Scanning device, especially for detecting fluorescent light

• US 6,809,324 B1
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: CARL Zeiss JENA GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORAN, TIMOTHY J
• Application Number:
  US09/979,382
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 250/458.1, 250/459.1, 250/461.1, 250/461.2
• US Class Current: 250/459.1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 35/00 Methods or apparatus for measurement or analysis of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6456 Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/064 Stray light conditioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/20 Fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/16 adapted for ultraviolet illumination ; Fluorescence microscopes G02B21/0076 takes precedence

Abstract

Optical arrangement for the suppression of stray light originating from an illuminated specimen detected via an objective, with blocking out or reflecting out in part of the beam path in order to generate a shadow area for stray light in the image plane.

Claims

1. A scanning arrangement for detecting fluorescent light of an illuminated specimen, comprising:

at least one scanning mirror, an objective and a mirror arranged in the pupil plane of the objective for directing excitation light to the specimen;

said pupil plane mirror being at least partially part of a diaphragm, fluorescent light from the specimen passing essentially past the diaphragm in the direction of a detector via a slit or a pinhole.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, including a strip-shaped diaphragm in the detection beam path.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein a slit diaphragm is arranged in an intermediate image plane of projection optics and the slit lies parallel to the strip-shaped diaphragm.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the fluorescent light is imaged via projection optics in the direction of the detector.

5. A scanning arrangement for detecting fluorescent light of an illuminated specimen, comprising:

a scanning mirror;

an objective; and

a pupil plane mirror arranged in the pupil plane of the objective for directing excitation light coming from the scanning mirror to the specimen;

the pupil plane mirror being at least part of a pupil diaphragm, fluorescent light from the specimen passing past the pupil diaphragm in the direction of a detector via a slit or a pinhole.

6. The scanning arrangement according to claim 5, further comprising a strip-shaped diaphragm positioned in the detection beam path.

7. The scanning arrangement according to claim 6, wherein a strip-shaped diaphragm positioned in an intermediate image plane of the projection optics and the slit or pinhole lies parallel to the strip-shaped diaphragm.

8. The scanning arrangement according to claim 5, further comprising projection optics arranged in the direction of the detector and through which the fluorescent light is imaged.