JPH11223747A - Laser optical device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser optical device with high reliability for optimally transmitting a laser beam by using an optical fiber. SOLUTION: A laser beam 1a from a laser beam source 1 is transmitted through an optical fiber 4. The light intensity of the laser beam 1a outgoing from the outgoing edge face of the optical fiber 4 is detected by a photodiode 10 and a light receiving circuit 11, and the position of the laser beam 1a for the incident edge face of the optical fiber is controlled by control means 5 and 25 so that the detected light intensity can be made the maximum. Thus, the light intensity of the laser beam outgoing from the optical fiber 4 can be surely held to be constant, and the laser beam 1a from the laser beam source 1 can be transmitted without any loss by using the optical fiber 4 regardless of the temperature change of an environment or the secular change of the device or the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a laser optical device, and more particularly to a laser optical device that uses a laser as a light source and emits a laser beam from the laser light source through an optical fiber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Such an optical device irradiates an object by deflecting and scanning an emitted laser beam two-dimensionally, detects reflected light, transmitted light, or fluorescence from the object, and performs photoelectric conversion processing. It is used in a laser scanning type optical device for obtaining image information by performing such operations.

The laser scanning type optical device effectively utilizes the high brightness, monochromaticity, beam directivity and the like of a laser beam, and its practical example is particularly used in a laser scanning type optical microscope, a living ophthalmoscope and the like. Many are seen. In this case,
Laser light sources of various wavelengths are required depending on the device function and purpose of use, so that light beams from laser light sources with limited spatial arrangement can be connected to the scanning optical system via flexible optical fibers. An optical device having a structure described above has been reported (for example, as a laser scanning optical microscope, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-87804, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-134609, Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-9284), and as a laser scanning ophthalmoscope.
JP-A-3-63303, JP-A-6-245906, JP-B-6-104103, etc.).

The advantage of using an optical fiber is that the laser light source and the scanning optical system can be freely arranged apart from each other, and a large laser light source having a large heat generation can be easily used. In a laser scanning type imaging device, particularly, in an application in which a Gaussian beam from a laser light source is focused on a subject to form a minute spot and scans to obtain a high resolution, an optical fiber is used.
An extremely thin single mode optical fiber or a polarization maintaining optical fiber having a core diameter of about 5 to 10 μm or less is used.

[0005]

However, when an optical fiber is used, it is necessary to accurately align the light beam from the laser light source with the optical axis at the center of the core of the optical fiber.
In particular, a single-mode optical fiber having a small core diameter, a polarization-maintaining optical fiber, or the like has a problem that it is difficult to adjust the optical axis. Also, once the optical axis of the light beam is aligned with the center of the optical fiber core, the optical axis shifts due to changes in the ambient temperature around the laser tube and changes over time in the equipment.
There has been a problem that the transmitted light intensity of the optical fiber is significantly reduced and the initial performance cannot be obtained.

For example, FIG. 7 shows a partial configuration of an embodiment of an optical device according to the prior art. In FIG. 7, a light beam from a laser light source 71 is coupled to a coupling mechanism 72.
, And is transmitted to a flexible optical fiber (single mode optical fiber or wavefront preserving optical fiber) 73 through which the light beam of power P is extracted from the emission end 74 of the optical fiber.

FIG. 8 shows the dependence of the laser beam intensity on the ambient temperature in the apparatus shown in FIG.
_1, the intensity of the light beam immediately after emitted from the laser light source without using an optical fiber, I ₂ represents the intensity of the light beam after passing through the optical fiber. Laser light source 7
The intensity of the light beam emitted from 1 is constant irrespective of the temperature, but the intensity of the light beam emitted via the optical fiber 73 decreases on the high temperature side and the low temperature side. This is because, for example, even if the optical axis of the optical fiber is aligned with the laser optical axis when the environmental temperature is 25 ° C., a change in the beam directivity of the laser tube itself or an optical fiber holding mechanism is caused by a subsequent rise or fall in the environmental temperature. Is caused, and the center of the core of the optical fiber and the center of the spot of the light beam are deviated.

