1. A holder for a cylindrical article, the holder having a base, a support member extending from the base for receiving a base of the article, and, spaced from the support member, at least one clamp device extending from the base and arranged releasably to clamp the cylindrical article.
2. A holder according to claim 1, in which the clamp device comprises first and second opposed jaw elements.
3. A holder according to claim 2, in which the clamp device comprises a first jaw member comprising said first jaw element and a second jaw member comprising said second jaw element.
4. A holder according to claim 3, in which at least one of the first and second jaw members is displaceable from a starting position, in which the jaw elements of the opposed jaw members co-operate circumferentially partially to enclose a cylindrical article, to a position in which the jaw elements are spaced apart by a distance at least as great as the diameter of the cylindrical article.
5. A holder according to claim 4, in which the clamp device comprises at least one resiliently deformable element for urging said jaw members towards said starting position.
6. A holder according to claim 5, in which the at least one deformable element comprises at least one spring.
7. A holder according to claim 3, in which each jaw member has a bearing element and the clamp device further includes at least one spring that can act upon said bearing elements.
8. A holder according to claim 7, in which the jaw members are mounted pivotably on parallel pivot axes, such that the bearing elements of the jaw members are opposed to each other on one side of a plane containing said pivot axes and the jaw elements are opposed to each other on the opposite side of that plane.
9. A holder according to claim 7, in which the at least one spring comprises at least one compression spring.
10. A holder according to claim 7, in which at least two compression springs are located between the first and second bearing elements.
11. A holder according to claim 1, further comprising an additional fastening device for preventing release of the cylinder.
12. A holder according to claim 1, in which the base comprises one or more apertures permitting affixing of the base to a supporting structure.
13. A holder according to claim 1, in which the base comprises two parts.
14. A holder according to claim 13, in which the two parts are separately attachable to a support surface.
15. A holder according to claim 13, in which the two parts are attachable to one another to form a common base.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-14. (canceled)
15. An optical zoom system for use in a confocal light scanning electron microscope having an illuminating beam path and an objective for capturing an object to be imaged, the illuminating beam path having an illuminating beam path entrance pupil, and the objective having an objective entrance pupil, the optical zoom system being adapted for positioning in the illuminating beam path in front of the objective, the optical zoom system comprising:
optical zoom entrance and exit pupils;
means for adjusting the image magnification;
means for adjusting the distance between the optical zoom entrance pupil and the optical zoom exit pupil in such a manner that an axially varying pupil position of the entrance pupil of the objective can be equilibrated; and
means for maintaining the position of the objective entrance pupil while the means for adjusting the image magnification and the means for adjusting the imaging length are being adjusted,
whereby the optical zoom system produces an intermediate image of the object and images an entrance pupil of the illuminating beam path with at least one of a variable magnification and a variable imaging length into an exit pupil.
16. The optical zoom system in accordance with claim 15, wherein the objective has an entrance pupil, and the optical zoom system further comprises:
setting means for selecting an optical zoom setting and
size means for affecting the size of the exit pupil independent from the selected setting of the optical zoom system, the size means acting as an aperture, the size of the exit pupil being smaller than the size of the objective entrance pupil.
17. The optical zoom system according to claim 15, wherein the size means is selected from the group consisting of a scanner mirror, an iris diaphragm, and an aperture mechanism having different interchangeable pinhole apertures.
18. The optical zoom system according to claim 15, further comprising:
control means for adjustably controlling the optical zoom system, for producing variable magnification in a first mode of operation while maintaining a constant image length, and for producing a variable image length in a second mode of operation while maintaining constant magnification.
19. The optical zoom system according to claim 15, further comprising:
first, second, third, and fourth optical groups, wherein as seen in a direction counter to illumination, the first optical group has positive refracting power, the second optical group has negative refracting power, the third optical group has positive refracting power, and the fourth optical group has positive refracting power, and
drive means for positioning at least the second, third, and fourth optical groups.
20. The optical system according to claim 19, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth optical groups is self-correcting relative to image defectsimaging errors.
21. A confocal scanning electron microscope comprising:
an illuminating beam path having an illuminating beam path entrance pupil,
an objective for capturing an object to be imaged, the objective having an objective entrance pupil, and
an optical zoom system adapted positioned in the illuminating beam path in front of the objective and including:
optical zoom entrance and exit pupils;
means for adjusting the image magnification;
means for adjusting the distance between the optical zoom entrance pupil and the optical zoom exit pupil in such a manner that an axially varying pupil position of the entrance pupil of the objective can be equilibrated; and
means for maintaining the position of the pupil while the means for adjusting the image magnification and the means for adjusting the imaging length are being adjusted,
whereby the optical zoom system produces an intermediate image of the object and images an entrance pupil of the illuminating beam path with at least one of a variable magnification and a variable imaging length into an exit pupil.
22. The confocal scanning electron microscope according to claim 21, further comprising a Nipkow disc providing confocal multiple spot imaging of one of a confocal slotted aperture and a multiple point light source.
23. The confocal scanning electron microscope according to claim 21, further comprising a resonance scanner.
24. The confocal scanning electron microscope according to claim 21, further comprising an Abbe K\xf6nig prism located in the proximity of the exit pupil, the prism being rotatable in the illuminating beam path.
25. A method of analyzing developmental processes, comprising the step of:
analyzing dynamic processes ranging from tenths of seconds to hours at the level of cell groups and entire organisms, using a confocal scanning electron microscope according to claim 21.
26. A method of analyzing intracellular transport processes, comprising the step of:
analyzing small motile structures with high speed, using a confocal scanning electron microscope according to claim 21.
27. A method of analyzing molecular and other subcellular interactions, comprising the step of:
analyzing very small structures with high speed for the resolution of submolecular structures, using the confocal scanning microscope according to claim 21.
28. A method for studying fast signal transmission processes, comprising the step of:
studying neurophysiological processes with high temporal resolution in studies in the muscle or nerve system, using a confocal scanning electron microscope according to claim 21.