JP2010210725A - Scanning microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a scanning microscope that suppresses noise caused by vibration of a scanning means. <P>SOLUTION: The scanning microscope 1 includes: a scanning means 8 for scanning light from a light source 2, an objective lens 13 for condensing light passing through the scanning means 8 onto a specimen 5, and a detector 6 for detecting the light from the specimen 5 via the objective lens 13. The scanning means 8 is attached to a housing 3a via a vibration damping component composed of a vibration damping material whose damping coefficient of vibration is greater than 1, or via the vibration damping component composed of the vibration damping material and having a lubricative metal layer or a lubricative coating formed on its surface and a vibration damping member having viscoelasticity. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a scanning microscope.

  Conventionally, a laser scanning system in which a laser beam focused on a sample is scanned two-dimensionally by a scanning means, and fluorescence generated from the sample is detected by passing through a pinhole located at a position conjugate to the focal point of the objective lens. A type confocal microscope is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). As a scanning means of such a laser scanning confocal microscope, a galvano scanner or a resonance scanner is generally used. The galvano scanner scans a laser beam by vibrating a mirror at a frequency of several hundred Hz, and the scanning signal is not a pure sine wave but a waveform including higher-order frequency components. The resonant scanner scans laser light by vibrating a mirror at a frequency of several kHz.

JP 2006-119634 A

  However, in the conventional laser scanning confocal microscope, the vibration of the scanning means described above is transmitted to the casing provided with the scanning means, which causes the casing to vibrate, resulting in noise in the audible range. There is a problem that it ends up. Here, the casing is usually made of an aluminum alloy from the viewpoint of weight reduction, cost reduction, workability, and the like, and the damping coefficient of the aluminum alloy with respect to vibration is 1 or less. For this reason, the casing vibrates without being attenuated by the vibration from the scanning means.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a scanning microscope that suppresses the generation of noise due to vibration of scanning means.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention
A scanning type having scanning means for scanning light from a light source, an objective lens for condensing light passing through the scanning means on a sample, and a detector for detecting light from the sample via the objective lens In the microscope,
The scanning means includes the vibration damping component made of a vibration damping material having a vibration damping coefficient larger than 1, or the vibration made of the vibration damping material and having a lubricating metal layer or a lubricating coating formed on the surface thereof. Provided is a scanning microscope characterized in that the scanning microscope is attached to a housing via a damping part and a vibration damping member having viscoelasticity.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the scanning microscope which suppressed generation | occurrence | production of the noise resulting from the vibration of a scanning means can be provided.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a scanning microscope according to a first embodiment of the present invention. (A) is an enlarged view which shows the structure of the scanner head in the scanning microscope which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, (b) is a side view which shows the shape of the holding components in the said scanner head. It is a graph which shows the damping coefficient and intensity | strength with respect to the vibration of a metal material. (A) is an enlarged view which shows the structure of the scanner head in the scanning microscope which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention, (b) is a side view which shows the shape of the holding | maintenance component and spacer in the said scanner head.

Hereinafter, a scanning microscope according to each embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(First embodiment)
First, the overall configuration of the scanning microscope according to the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a scanning microscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The scanning microscope 1 is a laser scanning confocal microscope, and as shown in FIG. 1, a laser light source 2 for supplying laser light, a scanner head 3 for scanning the laser light from the laser light source 2, A microscope main body 4, a photodetector 6 that detects observation light (fluorescence) from the sample 5, and a computer 7 that controls each part of the scanning microscope 1 are provided.

  The scanner head 3 includes a galvano scanner 8 that scans light two-dimensionally, a mirror 9, a pinhole 10 disposed at a position conjugate with the focal point of an objective lens 13 to be described later, and a reflecting prism 11 made of an aluminum alloy. It has in the produced housing | casing 3a. This scanner head 3 is attached to the upper part of the microscope main body 4, and the laser light source 2 and the photodetector 6 are connected via optical fibers 12a and 12b.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the microscope main body 4 includes, in order from the scanner head 3 side, an objective lens 13 and a stage 14 on which the sample 5 is placed, and a monitor 15 is connected to the computer 7. Yes.

