Confocal microscope for optical determination of an observation volume
US6122098A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 11, 1998 |
| Grant date | Sep 19, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 11, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B21/0048
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A confocal microscope for optical detection of an observation volume includes a light source, a dichroic mirror, and an objective lens arrangement which further includes a mechanical aperture and an observation optic arrangement. Between the dichroic mirror and the objective lens arrangement, a deflection mirror arrangement is located having a planar deflection mirror on the side of the objective which is arranged to oscillate about a normal position. The objective-side deflection mirror is designed so that, upon oscillation of the objective-side mirror, optical axes of the reflected excitation light intersect in a substantially common intersection in the area of the mechanical aperture of the objective lens arrangement, and so that, when the objective-side deflection mirror is in its normal position the oscillation axis of the objective-side deflection mirror coincides with the line of intersection of the plane in which the objective-side deflection mirror lies, and a plane extending through the common intersection of the optical axes of the reflected excitation light which is perpendicular to the optical axis of the reflected light.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.