Light scanning device and confocal optical device using the same

• US 6,172,789 B1
• Filed: 01/14/1999
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation), Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Inventors: Dickensheets, David L., Kino, Gordon S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, James
• Application Number:
  US09/231,439
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 359/196-226, 359/364-366, 359/726-732, 359/850, 359/857-859, 359/368, 359/369, 385/27, 385/28, 385/88, 385/89
• US Class Current: 359/212.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0048 scanning mirrors, e.g. rotating or galvanomirrors, MEMS mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0072 details concerning resolution or correction, including general design of CSOM objectives
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0076 arrangements using fluorescence or luminescence

Abstract

A light scanning type confocal optical device comprises a light source section, a light transmitting section, a light scanning section, and a processing section. The scanning section includes a movable mirror, a fixed mirror and a converging lens. The movable mirror has an opening at the center, and is supported to be swingable about at least one axis. The fixed mirror is fixedly supported by an optically transparent plate. Reflection surfaces of the movable and fixed mirrors are located opposed to each other. The transmitting section includes an optical fiber having a core, whose end face substantially functions as a confocal pinhole. The light from the end face of the core is, upon passing through the opening, reflected by the fixed mirror toward the movable mirror. The light from the fixed mirror is then reflected by the movable mirror, and is converged by the converging lens onto an object surface.

Claims

1. A light scanning device for converging light from a light source onto a surface of an object to be detected, and for scanning the light over the surface, comprising:

a first reflection surface having a transmission region for allowing the light emitted from the light source to pass through the transmission region;

a second reflection surface for reflecting the light passing through the transmission region toward the first reflection surface;

a converging lens for converging the light reflected from the first reflection surface onto the surface of the object; and

driving means for swinging at least one of the first and second reflection surfaces.

2. The light scanning device according to claim 1, wherein the second reflection surface and the transmission region of the first reflection surface are located on an optical axis of the converging lens.

3. The light scanning device according to claim 1, wherein the driving means and the at least one of the first and second reflection surfaces swung by the driving means are included in an electrostatically driving mirror capable of scanning light two-dimensionally.

4. A light scanning type confocal optical device comprising:

a light source for emitting light;

a light scanning section for converging the light emitted from the light source onto a surface of an object to be detected so as to form a light spot, and for scanning the light spot over the surface;

a confocal pinhole provided between the light source and the scanning section, such that light that passes through the confocal pinhole substantially behaves as light from a point light source, and such that a confocal optical system is formed between the confocal pinhole and the surface of the object, and

a light detecting section for detecting a part of the light scanned by the light scanning section which is returned from the surface of the object,

wherein the light scanning section comprises;

a first reflection surface having a transmission region for allowing the light emitted from the light source to pass through the transmission region;

a second reflection surface for reflecting the light passing through the transmission region toward the first reflection surface;

a converging lens for converging the light reflected from the first reflection surface onto the surface of the object; and

driving means for swinging at least one of the first and second reflection surfaces.

5. The confocal optical device according to claim 4, further comprising an optical fiber for transmitting the light emitted from the light source to the light scanning section, so that the light from the light source is directed onto the second reflection surface from an end face of the optical fiber.

6. The confocal optical device according to claim 5, wherein the optical fiber includes a core extending through the optical fiber, and the end face of the core substantially functions as the confocal pinhole.

7. The confocal optical device according to claim 6, wherein the transmission region of the first reflection surface comprises an opening, and the optical fiber extends through the opening, such that the end face of the core of the optical fiber is located between the first and second reflection surfaces.

8. The confocal optical device according to claim 4, wherein the second reflection surface and the transmission region of the first reflection surface are located on an optical axis of the converging lens.

9. The confocal optical device according to claim 4, wherein the driving means and the at least one of the first and second reflection surfaces swung by the driving means are included in an electrostatically driving mirror capable of scanning light two-dimensionally.