Scanning optical microscope
First Claim
1. A scanning optical microscope comprising:
- a laser source;
a scan optical system for scanning a sample with a laser beam from said laser source;
a spectral resolving optical system for resolving spectra of fluorescent rays from said sample;
a wavelength splitting optical system for splitting said fluorescent rays that have passed said spectral resolving optical system into rays of a plurality of different wavelengths and guiding said split rays to optical paths of said plurality of different wavelengths;
a plurality of image forming optical systems, respectively provided in said optical paths of said plurality of different wavelengths, for forming images of said fluorescent rays from said sample;
a plurality of confocal apertures respectively provided in said optical paths at focal points of said image forming optical systems; and
a plurality of photosensors, respectively provided in said optical paths, for sensing said fluorescent rays from said sample that have passed the respective confocal apertures.
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Abstract
A scanning optical microscope comprising a laser source, a scan optical system for scanning a sample with a laser beam from the laser source, a spectral resolving optical system for resolving spectra of fluorescent rays from the sample, a wavelength splitting optical system for splitting the fluorescent rays that have passed the spectral resolving optical system into rays of a plurality of different wavelengths and guiding the split rays to optical paths of the plurality of different wavelengths, a plurality of image forming optical systems, respectively provided in the optical paths of the plurality of different wavelengths, for forming images of the fluorescent rays from the sample, a plurality of confocal apertures respectively provided in the optical paths at focal points of the image forming optical systems, and a plurality of photosensors, respectively provided in the optical paths, for sensing the fluorescent rays from the sample that have passed the respective confocal apertures.
6 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A scanning optical microscope comprising:
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a laser source;
a scan optical system for scanning a sample with a laser beam from said laser source;
a spectral resolving optical system for resolving spectra of fluorescent rays from said sample;
a wavelength splitting optical system for splitting said fluorescent rays that have passed said spectral resolving optical system into rays of a plurality of different wavelengths and guiding said split rays to optical paths of said plurality of different wavelengths;
a plurality of image forming optical systems, respectively provided in said optical paths of said plurality of different wavelengths, for forming images of said fluorescent rays from said sample;
a plurality of confocal apertures respectively provided in said optical paths at focal points of said image forming optical systems; and
a plurality of photosensors, respectively provided in said optical paths, for sensing said fluorescent rays from said sample that have passed the respective confocal apertures. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A scanning optical microscope which scans a sample with a laser beam from a laser source, said scanning optical microscope comprising:
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a spectral resolving unit which resolves fluorescent rays from the sample into successive spectral components;
a wavelength splitter which splits the successive spectral components resolved by the spectral resolving unit into rays of a plurality of different wavelengths; and
a plurality of side-on type photomultipliers, respectively provided in optical paths of the rays of different wavelengths split by the wavelength splitter, for sensing the rays, wherein axial centers of the plurality of side-on type photomultipliers come approximately within planes to be spectrally-resolved by the spectral resolving unit.
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8. A scanning optical microscope which scans a sample with a laser beam from a laser source, said scanning optical microscope comprising:
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a spectral resolving unit which resolves spectra of fluorescent rays from the sample;
a wavelength splitter which splits the fluorescent rays resolved by the spectral resolving unit into rays of a plurality of different wavelengths;
a plurality of side-on type photomultipliers, respectively provided in optical paths of the rays of different wavelengths split by the wavelength splitter, for sensing the rays, wherein axial centers of the plurality of side-on type photomultipliers come approximately within planes to be spectrally-resolved by the spectral resolving unit;
a plurality of image forming optical systems, respectively provided at fronts of the plurality of side-on type photomultipliers in each of the optical paths of the rays of different wavelengths split by the wavelength splitter, for forming images of the rays; and
a plurality of confocal apertures respectively provided at focal points of said plurality of image forming optical systems. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A scanning optical microscope which scans a sample with a laser beam from a laser source, said scanning optical microscope comprising:
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a spectral resolving unit which resolves spectra of fluorescent rays from the sample;
a wavelength splitter which splits the fluorescent rays resolved by the spectral resolving unit into rays of a plurality of different wavelengths;
a plurality of side-on type photomultipliers, respectively provided in optical paths of the rays of different wavelengths split by the wavelength splitter, for sensing the rays, wherein axial centers of the plurality of side-on type photomultipliers come approximately within planes to be spectrally-resolved by the spectral resolving unit;
a beam splitter for splitting the fluorescent rays from the sample and the laser beam; and
a reducing optical system, provided between the beam splitter and said spectral resolving unit, for reducing the flourescent rays.
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Specification