CONFOCAL MICROSCOPE

• Main Authors: NAKAMURA TATSU, OGINO KATSUMI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 31.05.2007
• Subjects: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a confocal microscope which simply sets an image desired by an observer and which is excellent in operability. SOLUTION: A computer 50 controls driving devices 34, 36, 37 and 38 to set a wavelength selection device 12, a light-dividing device 21, an objective optical system 24 and a fluorescence selection device 26 to device conditions which conform to input from an observer. In this case, the computer 50 automatically computes other device conditions from the above fundamental device conditions. Firstly, the computer 50 determines the size of a pinhole which gives resolution expected as a confocal microscope from the input magnification and numerical aperture of an objective 24a. Then, it determines the laser power of excitation light from the kind of an input or selected fluorescent pigment on the conditions that the fluorescence does not remarkably lose its color during an experiment time input before. Finally, it determines detection sensitivity so that an adequate-luminance image may be acquired when the already determined laser beam intensity and size of the pinhole are used at a concentration of the pigment actually incorporated into an input or selected sample. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT