camera and the opening in said optical instrument through which said image emerges; and prismatic optical element means, located in said separation, for diverting, from the optical path between said instrument and said camera, at least a portion of the light forming a segment of said image otherwise destined to lie outside the film format boundary of said camera, and for conducting said light to a light sensor, said prismatic optical element means including optically transparent material with a refractive index greater than 1.0 bounded by a pair of smooth parallel surfaces, a first reflecting surface for reflecting said light as it enters said optically transparent material through a first of said smooth parallel surfaces along the channel defined by said smooth parallel surfaces, and a second reflecting surface for reflecting said light coursing through said channel through the second of said smooth surfaces.

Claim 5

An adaptor for functionally joining a self-contained photographic camera to an image-forming optical instrument, said adaptor comprising: attaching means for joining said camera to said optical instrument so that the image formed by said optical instrument may be photographed by said camera, said attaching means including clamping means for releasably locking said attaching means to said optical instrument, retaining means for releasably receiving said camera, and means for providing a separation between said camera and the opening in said optical instrument through which said image emerges; and prismatic optical element means, located in said separation, for diverting, from the optical path between said instrument and said camera, at least a portion of the light forming a segment of said image otherwise destined to lie outside the film format boundary of said camera, and for conducting said light to a light sensor, said prismatic optical element means including optically transparent material with a refractive index greater than 1.0 bounded by a pair of smooth parallel surfaces, a first reflecting surface for reflecting said light as it enters said optically transparent material through a first of said smooth parallel surfaces along the channel defined by said smooth parallel surfaces, and a second reflecting surface for reflecting said light coursing through said channel through the second of said smooth surfaces.

Claim 6

The adaptor described in claim 3 wherein said prismatic optical element means further includes: an intermediate reflecting surface for reflecting said light so as to change its direction within said channel toward said second reflecting surface.

Claim 7

The adaptor described in claim 4 wherein said prismatic optical element means further includes: a positive refracting surface on the portion of said second smooth surface through which said light emerges from said optically transparent material, whereby said refracting surface changes the solid angle otherwise subtended by said light emerging from said second smooth surface.

Claim 8

The adaptor described in claim 5 wherein said positive refracting surface substantially collimates the light emerging from it.

Claim 9

The adaptor described in claim 6 wherein the focal length of said positive refracting surface approximates the optical path distance through said prismatic optical element to the exit pupil of said optical instrument.