Patent · US Expired

Laser scanning optical microscope

US5691839A · kind A · utility

39Cited by
5References
42Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 11, 1994
Grant dateNov 25, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 11, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N3/34
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A laser scanning optical microscope comprises a laser light source which focuses a laser beam to a small spot through an objective optical system, and the laser beam is projected along a light path onto a specimen while also being scanned two-dimensionally. A first scanning device scans the specimen in a first direction with a first scanning frequency. A second scanning device scans the specimen in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with a second scanning frequency lower than the first frequency. A third scanning device scans the specimen in third direction parallel to the first direction at a third frequency lower than the first and second frequencies. A light receiving element receives light reflected or transmitted by the scanned specimen and produces a photoelectric signal. A signal processing device converts the photoelectric signal to a signal capable of being monitored on a monitor having a television scanning line system with predetermined horizontal and vertical scanning frequencies corresponding to the second and third scanning directions.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.