JPH06235865A - Confocal microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain a confocal microscope whose wavelength dependency is reduced. CONSTITUTION:In the confocal microscope for rotating a pinhole array plate 2 and using a confocal optical scanner for scanning a sample 6 with irrradiating light transmitted through the pinhole array plate 2, a collimator lens and a Fresnel ROM 11 are installed between the pinhole array plate 2 and the sample 6. And also, a king type Fresnel ROM 11 is used. And also, an infinite type objective lens arranged between the fresnel ROM 11 and the sample 6 is used as an objective lens.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a confocal microscope for separating incident laser light and reflected laser light from a sample, and more particularly to an apparatus for obtaining a color image with less color unevenness.

[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 the deflecting beam splitter 1 and several pinholes formed on the pinhole array plate 2 to form a quarter-wave 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 condensed on one of the pinholes of the pinhole array plate 2, passes through the pinhole, and passes through the polarization beam splitter 1
The light is reflected by the laser beam, passes through the analyzer 7, and is condensed by the condenser lens 8 to form an image of the sample 6 on the camera 9. In this apparatus, the pinhole array plate 2 is rotated by the motor 3 at a constant speed, and the focused light spot on the sample 6 is scanned by the movement of the pinhole accompanying the rotation of the pinhole array plate 2. is doing.

[0003]

In such a conventional confocal microscope, the polarization characteristics of the laser are utilized to combine the polarization beam splitter 1 and the quarter-wave plate 4, and the p-wave is incident on the polarization beam splitter 1. Allowed laser to pass through, 1
It becomes circularly polarized light by the / 4 wave plate 4, is reflected by the sample 6, and becomes 1 again.
The / 4 wave plate 4 produces an s wave, which is reflected by the polarization beam splitter 1 and received by the camera 9. Therefore, since the quarter-wave plate is used, there is a problem that the wavelength dependence is large. For example, a quarter wave plate has a λ
= 500 nm, it works as a retarder only in the vicinity thereof, so that color unevenness occurs.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a confocal microscope having little wavelength dependence.

[0005]

The structure of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a confocal system for rotating a pinhole array plate and scanning the sample with the irradiation light passing through the pinhole array plate. A confocal microscope using an optical scanner is characterized in that a collimator lens and a Fresnel rom are provided between the pinhole array plate and the sample. The Fresnel rom is of a king type. In addition, an infinite system objective lens is used as the objective lens arranged between the Fresnel ROM and the sample.

[0006]

According to the present invention, since the quarter wave plate is not used, the wavelength dependence can be reduced.

[0007]

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 a confocal microscope of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the same elements as those of FIG. In FIG. 1, 1
0 is a tube lens for collimating incident light, 1
Numeral 1 is a fullerom, which is a kind of phase plate utilizing total reflection, and is formed so as to cause a phase difference of π / 2 between both polarization components by two total reflections within the prism surface. . Further, since white light is used in this embodiment, the polarizer 1a and the half mirror 1b are used instead of the polarization beam splitter.

In such a configuration, the white light emitted from the light source (not shown) becomes 45 ° oblique linearly polarized light by the polarizer 1a, passes through the half mirror 1b, and the motor 3
Scanning is performed by the pinhole array plate 2 rotating at. After that, it is collimated by the tube lens 10 and is incident on the Fresnel rom 11. Two total reflections in the Fresnel rom 11 cause a phase difference of π / 2 between the polarization components of the p-wave and the S-wave, resulting in circular polarization, which is condensed on the sample 6 by the objective lens 5. The light reflected from the sample 6 undergoes total internal reflection twice in the Fresnel rom 11 again, and is emitted as oblique linearly polarized light that is rotated by 90 ° from the time of incidence. The emitted light passes through the tube lens 10 and the pinhole array plate 2, is reflected by the half mirror 1b, is transmitted through the analyzer 7, is condensed by the condenser lens 8 on the camera 9, and is collected by the camera 9 on the sample 6. A confocal image is obtained.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the confocal microscope of the present invention.
It is a block diagram which shows the Example of. Note that, also in FIG. 2, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted.
In FIG. 2, 12 is a Fresnel ROM of the king type. In this case, there is an advantage that the shift of the optical axis is eliminated, the adjustment is easy, and the device configuration can be simplified.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the Fresnel rom can function as a retarder having extremely little wavelength dependence in the visible light region (400 to 800 nm) by coating the multilayer film. Therefore, as a color image, a good image with less color unevenness can be obtained.

As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to use not only one wavelength laser but also multiple wavelength lasers, and it is possible to obtain a color confocal image using white light.

[0012]

As described above in detail with reference to the embodiments, according to the present invention, a confocal microscope having a device configuration with less wavelength dependence and capable of obtaining a confocal image with less color unevenness in color. Can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of a confocal microscope of 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]

 2 Pinhole array plate 5 Objective lens 6 Sample 10 Tube lens 11 Fresnel rom 12 Fresnel rom (King type)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A confocal microscope using a confocal optical scanner that rotates a pinhole array plate and scans irradiation light that has passed through this pinhole array plate onto a sample. A confocal microscope characterized by having a collimator lens and a Fresnel rom between them. 2. The confocal microscope according to claim 1, wherein a king type is used as the Fresnel rom. 3. The confocal microscope according to claim 1, wherein an infinite system objective lens is used as the objective lens arranged between the Fresnel ROM and the sample.