  Under such a configuration, the laser light emitted from the laser light source 2 is guided to the microscope body 4 via the scanner head 3, and is irradiated on the sample 5 on the stage 14 through the objective lens 13 in the microscope body 4. . Thus, the observation light emitted from the sample 5 passes through the objective lens 13 again and then is input to the photodetector 6 through the scanner head 3. Here, since the laser light applied to the sample 5 is two-dimensionally scanned by the galvano scanner 8 in the scanner head 3, the observation light is detected over the entire observation region of the sample 5 by the photodetector 6. It becomes. Thereby, the computer 7 acquires the detection signal of the observation light from the light detector 6, generates a two-dimensional image of the sample 5 based on the detection signal, and displays it on the monitor 15. In this way, the user of the scanning microscope 1 can observe the confocal image of the sample 5.

  Hereinafter, the most characteristic scanner head 3 in this embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 2A is an enlarged view showing the configuration of the scanner head in the scanning microscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the housing 3a of the scanner head 3, the above-described optical components such as the galvano scanner 8 and the actuators and electric boards for driving them are provided. In this figure, only the galvano scanner 8 is provided. It is shown. The galvano scanner 8 is provided in the housing 3a for scanning in the X direction and for scanning in the Y direction so as to scan light two-dimensionally, but only one of them is shown for simplicity.

  The galvano scanner 8 according to the present embodiment includes a rotating shaft 8b having a mirror 8a attached to the tip and a drive unit 8c for rotating the rotating shaft 8b. It is attached to the holding part 20 by being fixed with.

  The holding part 20 is a part for holding the galvano scanner 8 and is made of a magnesium alloy (Mg—Zn alloy in this embodiment) or a titanium nickel alloy, which is a damping alloy, or is lubricated on the surface. The metal alloy or the alloy having a lubricating coating is used as a material. As shown in FIG. 2B, the holding component 20 has a block shape having a screw fixing convex portion 20a at the lower portion, and a housing 3a of the scanner head 3 via a vibration damping member having viscoelasticity. It is fixed to the bottom surface with screws 22.

  As described above, the galvano scanner 8 is attached to the bottom surface of the housing 3a of the scanner head 3 through the holding component 20 and the vibration damping member having viscoelasticity. Here, the magnesium alloy constituting the holding component 20 has a vibration damping coefficient of 50 or more as shown in FIG. 3, and is one of the metal materials having the largest damping coefficient. Therefore, even if vibration is generated by driving the galvano scanner 8, this vibration is transmitted to the holding component 20 and is effectively damped inside the holding component 20.

  Further, vibration is further attenuated by interposing a vibration damping member having viscoelasticity between the galvano scanner 8 and the holding component 20, or between the holding component 20 and the bottom surface of the housing 3a, or both. Can do.

  That is, since it is possible to effectively reduce the vibration from the galvano scanner 8 being transmitted to the housing 3a, the vibration of the housing 3a can be suppressed and the generation of noise can be significantly suppressed. In the specific example of the present embodiment, a noise level reduction of about 5 dB can be realized.

  Further, since the holding component 20 has a lubricating metal layer or a lubricating coating on the surface, the lubricating metal layer acts on the contact portion with the galvano scanner 8 or the contact portion with the bottom surface of the housing 3a of the scanner head 3. In addition, it is possible to prevent wear that causes positioning failure.

  The lubricating metal is silicon (Si), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn). And at least one selected from the group consisting of tin (Sn), molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten (W). The lubricating metal is bonded to the surface of the holding component 20 by forming an intermetallic compound.

  The lubricating film is a solid lubricant film and is at least one selected from the group consisting of graphite, molybdenum disulfide and tungsten disulfide.

  In the formation of the coating film, lubrication using solid lubricant powder as a pigment and organic polymer with high strength, high adhesion and high heat resistance such as epoxy resin, phenol resin, polyamide resin, polyamideimide resin and polyimide resin as binder. Paints are commercially available, and after these wet paints are formed using these paints, baking is performed.

  The vibration damping member having viscoelasticity is made of a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin.

