JP6656598B2 - Confocal microscope system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a confocal microscope system, and more particularly, to a confocal microscope system in which an installation space is improved by downsizing.

  FIGS. 2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams illustrating an example of a conventional confocal microscope system described in Patent Literature 1, wherein FIG. 2A is a plan view, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged front view. In FIG. 2, the confocal microscope system 1 is covered by a protective housing 2. A temperature control chamber 3 capable of controlling the temperature is provided inside the protective housing 2, and the inside of the temperature control chamber 3 is controlled so as to have a substantially constant temperature (for example, 30 ° C.). The protection housing 2 is disposed such that the right side surface of FIG. 2A is the front surface, and the right side surface of the temperature control chamber 3 is along the front surface of the protection housing 2.

  An XY driving device 4 is arranged on the front side inside the temperature control chamber 3, and a moving table 5 driven in the XY directions is provided on the XY driving device 4. A sample cassette 7 having a glass bottom dish 6 containing a sample and a light source 8 are mounted on the moving table 5, and the sample cassette 7 moves on the XY driving device 4 in the XY directions as the moving table 5 moves.

  A condenser lens 19 and a light source 8 are arranged above the sample cassette 7 so as to face the sample cassette 7, and an objective lens 10 is arranged below the sample cassette 7 so as to face the sample cassette 7. The objective lens 10 is driven by the drive unit 11 in the Z direction indicated by the arrow.

  The scanner unit 12 is disposed on the left side of the XY driving device 4. The scanner unit 12 includes a microlens disk 13 and a pinhole disk 14 connected by a hub 15, and is rotated by a motor 16. Note that a dichroic mirror 17 is arranged between the microlens disk 13 and the pinhole disk 14 constituting the scanner unit 12.

  A mirror 18 is arranged below the objective lens 10, and an imaging lens 19 is arranged between the mirror 18 and the scanner unit 12.

  A relay lens 20 and a mirror 21 are arranged along an optical axis reflected in a depth direction by a dichroic mirror 17 provided in the scanner section 12.

  A filter wheel 23, which is rotationally driven by a motor 22, a relay lens 24, and a CCD 25 and a laser unit 26 as a photographing device are arranged along an optical axis reflected leftward by the mirror 21. In addition, the relay lens 24 is disposed in the temperature control chamber 3.

  The laser unit 26 on which the laser oscillator is mounted is disposed so as to face the scanner unit 12 in the depth direction as viewed from the front of the temperature control chamber 3.

  The confocal microscope system configured as described above projects the laser unit 26, the scanner unit 12 that scans the laser beam output from the laser unit 26, and the laser beam scanned by the scanner unit 12 onto the sample cassette 7. A projection optical system for exciting the sample, an XY driving device 4 for XY driving a sample cassette 7 arranged opposite to the objective lens 10 on a table, and a scanner unit for emitting fluorescence from the excited sample again. A separation optical system that separates the light that has passed through 12, an imaging optical system that forms an image of the separated fluorescence again, and a photographing device that is disposed on an imaging surface of the imaging optical system. It is used for observing the physiological response and morphology of living cells in fields such as field and biotechnology, or for observing the surface of LSI in the semiconductor market.

JP 2011-180411 A

  However, in such a conventional confocal microscope system, the laser light output from the laser unit 26 and the excitation light projected on the sample are arranged in a straight line, and the fluorescence from the sample again scans the scanner unit 12. The necessity of an optical path for passing the light causes a problem that the depth of the entire apparatus becomes very large, and a considerably large space is required to store the entire apparatus.

  The present invention solves such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to realize a compact confocal microscope system that is compact and does not require a large installation space.

In order to achieve such an object, a first aspect of the present invention provides:
A scanner unit configured by a microlens disk and a pinhole disk to scan laser light,
A projection optical system configured to include a laser unit and a first mirror and projecting a laser beam to the scanner unit;
An excitation optical system configured to include a second mirror, an imaging lens, and an objective lens, and to project a laser beam scanned by the scanner unit onto the sample to excite the sample;
An image-forming optical system configured to include a relay lens, a filter wheel, and a third mirror, and to separate light of fluorescence emitted from the sample that has passed through the scanner unit again to form an image on an imaging device; In a focus microscope system,
A confocal microscope system, wherein the light projecting optical system, the excitation optical system, and the imaging optical system are arranged such that their optical axes are parallel in plan view.

