US Patent 7133198 Changer device for optical elements

The invention proposes a changer device for optical elements (2a–2e) in stereomicroscopes with which a pair of optical elements (2) can be inserted in the two stereo channels (3) of a stereomicroscope. A particularly compact construction can be achieved by arranging the optical elements (2) side by side in an arc, more particularly in a circle, while between the elements of a pair of elements (2a, 2d) associated with the two stereo channels (3), at least one other optical element (2e; 2b, 2c) is provided, and in that the center (4) of the arcuate or circular arrangement (1) is shifted laterally away from the middle (5) of the stereobase of the stereo channels (3).