Tandem scanning confocal microscope

• US 5,825,533 A
• Filed: 06/04/1997
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Yonezawa, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Jon W.
• Application Number:
  US08/869,165
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 359/372, 359/388, 359/381, 359/389, 359/368, 250/234, 250/235, 250/236
• US Class Current: 359/372
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0024 Confocal scanning microscopes (CSOMs) or confocal "macroscopes"; Accessories which are not restricted to use with CSOMs, e.g. sample holders
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0044 moving apertures, e.g. Nipkow disks, rotating lens arrays

Abstract

A structure that changes from a confocal observation mode to a normal observation mode is made possible while keeping a Nipkow disk in a fixed position. A main optical system includes a confocal illumination light source, a first half mirror, a Nipkow disk, an objective lens, a relay lens and an ocular lens for conducting confocal observation. A bypass optical system includes a normal illumination light source, a second half mirror and first, second and third fully reflective mirrors. The bypass optical system is appended to the main optical system to form the tandem scanning confocal microscope. The first and third fully reflective mirrors can be moved out of and separated from the light path of the main optical system. As a result, with the position of the Nipkow disk fixed, it is possible to change between confocal and normal observation modes.

Claims

1. A tandem scanning confocal microscope comprising:

a confocal illumination light source which irradiates confocal light for observation,

a scanning substrate with which a designated scanning action is accomplished using many minute holes,

a main optical system which irradiates light from the confocal illumination light source and causes it to pass through the minute holes in the scanning substrate and illuminate an observation objective, said main optical system, after causing light which is reflected from the observation objective to pass through the minute holes, composing an enlarged image of the observation objective at the observation position,

a normal illumination light source which irradiates light for normal observation, and

a bypass optical system which directly irradiates the light from the normal illumination light source onto the observation objective, said bypass optical system leading the light which is reflected from the observation objective around the scanning substrate to the observation position and composing the enlarged image of the observation objective at the observation position.

2. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 1 wherein the scanning substrate is a Nipkow disk constructed from a disk which has many minute holes arranged in a spiral shape and accomplishes its scanning action by rotation.

3. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 1 wherein the bypass optical system-includes elements which are freely inserted into or removed from the main optical system, when observation is conducted with light from the confocal illumination light source, the elements of the bypass optical system are separated from the main optical system, and when observation is conducted with light from the normal illumination light source, the elements of the bypass optical system are installed into the main optical system.

4. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 1 wherein the bypass optical system includes a light path diverting structure which is placed in the light path between the observation objective and the scanning substrate in the main optical system and which leads the light which is reflected from the observation objective out of the light path of the main optical system, a light path recovery structure which is placed in the light path between the scanning substrate and the observation position in the main optical system and which leads light from outside of the path into the light path of the main optical system, and a light path guiding structure which leads the reflected light which has been led out of the light path by the light path diverting structure to the light path recovery structure, the light path diverting structure and the light path recovery structure being freely moved between a normal observation position which is positioned in the light path of the main optical system and a confocal observation position which is positioned away from the light path of the main optical system.

5. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 2 wherein the bypass optical system includes elements which are freely inserted into or removed from the main optical system, when observation is conducted with light from the confocal illumination light source, the elements of the bypass optical system are separated from the main optical system, and when observation is conducted with light from the normal illumination light source, the elements of the bypass optical system are installed into the main optical system.

6. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 2 wherein the bypass optical system includes a light path diverting structure which is placed in the light path between the observation objective and the scanning substrate in the main optical system and which leads the light which is reflected from the observation objective out of the light path of the main optical system, a light path recovery structure which is placed in the light path between the scanning substrate and the observation position in the main optical system and which leads light from outside of the path into the light path of the main optical system, and a light path guiding structure which leads the reflected light which has been led out of the light path by the light path diverting structure to the light path recovery structure, the light path diverting structure and the light path recovery structure being freely moved between a normal observation position which is positioned in the light path of the main optical system and a confocal observation position which is positioned away from the light path of the main optical system.

7. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 3 wherein the bypass optical system includes a light path diverting structure which is placed in the light path between the observation objective and the scanning substrate in the main optical system and which leads the light which is reflected from the observation objective out of the light path of the main optical system, a light path recovery structure which is placed in the light path between the scanning substrate and the observation position in the main optical system and which leads light from outside of the path into the light path of the main optical system, and a light path guiding structure which leads the reflected light which has been led out of the light path by the light path diverting structure to the light path recovery structure, the light path diverting structure and the light path recovery structure being freely moved between a normal observation position which is positioned in the light path of the main optical system and a confocal observation position which is positioned away from the light path of the main optical system.

8. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 3, wherein said elements are reflective mirrors.

9. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 5, wherein said elements are reflective mirrors.

10. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 4, wherein each of said light path diverting structure, said light path recovery structure and said light path guiding structure includes a reflective mirror.

11. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 4, wherein said bypass optical system further includes actuators for moving the light path diverting structure and the light path recovery structure into and out of the light path.

12. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 11, wherein said light path guiding structure is stationary.

13. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 7, wherein each of said light path diverting structure, said light path recovery structure and said light path guiding structure includes a reflective mirror.

14. A tandem scanning confocal microscope comprising:

a confocal illumination light source which irradiates confocal light for observation of an observation objective,

a scanning substrate with which a designated scanning action is accomplished using many minute holes,

a normal illumination light source which irradiates light for normal observation of the observation objective, and

a pair of elements movable into and out of a light path between the observation objective and an observation position in order to selectively bypass said scanning substrate during observation of the observation objective.

15. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 14 wherein the scanning substrate is a Nipkow disk constructed from a disk which has many minute holes arranged in a spiral shape and accomplishes its scanning action by rotation.

16. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 14, and further comprising actuators for moving the pair of elements into and out of the light path.

17. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 15, and further comprising actuators for moving the pair of elements into and out of the light path.

18. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 14, wherein each of said elements is a reflective mirror.

19. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 15, wherein each of said elements is a reflective mirror.

20. The tandem scanning confocal microscope defined in claim 14, and further comprising a stationary reflective mirror for guiding light from one of said pair of elements to the other.