Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Mitsunori Yamamoto

Hiroya Fukuyama

Shingo Kashima

Hisao Kitagawa

A laser beam from a light source is reflected by a beam splitter and two galvanomirrors, and enters a pupil projection lens. The beam passing through the lens forms a spot on an image plane of an objective. This spot is two-dimensionally scanned by shaking the galvanomirrors with respect to their axes perpendicular to each other. Reflected light or fluorescence from a sample is returned to the beam splitter through the same path, passes through it, and is then reflected by a mirror. This optical system includes an optical unit which can be inserted/removed therein/therefrom. When the optical unit is removed, the optical system serves as a confocal optical system. When the optical unit is inserted, the optical system serves as a nonconfocal optical system. In the confocal optical system, the beam from the mirror enters a condenser, converges, passes through an iris and enters a photomultiplier tuber. The condenser includes a convex lens and a concave lens. In the nonconfocal optical system, the beam from the mirror enters a condenser, converges and is focused on the iris to a spot. The beam passing through the iris enters the photomultiplier tube.

Scanning optical microscope having a compact confocal optical system for

An optical scanning apparatus comprises a light source, a converging lens for converging a beam emitted by the light source and forming a beam spot on an object, a first optical deflecting system, movably arranged in the optical path and between the light source and the converging lens, for causing the beam spot formed on the object to move in a first direction, a second optical deflecting system, movably arranged in the optical path and between the first optical deflecting system and the converging lens, for causing the beam spot to move in a second direction, and a movable mirror, arranged in the optical path and between the light source and the first optical deflecting system for correcting the deviation of the optical axis due to the movement of the first and second optical deflecting system. At least one of the first and second deflecting means is moved so that a conjugate plane with respect to the pupil of the converging lens is located at a desired portion between the first and second optical deflecting system.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Mitsunori Yamamoto