Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
A confocal laser scanning differential interference contrast microscope having: laser source means; illuminating optical means for condensing a light beam from said laser source and forming a light spot on an object to be examined; condensing optical means for condensing the light beam from said object to be examined on a detecting surface; detecting means for detecting the light beam condensed on said detecting surface; and scanning means for moving said object to be examined and said light spot relative to each other; said detecting means having a substrate formed with a channel waveguide and two light detecting elements, said channel waveguide having a double mode channel waveguide having an entrance end surface on said detecting surface and a waveguide fork which forks said double mode channel waveguide into two channel waveguides, said two detecting elements detecting lights propagated through said forked two channel waveguides, the differential information of the object to be examined being produced by differential means which outputs the difference between the signals of said detecting elements.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
54 words
A confocal laser scanning differential interference contrast microscope according to Claim 1, wherein the double mode region of said channel waveguide satisfies one of the following relations: where L is the length of the double mode region, and Lc is the fully coupled length of even and odd modes in said double mode region.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A confocal laser scanning differential interference contrast microscope according to Claim 1, wherein the substrate of said detecting means has an electro-optical effect and has an electrode provided on said double mode channel waveguide region.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
66 words
A confocal laser scanning differential interference contrast microscope according to Claim 3, which is designed such that by applying a voltage to the electrode disposed on said double mode channel waveguide region, the fully coupled length Lc in said double mode channel waveguide is varied to Lc₁ and Lc₂ and the following relations are established relative to the predetermined length L of said double mode region:
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A confocal laser scanning differential interference contrast microscope according to Claim 1, wherein said substrate is a semiconductor substrate, and said light detecting elements are monolithically formed on said semiconductor substrate with said waveguide.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
170 words
A confocal laser scanning differential interference contrast microscope comprising: a substrate formed with a channel waveguide; said channel waveguide having a double mode channel waveguide and a waveguide fork which forks said double mode channel waveguide into three channel waveguides; a laser source for supplying a laser beam from the middle one of said three channel waveguides; optical means for condensing the laser beam passing through said channel waveguide and said double mode channel waveguide to thereby form a light spot on an object to be examined, and condensing the reflected light from said object to be examined on the end surface of said double mode channel waveguide; light detecting elements for detecting lights from said object to be examined passed through the outer two of said three channel waveguides; scanning means for moving said object to be examined and said light spot relative to each other; and signal processing means for producing the differential information of said object to be examined by the detection signals of said detecting elements.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A confocal laser scanning differential interference contrast microscope according to Claim 6, wherein said signal processing means includes differential means outputting the difference between the signals from said two detecting elements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A microscope having a differential interference contrast system in which the differential interference is obtained using a forked double mode waveguide.