A second aspect is the confocal microscope system according to the first aspect,
The first mirror and the second mirror function as bending mirrors, and a dichroic mirror is arranged between a microlens disk and a pinhole disk constituting the scanner unit.

A third aspect is the confocal microscope system according to the first aspect,
The first mirror adjusts an emission optical axis of the light projecting optical system with respect to the scanner unit.

A fourth aspect is the confocal microscope system according to the first aspect,
The third mirror is arranged on an incident side of the photographing device for adjusting an optical axis of the imaging optical system with respect to the photographing device.

  As a result, a compact and compact confocal microscope system that does not require a large installation space can be realized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a configuration explanatory view showing one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a configuration explanatory diagram showing an example of a conventional confocal microscope system described in Patent Literature 1. FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view, FIG. 1B is a front view of a main part, and portions common to FIG. ing. In FIG. 1, the confocal microscope system 1 is covered by a protective housing 2. In addition, the lower side of FIG.

  An XY drive device 27 is provided in the depth direction at the center of the inside of the protective housing 2, and a moving table 28 driven in the XY directions is provided on the XY drive device 27. The sample can be stored in the moving table 28, and the sample moves on the XY driving device 27 in the XY directions as the moving table 28 moves.

  An objective lens 29 is arranged to face the sample. The objective lens 29 is driven in the arrow Z direction by the drive unit 30 as in the conventional case.

  On the left side of the XY driving device 27, a scanner unit 35, which is connected to a microlens disk 31 and a pinhole disk 32 by a hub 33 and is driven to rotate by a motor 34, is arranged in the same manner as in the related art.

  A mirror 36 is disposed below the objective lens 29 in the same manner as in the related art, and an imaging lens 37 is disposed between the mirror 36 and the scanner unit 35. A dichroic mirror 38 is arranged between the microlens disk 31 and the pinhole disk 32 constituting the scanner unit 35 as in the related art.

  A relay lens 39, a filter wheel 41 rotationally driven by a motor 40, a relay lens 41, and a mirror 43 are arranged on an optical axis reflected rightward by a dichroic mirror 38 provided in the scanner unit 35. Have been.

  A camera 44 having a CCD, CMOS, or the like as an image sensor is arranged on the far right side of the XY drive device 27, and the light reflected by the mirror 43 is incident on the camera 44.

  A laser unit 45 is disposed in front of the filter wheel 41. The output light of the laser unit 45 is incident on a dichroic mirror 38 provided in the scanner unit 35 via a mirror 46 and is transmitted, is further reflected by a mirror 47 and is incident on an imaging lens 37. These mirrors 43, 46 and 47 function as mirrors for bending the optical axis.

  Here, the mirror 47, the imaging lens 37, and the objective lens 29 constitute an excitation optical system, the dichroic mirror 38 functions as a separation optical system, and the relay lenses 39 and 42, the filter wheel 41, and the mirror 43 include the imaging optical system. , And the laser unit 45 and the mirror 46 constitute a light projecting optical system.

  The light projecting optical system, the excitation optical system, and the imaging optical system are arranged so that their optical axes are parallel.

  The optical axis of the laser beam output from the laser unit 45 can be adjusted by changing the tilt of the mirror 46, and the optical axis of the fluorescent light incident on the camera 44 is changed to the Z axis by changing the tilt of the mirror 43. The optical axis adjustment in the X and Y directions at the time can be performed.

  Note that the θ direction of the camera 44 can be adjusted by rotating the camera 44.

  The excitation light beam emitted from the laser unit 45 is condensed by the microlens disk 31 of the scanner unit 35, passes through the dichroic mirror 38, passes through the pinhole disk 32, is reflected by the mirror 47, and is reflected by the imaging lens 37. It becomes parallel light.

  The parallel light reflected by the mirror 36 is converged by the objective lens 29 and is applied to the sample placed on the moving table 28. The sample generates a fluorescence signal when irradiated with parallel light.

