Total internal reflection fluorescence microscope

• US 7,369,308 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evident Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Tsuruta, Hiroshi, Kusaka, Kenichi, Nakata, Tatsuo, Araya, Akinori, Sasaki, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Stephone B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chapel; Derek S.
• Application Number:
  US11/050,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20050179903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 359/388
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/648 using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0088 Inverse microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/16 adapted for ultraviolet illumination ; Fluorescence microscopes G02B21/0076 takes precedence

Abstract

A total internal reflection fluorescence microscope includes a light source which generates laser light having a plurality of wavelengths, a focal optical system which irradiates the laser light from the light source on a specimen at a predetermined incident angle via an objective lens and which generates evanescent illumination, a fluorescence observation unit which observes fluorescence generated from the specimen due to the evanescent illumination, an incident angle adjuster which adjusts the incident angle of the laser light irradiated on the specimen, and a controller which controls the incident angle adjuster such that the amount of the permeation depth of the evanescent light is the same when the wavelength of the laser light from the laser light source is switched.

Claims

1. A total internal reflection fluorescence microscope comprising:

a light source which generates laser light having a plurality of wavelengths and which is switchable from generating laser light having one wavelength to generating laser light having another wavelength;

a focal optical system which irradiates the laser light from the light source on a specimen at a predetermined incident angle via an objective lens and which generates evanescent illumination;

a fluorescence observation unit which observes fluorescence generated from the specimen due to the evanescent illumination;

an incident angle adjuster which adjusts the incident angle of the laser light irradiated on the specimen; and

a controller which controls the incident angle adjuster to maintain an amount of permeation depth of the evanescent light to be the same when the laser light from the laser light source is switched from one wavelength to another.

2. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a storage unit which stores control information on the incident angle which corresponds to the wavelength of the laser from the light source, and controls the incident angle adjuster based on the control information stored in the storage unit in accordance with the switching of the wavelength of the laser light from the laser light source.

3. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 1, wherein the incident angle adjuster comprises a deflection mirror.

4. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 1, further comprising:

a confocal observation unit which comprises a deflection mirror for deflecting the laser light from the light source, and which scans the specimen with a light spot by deflecting the laser light using the deflection mirror; and

a focusing optical system which switches between a first state in which the laser light that is deflected by the deflection mirror performs spot illumination on the specimen and a second state in which the specimen is irradiated at a predetermined incident angle via the objective lens and evanescent illumination is generated.

5. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 1, wherein:

the fluorescence observation unit comprises a fluorescence wavelength selector which selects and transmits the fluorescence generated from the sample for each wavelength, and

the selection of the fluorescence wavelength by the fluorescence wavelength selector is interlocked with the switching of the wavelength for the laser light.

6. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 5, further comprising a display unit which images the fluorescence for each of the wavelengths detected by the fluorescence observation unit and displays the image as a fluorescence image.

7. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 1, wherein the fluorescence observation unit further comprises a fluorescence detector which detects fluorescence generated from the specimen for each of the wavelengths.

8. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 7, further comprising a display unit which images the fluorescence for each of the wavelengths detected by the fluorescence observation unit and displays the image as a fluorescence image.

9. A total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 1, further comprising:

a permeation depth calculator which calculates the depth of permeation of the specimen for total internal reflection illumination from a control value of the incident angle adjuster; and

a display unit which displays the permeation depth calculated by the permeation depth calculator.

10. A total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input unit which inputs a permeation depth of permeation of the specimen for total internal reflection illumination;

a condition incident angle calculator which calculates conditions for calculating the incident angle to set a depth of permeation of the specimen for total internal reflection illumination to the input permeation depth; and

a display unit which displays the conditions obtained by the condition incident angle calculator.

11. A total internal reflection fluorescence microscope comprising:

a light source which generates laser light having a plurality of wavelengths and which is switchable from generating laser light having one wavelength to generating laser light having another wavelength;

a focal optical system which irradiates the laser light from the light source on a specimen at a predetermined incident angle via an objective lens and which generates evanescent illumination;

a fluorescence observation unit which observes fluorescence generated from the specimen due to the evanescent illumination;

an incident angle adjuster which adjusts the incident angle of the laser light irradiated on the specimen; and

a controller which controls the incident angle adjuster to set and maintain a permeation depth of the evanescent light at a predetermined amount when the laser light from the laser light source is switched from one wavelength to another;

wherein the controller has a storage unit which stores control information on the incident angle which corresponds to the wavelength of the laser light from the laser light source and controls the incident angle adjuster based on the control information stored in the storage unit in accordance with the switching of the wavelength of the laser light from the laser light source.

12. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 11, wherein the incident angle adjuster comprises a deflection mirror.

13. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 11, further comprising:

a confocal observation unit which comprises a deflection mirror for deflecting the laser light from the light source, and which scans the specimen with a light spot by deflecting the laser light using the deflection mirror; and

a focusing optical system which switches between a first state in which the laser light that is deflected by the deflection mirror performs spot illumination on the specimen and a second state in which the specimen is irradiated at a predetermined incident angle via the objective lens and evanescent illumination is generated.

14. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 11, wherein:

the fluorescence observation unit comprises a fluorescence wavelength selector which selects and transmits the fluorescence generated from the sample for each wavelength, and

the selection of the fluorescence wavelength by the fluorescence wavelength selector is interlocked with the switching of the wavelength for the laser light.

15. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 14, further comprising a display unit which images the fluorescence for each of the wavelengths detected by the fluorescence observation unit and displays the image as a fluorescence image.

16. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 11, wherein the fluorescence observation unit further comprises a fluorescence detector which detects fluorescence generated from the specimen for each of the wavelengths.

17. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 16, further comprising a display unit which images the fluorescence for each of the wavelengths detected by the fluorescence observation unit and displays the image as a fluorescence image.

18. A total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 11, further comprising:

a permeation depth calculator which calculates the depth of permeation of the specimen for total internal reflection illumination from a control value of the incident angle adjuster; and

a display unit which displays the permeation depth calculated by the permeation depth calculator.

19. A total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 11, further comprising:

an input unit which inputs a permeation depth of permeation of the specimen for total internal reflection illumination;

a condition incident angle calculator which calculates conditions for calculating the incident angle to set a depth of permeation of the specimen for total internal reflection illumination to the input permeation depth; and

a display unit which displays the conditions obtained by the condition incident angle calculator.

20. A total internal reflection fluorescence microscope comprising:

a light source which generates laser light having a plurality of wavelengths;

a varying unit which variably controls the wavelength of the laser light and output intensity;

a focal optical system which irradiates the laser light from the light source on a specimen at a predetermined incident angle via an objective lens and which generates evanescent illumination;

a fluorescence observation unit which comprises a camera and which observes fluorescence generated from the specimen due to the evanescent illumination;

an incident angle adjuster which adjusts the incident angle of the laser light irradiated on the specimen; and

a controller, which controls the varying unit and the fluorescence observation unit, and which controls the incident angle adjuster such that an amount of permeation depth of the evanescent light is the same when the wavelength of the laser light from the laser light source is switched from one wavelength to another;

wherein the controller controls the varying unit and synchronizes switching of the wavelengths of the laser light in a time series to irradiate the laser light on the specimen with acquiring of fluorescence images by the camera; and

wherein the camera acquires fluorescence images for each of the wavelengths of the laser light.

21. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 20, wherein the controller comprises a storage unit which stores control information of the incident angle which corresponds to the wavelength of the laser light from the light source, and controls the incident angle adjuster based on the control information stored in the storage unit in accordance with the switching of the wavelength of the laser light.

22. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 20, further comprising:

a confocal observation unit which comprises a deflection mirror for deflecting the laser light from the light source, and which scans the specimen with the light spot by deflecting the laser light using the deflection mirror; and

a focusing optical system which switches between a first state in which the laser light that is deflected by the deflection mirror performs spot illumination on the specimen and a second state in which the specimen is irradiated at a predetermined incident angle via the objective lens and evanescent illumination is generated.

23. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 20, wherein:

the fluorescence observation unit comprises a fluorescence wavelength selector which selects and transmits the fluorescence generated from the specimen for each wavelength, and

the selection of the fluorescence wavelength by the fluorescence wavelength selector follows the switching of the wavelength for the laser light.

24. A total internal reflection fluorescence microscope comprising:

a light source which generates laser light having a plurality of wavelengths;

a varying unit which variably controls the wavelength of the laser light and output intensity;

a focal optical system which irradiates the laser light from the light source on a specimen at a predetermined incident angle via an objective lens and which generates evanescent illumination;

a fluorescence observation unit which comprises a camera and which observes fluorescence generated from the specimen due to the evanescent illumination;

an incident angle adjuster which adjusts the incident angle of the laser light irradiated on the specimen; and

a controller, which controls the varying unit and the fluorescence observation unit, and which controls the incident angle adjuster such that a permeation depth of the evanescent light is set to a predetermined amount when the wavelength of the laser light from the laser light source is switched from one wavelength to another;

wherein the controller controls the varying unit and synchronizes switching of the wavelengths of the laser light in a time series to irradiate the laser light on the specimen with acquiring of fluorescence images by the camera; and

wherein the camera acquires fluorescence images for each of the wavelengths of the laser light.

25. The total internal reflection fluorescence microscope according to claim 24, wherein the controller comprises a storage unit which stores control information of the incident angle which corresponds to the wavelength of the laser light from the light source, and controls the incident angle adjuster based on the control information stored in the storage unit in accordance with the switching of the wavelength of the laser light.

26. A total internal reflection fluorescence microscope comprising:

a light source;

an incident angle controller which controls an incident angle of illumination light from the light source which is irradiated on a specimen;

a permeation depth calculator which calculates a depth of permeation of the specimen for total internal reflection illumination from a control value of the incident angle controller; and

a display unit which displays the permeation depth calculated by the permeation depth calculator;

wherein the light source outputs a plurality of wavelengths, and the total internal reflection fluorescence microscope further comprises;

an incident angle calculator which calculates the incident angle for each wavelength for fixing the permeation depth of total internal reflection illumination for all the wavelengths when the incident angle for one wavelength is selected from the plurality of wavelengths of light output from the light source; and

an incident angle display unit which displays the incident angle obtained by the incident angle calculator for each wavelength, and

wherein the incident angle controller controls the incident angle in accordance with the irradiated wavelength.

27. A total internal reflection fluorescence microscope comprising:

a light source;

an incident angle controller which controls an incident angle of illumination light from the light source which is irradiated on a specimen;

an input unit which inputs a permeation depth of permeation of the specimen for total internal reflection illumination;

a condition incident angle calculator which calculates conditions for calculating the incident angle to set a depth of permeation of the specimen for total internal reflection illumination to the input permeation depth; and

a display unit which displays the conditions obtained by the condition incident angle calculator;

wherein the light source outputs a plurality of wavelengths, and the total internal reflection fluorescence microscope further comprises;

an incident angle calculator which calculates the incident angle corresponding to the inputted permeation depth for at least two wavelengths; and

a display unit which displays the incident angle obtained by the incident angle calculator for each wavelength, and

wherein the incident angle controller controls the incident angle in accordance with the irradiated wavelength.