  As thermoplastic resins, polystyrene, AS resin, ABS resin, MS resin, styrene resins such as high impact polystyrene, acrylic resins such as polymethyl acrylate, polymethyl methacrylate, acrylic copolymers, polyvinyl chloride , Vinyl chloride resin such as polyvinyl chloride / vinyl acetate copolymer, vinyl chloride / acrylic acid ester copolymer, polyvinyl acetate, ethylene / olefin copolymer, ethylene / vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene / acrylic acid Copolymers, ethylene / methacrylic acid ester copolymers, propylene / ethylene copolymers, propylene resins such as propylene / butene copolymers, amorphous polyesters, and the like can be used.

   Thermosetting resins include styrene / butadiene, natural rubber, butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, acrylic rubber, ethylene / acrylic rubber, EPDM, and other elastomers, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, saturated and non-volatile resin. A saturated polyester resin or the like can be used.

  As described above, the scanning microscope 1 according to the present embodiment can effectively suppress the generation of noise due to the vibration of the galvano scanner 8.

  In the present embodiment, a magnesium alloy or a titanium nickel alloy is used as an alloy material constituting the holding component 20, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a material having a vibration damping coefficient larger than 1, such as the magnesium alloy shown in FIG. It is also possible to use a vibration damping alloy or the like. If the holding component 20 is made of a material having a vibration damping coefficient of 1 or less, vibration from the galvano scanner 8 is amplified, which is not preferable. In particular, it is preferable to manufacture the holding component 20 with a material having a vibration damping coefficient of 10 or more because vibration can be effectively damped.

(Second Embodiment)
Regarding the scanning microscope according to the present embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted, and the components having different configurations will be described in detail.

  FIG. 4A is an enlarged view showing the configuration of the scanner head in the scanning microscope according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  The galvano scanner 8 of the present embodiment is attached to the holding component 25 by passing the rotating shaft 8b through the holding component 25 and fixing with the screw 21.

  The holding component 25 is a block-shaped component for holding the galvano scanner 8, is made of an aluminum alloy having excellent workability, and is fixed to the spacer 26 with a screw 27. The spacer 26 is a component for attenuating vibration from the galvano scanner 8 and is made of a magnesium alloy (Mg—Zn alloy in this embodiment) or a titanium nickel alloy, or a surface of a lubricating metal layer on the surface. Or it is produced with the said alloy which has a lubricous film.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, a block shape having a screw fixing convex portion 26a in the lower portion is formed. The thickness H of the spacer 26 is preferably as large as possible in order to secure the volume of the spacer 26 that can effectively attenuate the vibration from the galvano scanner 8, and is set to 20 mm as a specific example in the present embodiment. The spacer 26 having such a configuration is fixed to the bottom surface of the housing 3a of the scanner head 3 with a screw 28 via a vibration damping member having viscoelasticity.

  As described above, the galvano scanner 8 is attached to the bottom surface of the casing 3 a of the scanner head 3 through the holding component 25, the vibration damping member having viscoelasticity, and the spacer 26. With this configuration, even if vibration is generated by driving the galvano scanner 8, this vibration is transmitted to the spacer 26 via the holding component 25 and is effectively attenuated inside the spacer 26. As in the embodiment, the vibration of the housing 3a can be suppressed and the generation of noise can be greatly suppressed.

  Furthermore, vibration can be further damped by interposing a vibration damping member having viscoelasticity between the holding component 25 and the spacer 26, or between the spacer 26 and the bottom surface of the housing 3a, or both.

  Further, since the spacer 26 has a lubricating metal layer or a lubricating coating on the surface, the lubricating metal layer acts on the contact portion with the holding component 25 or the contact portion with the bottom surface of the housing 3 a of the scanner head 3. It is possible to prevent wear that causes positioning failure.

  The lubricating metal is silicon (Si), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn). And at least one selected from the group consisting of tin (Sn), molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten (W). The lubricating metal is bonded to the surface of the holding component 20 by forming an intermetallic compound.

  The lubricating film is a solid lubricant film and is at least one selected from the group consisting of graphite, molybdenum disulfide and tungsten disulfide.

