The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 11, 2010
Filed:
Jun. 25, 2008
Hisashi Okugawa, Yokosuka, JP;
Hisashi Okugawa, Yokosuka, JP;
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
It is an object to realize smooth switching between free scanning and high speed scanning in a light scanning apparatus and a light scanning microscope. To attain the object, a light scanning apparatus includes at least three mirror scanners disposed at predetermined positions of a light path for light scanning, and a light path switching unit switching the light path between a light path in which a highest-speed mirror scanner among the mirror scanners is valid and a light path in which the highest-speed mirror scanner is invalid. Therefore, the switching between a free scanning mode and a high speed scanning mode is performed by the driving of the light switching unit and involves no movement of galvanometer scanners. In addition, since the resonant galvanometer scanner is invalid during the free scanning mode, it is possible to make the resonant galvanometer scanner on standby.