That is, in the prior art, in order to stably maintain the transmitted light intensity of the optical fiber for a long period of time, an extremely expensive and highly accurate positioning mechanism is used, and the equipment is operated at a certain limited environmental temperature. It was mandatory to use it within the range. Or, it is difficult to easily handle an optical device using an optical fiber having a small core diameter in a maintenance-free manner, for example, it is necessary to periodically readjust the optical axis of the optical fiber incident portion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object thereof is to provide a highly reliable laser optical device capable of optimally transmitting laser light using an optical fiber. I have.

[0010]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in a laser optical device for emitting a laser beam from a laser light source through an optical fiber, a laser beam emitted from an emission end face of the optical fiber is used. A means for detecting light intensity, and a means having a means for controlling the position of the laser beam with respect to the optical fiber incident end face so that the detected light intensity is maximized,
Alternatively, a configuration is employed in which means for detecting the amount of deviation of the laser beam from the center of the incident end face of the optical fiber and means for controlling the relative position between the laser beam and the center of the incident end face of the optical fiber so as to reduce the detected amount of deviation. doing.

With such a configuration, the light intensity of the laser beam emitted from the optical fiber can be reliably maintained at a constant level, and the laser beam from the laser light source can be protected from changes in the temperature of the environment and the aging of the apparatus by using the optical fiber. It is possible to transmit without any loss.

In order to detect the direction of deviation of the laser beam from the center of the incident end face of the optical fiber, the laser beam is slightly vibrated and guided to the incident end face of the optical fiber. The direction of the shift of the laser beam from the center of the incident end face of the optical fiber is detected from the fluctuation of the light intensity based on the minute vibration, and the shift amount is corrected. This minute vibration is XY
The direction is given two-dimensionally, whereby the displacement is corrected two-dimensionally.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a laser scanning optical device to which the present invention is applied. Here, as an example, an apparatus configuration of a scanning laser ophthalmoscope for observing a living fundus or the like will be described.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a large laser light source such as an Ar laser. A light beam 1a emitted from the laser light source is reflected by a mirror 2 and is incident on an optical fiber 4 through a lens 3. Is collected. Here, the optical fiber 4 is a single mode optical fiber or a polarization maintaining optical fiber having a core diameter of about 5 to 10 μm or less. The incident end of the optical fiber 4 is fixed by an optical connector 4a, while the mirror 2 is attached to a direction control mechanism 5 for finely controlling the reflection direction. The optical members such as the mirror 2 and the lens 3 are covered by a dustproof mechanism 6 together with the direction control mechanism 5 to prevent dust from entering the optical path from outside.

The optical fiber 4 is connected to the main optical system 7 by an optical connector 4b at the light beam emitting end.
The light beam emitted from the optical fiber 4 becomes a parallel light beam through the lens 8, and is partially reflected by the beam splitter 9 and received by the photodiode 10. The light intensity of the laser light detected by the photodiode 10 is amplified to a predetermined signal level via the light receiving circuit 11 and output as an electric signal. On the other hand, the light beam that has passed through the beam splitter 9 is combined with the light beam from the laser light source 13 via the dichroic mirror 12 and enters the XY scanning optical unit 14. The laser light source 13 is a small laser light source such as a semiconductor laser, and can be used by selectively switching the wavelength of light as needed between the laser light source 13 and the large laser light source 1 connected by an optical fiber.

The laser light scanned two-dimensionally in the X-Y direction via the scanning optical unit 14 is applied to a predetermined portion of the eye 15 to be examined (for example, the fundus 15b via the anterior eye 15a).
Is irradiated. Light reflected from the subject's eye, fluorescence, or the like passes through the scanning optical unit 14 and the confocal aperture 16 (pinhole, slit, or the like) and is received by a photodetector 17 such as a photomultiplier tube. The light intensity detected by the light detector 17 is amplified to a predetermined level via the light receiving circuit 18 and output as a video signal.

As the scanning means of the laser beam in the scanning unit 14, various light deflection methods such as a galvanometer mirror, a polygon mirror, and an ultrasonic light deflection element can be used. By combining these different light deflecting means, for example, a horizontal scanning frequency corresponding to a standard TV scanning such as the NTSC system.
Laser light scanning at 75 kHz and a vertical scanning frequency of 60 Hz (that is, a field frequency of 60 Hz and a frame frequency of 30 Hz) is possible. For details on the scanning method,
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 64-582 by the applicant of the present invention
37 / USP-4845692 or JP-A-6-26
1852 / USP-5430509.