  In the formation of the coating film, lubrication using solid lubricant powder as a pigment and organic polymer with high strength, high adhesion and high heat resistance such as epoxy resin, phenol resin, polyamide resin, polyamideimide resin and polyimide resin as binder. Paints are commercially available, and after these wet paints are formed using these paints, baking is performed.

  The vibration damping member having viscoelasticity is made of a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin.

  As thermoplastic resins, polystyrene, AS resin, ABS resin, MS resin, styrene resins such as high impact polystyrene, acrylic resins such as polymethyl acrylate, polymethyl methacrylate, acrylic copolymers, polyvinyl chloride , Vinyl chloride resin such as polyvinyl chloride / vinyl acetate copolymer, vinyl chloride / acrylic acid ester copolymer, polyvinyl acetate, ethylene / olefin copolymer, ethylene / vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene / acrylic acid Copolymers, ethylene / methacrylic acid ester copolymers, propylene / ethylene copolymers, propylene resins such as propylene / butene copolymers, amorphous polyesters, and the like can be used.

   Thermosetting resins include styrene / butadiene, natural rubber, butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, acrylic rubber, ethylene / acrylic rubber, EPDM, and other elastomers, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, saturated and non-volatile resin. A saturated polyester resin or the like can be used.

  In addition, as described above, the screw 28 for fixing the spacer 26 to the bottom surface of the housing 3a and the screw 27 for fixing the holding component 25 for holding the galvano scanner 8 to the spacer 26 are provided separately. Thus, it is possible to prevent vibration from the galvano scanner 8 from being transmitted directly to the housing 3a via the screw 27.

  As described above, the scanning microscope according to the present embodiment can effectively suppress the generation of noise due to the vibration of the galvano scanner 8. Further, by making the holding component 25 that requires complicated processing with an aluminum alloy, it is possible to improve processing accuracy and reduce costs.

  In the present embodiment, a magnesium alloy or a titanium nickel alloy is used as the alloy material constituting the spacer 26, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other vibration damping coefficients larger than 1 are used as in the first embodiment. Materials can also be used.

  In each of the above embodiments, a scanning microscope provided with the galvano scanner 8 is exemplified as a scanning means for scanning light two-dimensionally. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and vibrations are generated. The present invention can also be applied to a scanning microscope provided with other generated scanning means (for example, a resonant scanner).

  Further, the housing 3a of the scanner head 3 in each of the above embodiments is made of an aluminum alloy as described above, but is not limited thereto, and the holding component 20 of the first embodiment or the spacer of the second embodiment. As in the case of No. 26, if the material is made of another material having a vibration damping coefficient larger than 1, particularly preferably a magnesium alloy, the effect of the present invention can be maximized.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Scanning microscope 2 Laser light source 3 Scanner head 3a Case 4 Microscope main body 5 Sample 6 Photo detector 7 Computer 8 Galvano scanner 10 Pinhole 13 Objective lens 20, 25 Holding component 26 Spacer

Claims (6)

  A scanning type having scanning means for scanning light from a light source, an objective lens for condensing the light passing through the scanning means on a sample, and a detector for detecting light from the sample via the objective lens In the microscope, the scanning means includes a vibration damping part made of a vibration damping material having a vibration damping coefficient larger than 1, or a lubricating metal layer or a lubricating film formed on the surface of the vibration damping material. A scanning microscope characterized by being attached to a housing via the vibration damping component and a vibration damping member having viscoelasticity.   The scanning microscope according to claim 1, wherein the vibration damping component is a holding component that is fixed to the housing and holds the scanning unit.   The scanning microscope according to claim 1, wherein the vibration damping component is a spacer provided between a holding component that holds the scanning unit and the housing.   4. The scanning microscope according to claim 1, wherein the scanning unit includes a galvano scanner or a resonance scanner. 5.   The vibration damping material is a magnesium alloy or a titanium nickel alloy, and the lubricating metal is silicon (Si), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co). , Nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn), molybdenum (Mo) tungsten (W) at least one selected from the group consisting of graphite, 2. The vibration damping member which is at least one selected from the group consisting of molybdenum disulfide and tungsten disulfide and has viscoelasticity is made of a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin. The scanning microscope according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   The scanning microscope according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the casing is made of a material having a vibration damping coefficient larger than one.