EP0284136A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Confocal laser scanning microscope
Assignee: Visitech International Ltd
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Filing: 1988-03-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-03-09
Abstract
Abstract Confocal laser scanning microscope comprising a laser (1) as point light source, a deflection system for the line and frame scanning and a lens system, at least one objective (9) near the object, an object stage, a spatial filter (14) and a detector (15), and an electronic control and imaging-processing system. The object is scanned point by point by the light beam and measurements are made with the detector only where the point light source is focused so that out-of-focus light is not detected. As a result resolution and contrast in three dimensions, in particular, axially to the image plane can be improved considerably, and 3D information can be derived from the object. For the more rapid line scanning, the deflection system of the present invention comprises an acousto-optical deflector (5) and comprises for the slower frame scanning, another deflector (7) constructed in a manner such that at least the frame-scanning movement of the return light beam is completely eliminated, as a result of which the return light is focused on the spatial filter.
Inventors
- 👤 Pieter Marcus Houpt
- 👤 Arie Draaijer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 08:29
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B21/00; G02B21/0004; G02B21/002; G02B21/0024; G02B21/0052; G02B21/0068; G02B21/0032; G02B21/0036; G02B21/0048; G02B21/0072; G02B21/0076; G02B21/008; G02B21/0084
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
Confocal laser scanning microscope provided with a laser as point light source, a deflection system for the line and frame scanning and a lens system, at least one objective near the object, an object stage, a spatial filter and a detector, and an electronic control and imaging-processing system, the object being scanned point by point by the light beam and measure ments being made with the detector only where the point light source is focused so that out-of-focus light is not detected, as a result of which resolution and contrast considerably improve in three dimensions, in particular, axially to the image plane, and 3D information can be derived from the object, characterized in that, for the more rapid line scanning, the deflection system comprises an acousto-optical deflector and, for the slower frame scanning, it comprises another deflector constructed in a manner such that at least the frame-scanning movement of the return light beam is completely eliminated, as a result of which the return light is focused on the spatial filter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
170 words
Confocal laser scanning microscope provided with a laser as point light source, a deflection system for the line and frame scanning and a lens system, at least one objective near the object, an object stage, a spatial filter and a detector, and an electronic control and imaging-processing system, the object being scanned point by point by the light beam and measure ments being made with the detector only where the point light source is focused so that out-of-focus light is not detected, as a result of which resolution and contrast considerably improve in three dimensions, in particular, axially to the image plane, and 3D information can be derived from the object, characterized in that, for the more rapid line scanning, the deflection system comprises an acousto-optical deflector and, for the slower frame scanning, it comprises another deflector constructed in a manner such that at least the frame-scanning movement of the return light beam is completely eliminated, as a result of which the return light is focused on the spatial filter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
Confocal laser scanning microscope according to Claim 1, characterized in that the other deflector in the deflection system consists of a mirror galvanometer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
94 words
Confocal laser scanning microscope according to Claim 1 or 2 in which a beam splitter is incorporated in the light path in order to split off the return light beam after the acousto-optical deflector and to direct it to the detector via a further objective, characterized in that the deflection system with the acousto-optical deflector is also constructed in a manner such that the line-scanning movement of the return light beam is also completely eliminated, and in that the spatial filter is a pin-hole filter which forms a point detector with the subsequent detector.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
Confocal laser scanning microscope according to Claim 3, characterized in that a quarter-wave plate is incorporated into the outward light path in front of the objective and in that a polarizing filter is incorporated in the return light path after the beam splitter in order to eliminate the disturbing effect of reflections at optical components in the outward light path.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
119 words
Confocal laser scanning microscope according to Claim 4 for use in fluorescence microscopy or other forms of microscopy in which the wavelength of the return light beam differs from that of the outward light beam, characterized in that the spatial filter is mounted on three piezoelectric crystals and can accordingly be moved in a 3D coordinate system, as a result of which the effect of the dispersive nature of the acousto-optical deflector on the return light of a different wavelength, which is deflected through an angle other than the reflected laser light, is eliminated and in that a correspondingly matched band pass or cut-off filter is incorporated in the return light path to filter out the reflected laser light.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
107 words
Confocal laser scanning microscope according to Claim 1 or 2 for use in fluorescence microscopy or other forms of microscopy in which the wavelength of the return light beam differs from that of the outward light beam, characterized in that a dichromatic mirror is incorporated in the light path between the acousto-optical deflector and the other deflector in order to deflect the return light beam with differing wavelengths after the other deflector and to direct it via yet a further objective and a further spatial filter to a further detector, the further spatial filter being a slit filter which forms a line detector with the further detector.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4634880A
Cited
GB2152697A
Cited
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