Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Optical or pre-photocell system
Patent
1990-06-25
1992-06-09
Nelms, David C.
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Optical or pre-photocell system
250216, H01J 516
Patent
active
051209535
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to the field of microscopy and more particularly to scanning confocal microscopes.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The principles of a scanning confocal microscope are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,013,467 of Marvin Minsky. The basic principle is that illumination of the specimen or object to be observed is confined to a single point observational field and observation or detection is confined to that illuminated point field. A complete image is derived by scanning the specimen or object under observation point by point through a complete field of view of the microscope.
In early confocal microscopes, including that proposed in the Minsky patent, the optical system remained fixed and scanning was achieved by moving the specimen or object to be observed in a scanning pattern across the focal point of illumination. More recent high speed scanning microscopes have employed beam scanning techniques rather than movement of the specimen. Commonly, these microscopes use a laser as the high illumination light source and have a computer or video system to process and store or display the detected image signals.
Confocal microscopes have better resolution than conventional microscopes and sharper definition in that out of focus signals and interference are much reduced. They have found particular application in the examination of biological specimens by epi-fluorescence where the reduction of out of focus interference is a major advantage.
It is known to produce a confocal microscope by attaching a confocal imaging system to a conventional microscope which provides the condenser or focusing lens for the system. In all known confocal equipment, however, the light condenser the light source and the detector and all of the components defining the optical path for the microscope must be accurately positioned relative to one another and they are therefore all mounted on a bulky common body structure. The present invention provides a modified construction by which some of these components can be positioned completely independently in space without the normal rigid geometric constraints of relative location and orientation. In particular, it enables the light source and the photo-detector to be located in any desired position and without the need for a rigid mechanical connection between them and the remainder of the equipment. Other advantages of the construction provided by the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a scanning confocal epi-illumination microscope comprising:
a light source for supply of a light beam;
a light condenser for condensing light from said beam onto an object to illuminate a point observational field on or within the object and for receiving light emanating from that point observational field on or within the object;
a detector for detecting object emanated light received by the light condenser;
optical transmission means for transmitting the light beam from the light source to the condenser and for transmitting the object emanated light received by the light condenser to the detector; and
scanning means operable to cause relative movement between the object and the point observational field such that the point observational field traverses the object in a scanning pattern;
said optical transmission means comprising flexible optical transmitter means for transmitting the light beam between the light source and the condenser and light separator means to separate the object emanated light from the light beam.
The flexible optical transmitter means may comprise a first optical fibre extending from the light source to the light separator means and a second optical fibre extending from the light separator means to the detector. The light separator means may then comprise an optical fibre coupler coupling said first and second fibres to a third optical fibre providing an optical path for transmission of the light beam from the light source to the condenser and
REFERENCES:
patent: 4474431 (1984-10-01), Bricheno
patent: 4500204 (1985-02-01), Ogura
patent: 4604520 (1986-08-01), Pohl
patent: 4725727 (1988-02-01), Harder et al.
patent: 4873434 (1989-10-01), See et al.
patent: 4959552 (1990-09-01), Saffert et al.
Electronics Letters, 16 Jan. 1986, vol. 22, No. 2, "Fibre-Optic Scanning Differential Interference Contrast Optical Microscope", Iravani, pp. 103-105.
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