Confocal microscopic equipment

Details Confocal microscopic equipment Confocal microscopic equipment

1998-05-15

2001-06-19

Lee, John R (Department: 2878)

Radiant energy

Photocells; circuits and apparatus

Optical or pre-photocell system

C250S559080, C250S235000, C359S368000, C348S079000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06248995

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to confocal microscopic equipment; and more particularly, to such equipment that can provide confocal images at high speed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional confocal microscopic equipment provides confocal images by rotating a disk having a plurality of apertures and by scanning a sample by focusing light beams that pass through the apertures onto the sample.
FIG. 1
shows a conventional confocal microscopic equipment, such as disclosed in Japan Unexamined Patent Application Hei 1-503,493 (1989), wherein light beam
100
from a laser is made incident on beam splitter
2
via polarizer
1
. The light beam transmitted through beam splitter
2
is made incident on pinhole disk
3
wherein pinholes are provided as apertures. Light beams transmitted through each pinhole irradiate sample
6
via quarter wave plate
4
and objective lens
5
. The return light beams from sample
6
, such as reflected light beams, are made incident again on pinhole disk
3
via objective lens
5
and quarter wave plate
4
. The light beams are made incident on pinhole disk
3
and are transmitted through each pinhole in disk
3
and are reflected by beam splitter
2
and are made made incident on camera
9
via analyzer
7
and relay lens
8
. In addition, a confocal image is photographed by camera
9
and is displayed on the screen of monitor
10
. Disk
3
is rotated by motor
11
.
However, disadvantageously, the utilization efficiency of the quantity of light for the transmitted light or the reflected light is low in the just described system of FIG.
1
. Only about 1% of the quantity of incident light is used. Thus, for example, if a confocal image is photographed at a video rate higher than 30 frames/second (that is in the order of milliseconds) a sufficient quantity of light cannot be obtained with a CCD camera or the like. Accordingly, with the prior art apparatus, the signal to noise ratio (S/N) of the photographed confocal image is not in an acceptable range.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to overcome the aforementioned and other deficiencies and problems of the prior art.
Another object is to provide a confocal microscopic equipment that can photograph confocal images at high speeds and with good signal to noise ratio.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5428475 (1995-06-01), Tanaami et al.
patent: 5557113 (1996-09-01), Moorhouse et al.
patent: 5680484 (1997-10-01), Ohyama
patent: 5760950 (1998-06-01), Maly et al.
patent: 5834758 (1998-11-01), Trulson et al.
patent: 5839445 (1998-12-01), Kaufman
patent: 5932872 (1999-08-01), Price

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