Apparatus for selecting and detecting at least one spectral region of a spectrally spread light beam

US6483103B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Leica Microsystems Heidelberg GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Johann Engelhardt · Bad Schönborn, DE
• William C. Hay · Heppenheim, DE
• Juergen Hoffmann · Baden, CH

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 15, 2001
• Grant date: Nov 19, 2002
• Expiry date: May 4, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01J3/32
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An apparatus for selecting and detecting at least one spectral region of a spectrally spread light beam, preferably in the beam path of a confocal scanning microscope, the spread light beam being focussable in a focal line, is characterized, for non-overlapping detection of the spectrally spread light beam of the selected spectral regions in the context of an increased number of detectors and an error-tolerant arrangement, in that there is arranged in the spread light beam an optical component which reflects and/or refracts the light beam to a detector and whose optically effective region becomes smaller or larger along the surface, so that by orientation of the component with respect to the focal line and the resulting superposition of the focal line and surface, the spectral region arriving at the detector is definable.