Background and Identification
An operating or surgical microscope is an optical instrument that provides the surgeon with a stereoscopic, high quality magnified and illuminated image of the small structures in the surgical area. The optical components of a basic stereo microscope consist of the binocular head, a magnification changer, the objective lens and an illuminator. The optical system often includes a beam splitter and a second set of teaching binoculars so that two people can view the operation simultaneously.
Surgical microscopes are often used in plastic surgery, dentistry (especially endodontics), ENT surgery, eye and ophthalmic surgery, and neurosurgery.
Sources:
National Center for Biotechnology Information
