JP2589923Y2 - Confocal microscope - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

The present invention relates to a confocal microscope.
In particular, the present invention relates to a configuration for separating incident laser light and laser light reflected by a sample.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional confocal microscope. In FIG. 3, light emitted from a laser light source (not shown) passes through a deflecting beam splitter 1, passes through some of a number of pinholes formed on a pinhole array plate 2, and becomes a ４ wavelength plate. 4. The light is focused on the sample 6 through the objective lens 5. The reflected light from the sample 6 passes through the same optical path, is collected on one of the pinholes of the pinhole array plate 2, passes through the pinhole, and passes through the polarizing beam splitter 1
And is condensed by the condenser lens 8 through the analyzer 7 to form an image of the sample 6 on the camera 9. In this apparatus, the pinhole array plate 2 is rotated at a constant speed by the motor 3, and the focused light spot on the sample 6 is scanned by the movement of the pinhole with the rotation of the pinhole array plate 2. doing.

[0003]

In such a conventional confocal microscope, a polarization beam splitter 1 and a quarter-wave plate 4 are combined using the polarization characteristics of a laser, and are incident on the polarization beam splitter 1 with a p-wave. The transmitted laser is transmitted and
The light is converted into circularly polarized light by the 板 wavelength plate 4, reflected by the sample 6, and
The s-wave is formed by the 波長 wavelength plate 4, reflected by the polarization beam splitter 1, and received by the camera 9. Therefore, there is a problem that the wavelength dependency is large because a quarter wavelength plate is used.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has as its object to provide a confocal microscope with little wavelength dependence.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a confocal arrangement for rotating a pinhole array plate and scanning the sample with irradiation light passing through the pinhole array plate. In a confocal microscope using an optical scanner, a beam splitter that separates outgoing light from a laser light source by incidence and reflection, the pinhole array plate that scans light transmitted through the beam splitter, its rotating means, The Faraday element that rotates the polarization direction of the light passing through the hole array plate by 45 degrees, the objective lens that condenses the linearly polarized light that passes through the Faraday element and irradiates the sample with light, the reflected light from the sample is the same. And a condensing lens that is reflected by the beam splitter through the optical path and forms an image of the sample on a camera. Further, a Werastone prism or a Savart plate is arranged between the Faraday element and the objective lens.

[0006]

According to the present invention, since a configuration without using a quarter-wave plate can be adopted, the wavelength dependency can be reduced. Further, since the light incident on the sample is not circularly polarized, a differential image of the sample can be obtained.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the confocal microscope of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the same elements as those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. In FIG. 1, 1
Reference numeral 0 denotes a Faraday element, which rotates the polarization direction of incident light by 45 degrees and emits the light.

In such a configuration, of the light emitted from a laser light source (not shown), p-polarized laser light passes through the polarization beam splitter 1 and is scanned by a pinhole array plate 2 rotated by a motor 3. Thereafter, the polarization direction is rotated by 45 degrees by the Faraday element 10, and the light is focused on the sample 6 by the objective lens 5. The light reflected from the sample 6 rotates the polarization direction again by 45 degrees by the Faraday element 10, becomes s-polarized light, passes through the pinhole array plate 2, is reflected by the polarization beam splitter 1, and passes through the analyzer 7. The light is condensed on the camera 9 by the condenser lens 8, and a confocal image of the sample is obtained by the camera 9.

FIG. 2 shows a second example of the confocal microscope of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the embodiment. In FIG. 2, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 denotes a Wellaston prism disposed between the Faraday element 10 and the objective lens 5. This Wollaston prism is an optical component for separating linearly polarized light of p-wave and s-wave into spatially separated positions, and is made of two adjacent quartz optical wedges.

In such a configuration, of the light emitted from a laser light source (not shown), the p-polarized laser light passes through the polarization beam splitter 1 and is scanned by the pinhole array plate 2 rotated by the motor 3. After that, the polarization direction is rotated by 45 degrees by the Faraday element 10, separated again into p-waves and s-waves by the Wellaston prism 11, and
Illuminate the point. The two light rays reflected by the sample 6 are combined into one beam by the Wollaston prism 11 through the objective lens 5,
The polarization direction is rotated by 45 degrees by the Faraday element 10 to be converted into an s-wave, transmitted through the pinhole array plate 2, reflected by the polarization beam splitter 1, transmitted through the analyzer 7, and transmitted to the camera 9 by the condenser lens 8. 6 are obtained. In the above-described embodiment, a configuration using a Savart plate instead of the Wellaston prism may be adopted.

Thus, according to the above embodiment, 1/4
By using a Faraday element instead of a wave plate,
The wavelength dependency can be reduced, and a differential image of the sample can be obtained by using a Wellaston prism or a Savart plate.

[0012]

As described above in detail with the embodiments, according to the present invention, the device configuration is less dependent on wavelength, and a color image can be obtained. Further, a Wollaston prism or a Savart plate can be used, and a confocal microscope having an effect of obtaining a differential image can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the confocal microscope of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a conventional example of a confocal microscope.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Polarization beam splitter 2 Pinhole array plate 3 Motor 5 Objective lens 6 Sample 7 Analyzer 8 Condensing lens 9 Camera 10 Faraday element 11 Wellaston prism

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A confocal microscope using a confocal optical scanner that rotates a pinhole array plate and scans a sample with irradiation light passing through the pinhole array plate. A beam splitter for separating light by incidence and reflection, the pinhole array plate for scanning light transmitted through the beam splitter, and rotation means therefor, and a Faraday element for rotating the polarization direction of light passing through the pinhole array plate by 45 degrees An objective lens for condensing linearly polarized light passing through the Faraday element and irradiating the sample with the light; reflected light from the sample is reflected by the beam splitter through the same optical path; A confocal microscope comprising: a condenser lens that forms an image thereon; 2. The confocal microscope according to claim 1, wherein a Wellaston prism or a Savart plate is arranged between the Faraday element and the objective lens.