Confocal microscope comprising two microlens arrays and a pinhole diaphragm array

US6934079B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Föderung der Wissenschaften e.V. · US

Inventors

• Stefan W. Hell · Oebisfelde, DE
• Rainer Pick · Oebisfelde, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 3, 2004
• Grant date: Aug 23, 2005
• Expiry date: Nov 3, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B21/0044
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A confocal microscope comprises a microlens array having a plurality of microlenses for splitting a ray bundle of illumination light into a plurality of convergent partial ray bundles which illuminate a sample simultaneously at several measuring points; a beam splitter for separating a beam path of the illuminating light and a beam path of sample light originating from the illumination of the sample and captured in an inverse direction with regard to the illumination light; a pinhole diaphragm array having a plurality of pinhole diaphragms arranged in the beam path of the sample light and corresponding to said microlenses of said microlens array splitting the illumination light; and a further microlens array having a plurality of microlenses corresponding to said microlenses of said microlens array splitting the illumination light. Said microlenses of said microlens array splitting the illumination light and said microlenses of said further microlens array are arranged in the beam path of the sample light. Said beam splitter is arranged in an area between said microlens array splitting the illumination light and said further microlens array; and said pinhole diaphragms of said pinh…