Microscope

• US 20060119856A1
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jasco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Jasco Corporation
• Inventors: Koshoubu, Jun
• Application Number:
  US11/293,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20060119856A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/451
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2889 Rapid scan spectrometers; Time resolved spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/453 by correlation of the amplitudes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0096 with photometer devices photometers per se G01J

Abstract

A microscope comprising: a light sampler for collecting light from a measurement area of a sample; a multi-element detector having a plurality of photoelectric elements, for detecting the light collected by the light sampler, each photoelectric element corresponding to a minute measurement region in the measurement area with one-to-one correspondence; a Fourier transform spectrophotometer as a spectroscope; a data sampler for concurrently sampling intensity data sent from each photoelectric element of the multi-element detector at a timing determined by the Fourier transform spectrophotometer; and a data processor for obtaining time-resolved spectrum data for each minute measurement region according to temporally changed interference light data obtained by the data sampler.

Claims

1. A microscope comprising:

a light sampler for collecting light from a measurement area of a sample;

a multi-element detector having a plurality of photoelectric elements, for detecting the light collected by the light sampler, each photoelectric element corresponding to a minute measurement region in the measurement area with one-to-one correspondence;

a Fourier transform spectrophotometer having a moving mirror serving as an optical path difference generator in an interferometer, the Fourier transform spectrophotometer serving as a spectroscope for light incident on the measurement area and/or light coming from the measurement area;

a data sampler for concurrently sampling intensity data sent from each photoelectric element of the multi-element detector at a timing determined according to position information of the moving mirror, which is sent from the Fourier transform spectrophotometer; and

a data processor for obtaining time-resolved spectrum data for each minute measurement region according to temporally changed interference light data obtained by the data sampler.

2. A microscope according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of photoelectric elements of the multi-element detector is placed in one dimension.

3. A microscope according to claim 1,

wherein the Fourier transform spectrophotometer continuously moves the moving mirror at a high speed in a rapid-scanning mode;

the data sampler concurrently samples the intensity data sent from each photoelectric element of the multi-element detector every time the moving mirror is moved by a constant distance, starting at a predetermined position; and

the data processor obtains the temporally changed interference light data according to intensity data at each sampling position in the rapid-scanning mode and further obtains the time-resolved spectrum data, for each minute measurement region.

4. A microscope according to claim 1,

wherein the Fourier transform spectrophotometer discretely moves the moving mirror in a step-like manner in a step-scanning mode in order to perform time-resolved measurement for a periodic reaction;

the data sampler concurrently samples the intensity data sent from each photoelectric element of the multi-element detector at each stop position of the moving mirror in the step-scanning mode every time a predetermined time elapses, starting at the beginning of the periodic reaction; and

the data processor obtains the temporally changed interference light data according to intensity data at each elapsed time, starting at the beginning of the periodic reaction and further obtains the time-resolved spectrum data, for each minute measurement region.

5. A microscope according to claim 1,

further comprising a measurement-area moving unit for moving the measurement area, the measurement-area moving unit comprising:

a stage on which the sample is placed;

a stage driver for moving the stage horizontally; and

a stage controller for controlling the movement of the stage performed by the stage driver,

wherein the measurement area in the sample is moved by the movement of the stage, where the sample is placed.