  The fluorescent signal generated from the sample is condensed by the objective lens 29, becomes parallel light, is reflected by the mirror 36, is converged by the image forming lens 37, and forms a fluorescent image on an image forming surface. Since the pinhole disk 32 constituting the scanner unit 35 is arranged so that the pinhole surface coincides with the image forming surface, the fluorescent image is a confocal image.

  The confocal image is incident on and reflected by the dichroic mirror 38, is incident on the mirror 43 via the relay lenses 39 and 42, is reflected, and is then formed on the camera 44. Here, the dichroic mirror 38 transmits a predetermined fluorescence wavelength. Specifically, transmission characteristics are switched by a band-pass filter mounted on the filter wheel 41, and only the fluorescence wavelength band corresponding to the wavelength of the excitation light flux is transmitted.

  The confocal microscope system thus configured is arranged such that the optical axes of the three systems of the projection optical system, the imaging optical system, and the excitation optical system are parallel to each other with the separation optical system at the center, The width of the protective housing 2 can be reduced, and the installation space efficiency can be improved.

  Since the mirror 46 for adjusting the optical axis of the excitation optical system is arranged on the front of the apparatus, the adjustment of the laser beam incident on the scanner unit 35 can be easily performed.

  Further, by arranging the optical axis adjusting mirror 43 of the imaging optical system on the right side, the width of the protective housing 2 can be reduced, and the adjustment of the excitation light entering the camera 44 can be easily performed.

  Further, the adjustment of the optical axis of the excitation light incident on the camera 44 can be performed by the mirror 43 in the X and Y directions and the camera 44 in the θ direction, so that the optical axis can be easily adjusted. .

  As described above, according to the present invention, a confocal microscope system that can simplify optical adjustment and reduce the influence of disturbance after adjustment can be realized.

Reference Signs List 1 confocal microscope system 2 protective housing 27 XY drive device 28 moving table 29 objective lens 30 drive unit 31 microlens disk 32 pinhole disk 33 hub 34, 40 motor 35 scanner unit 36, 43, 46, 47 mirror 37 imaging Lens 38 Dichroic mirror 39, 42 Relay lens 41 Filter wheel 44 Camera 45 Laser unit 48 Imaging lens

Claims (3)

A scanner unit configured by a microlens disk and a pinhole disk to scan laser light,
A projection optical system configured to include a laser unit and a first mirror and projecting a laser beam to the scanner unit;
An excitation optical system configured to include a second mirror, an imaging lens, and an objective lens, and to project a laser beam scanned by the scanner unit onto the sample to excite the sample;
An image-forming optical system configured to include a relay lens, a filter wheel, and a third mirror, and to separate light of fluorescence emitted from the sample that has passed through the scanner unit again to form an image on an imaging device; In a focus microscope system,
The laser unit and the first mirror in the light projecting optical system, the second mirror, the imaging lens, and the objective lens in the excitation optical system, and the relay lens and the filter wheel in the imaging optical system. The third mirror is arranged such that the respective optical axes are not aligned on a straight line but are parallel in plan view .
A confocal microscope system, wherein the first mirror and the second mirror function as folding mirrors, and a dichroic mirror is arranged between a microlens disk and a pinhole disk constituting the scanner unit .   A scanner unit configured by a microlens disk and a pinhole disk to scan laser light,
  A projection optical system configured to include a laser unit and a first mirror, and projecting a laser beam to the scanner unit;
  An excitation optical system configured to include a second mirror, an imaging lens, and an objective lens, and project the laser light scanned by the scanner unit onto the sample to excite the sample;
  An image forming optical system configured to include a relay lens, a filter wheel, and a third mirror, and to separate light of the fluorescence emitted from the sample that has passed through the scanner unit again to form an image on an imaging device; In a focus microscope system,
  The laser unit and the first mirror in the light projecting optical system, the second mirror, the imaging lens and the objective lens in the excitation optical system, the relay lens and the filter wheel in the imaging optical system, The third mirror is arranged such that each optical axis is not aligned on a straight line but parallel in plan view;
  A confocal microscope system, wherein the first mirror adjusts an emission optical axis of the light projecting optical system with respect to the scanner unit. Said third mirror, co according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the optical axis of the imaging optical system is arranged on the incident side of the imaging device in order to adjust to the imaging device Focus microscope system.