An output signal from the light receiving circuit 18 is input to an output display device 21 such as a TV monitor via a multiplying circuit 19 and a video signal processing circuit 20. The multiplying circuit 19 is provided for canceling the intensity fluctuation of the light beam from the laser light source 1 via the optical fiber. That is, the light intensity signal from the light receiving circuit 11 is divided by the dividing circuit 22 and supplied to the multiplying circuit 19, whereby the laser light source 1 and the optical fiber 4 superimposed on the video signal from the light receiving circuit 18. Can be removed.

TV monitor 21 and XY scanning unit 1
4, scanning is synchronized by a synchronization signal from the synchronization signal source 23, and an image of a subject (such as the fundus of the subject's eye) can be displayed on the TV monitor. The display image signal is converted into a predetermined format in the video signal processing circuit 20 as necessary, and
(Such as a computer still image recording device).

On the other hand, the light intensity signal output from the light receiving circuit 11 is supplied to a position control signal processing circuit 25, which performs predetermined signal processing to control the direction control mechanism 5. That is, according to the output signal from the control signal processing circuit 25, the optical axis of the light beam from the laser light source 1 and the optical axis of the incident portion of the optical fiber 4 are automatically adjusted.

FIG. 2 shows a light beam 1 from a laser light source 1.
Direction control mechanism 5 with mirror 2 reflecting a
1 schematically shows an example of the structure of FIG. Control mechanism 5
A piezoelectric element 5a for controlling in the X direction and a piezoelectric element 5b for controlling in the Y direction are incorporated in the inside. Each piezoelectric element can expand and contract in accordance with an applied electric signal. By performing the expansion and contraction operation with the fulcrum rod 5c as a base point, the direction of the light beam 1b reflected by the mirror 2 can be changed as shown in the figure. It is possible to control independently in the X direction and the Y direction.

FIG. 3 shows a light beam from a laser light source,
This illustrates an example of a relative positional relationship between the incident end of the optical fiber 4 transmitting the light and the center of the core. As shown in FIG. 3A, a core 4c at the center of an optical fiber transmitting a light beam and a spot 1c of a laser beam condensed there.
Is considered as a two-dimensional positional relationship in the XY directions. However, FIG.
In (h), for convenience of explanation of the principle, the description will be made as a one-dimensional relative positional relationship (only in the Y direction).

FIG. 3B shows that the light beam incident on the optical fiber is changed by the action of the piezoelectric element 5b described with reference to FIG.
This indicates that a minute vibration is made in the Y direction in a sine wave shape.
At this time, as shown in FIG. 3C, when the core 4c of the optical fiber and the beam spot 1c almost completely coincide with each other, the light intensity I emitted through the optical fiber 4 (that is, the photodiode 10 and the photodiode 10 in FIG. The light intensity detected by the light receiving circuit 11 only slightly fluctuates as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3E, if the beam spot 1c is shifted upward with respect to the core 4c of the optical fiber, the light intensity I emitted through the optical fiber becomes as shown in FIG. As shown, it fluctuates greatly at the same frequency as the sinusoidal vibration of the incident light beam. FIG.
If the beam spot 1c is shifted downward with respect to the core 4c of the optical fiber as shown in (g), the light intensity I emitted through the optical fiber is, as shown in FIG. At the same frequency as the sinusoidal vibration, the phase of the vibration is 180 ° compared to the case of FIG.
It fluctuates greatly in a shifted state.

As described above, the direction of the shift of the light beam incident on the optical fiber is determined by giving the minute vibration to the light beam incident on the optical fiber and determining the phase of the intensity fluctuation of the light beam emitted through the optical fiber. Can be detected. Therefore, by giving the micro-vibration of the light beam not only in the one-dimensional direction but also two-dimensionally in the XY directions, the phase of the intensity fluctuation of the light beam emitted from the optical fiber is compared with the phase of the original micro-vibration. It is possible to completely determine the displacement of the spot of a light beam incident on an optical fiber having a thin core.

FIG. 4 is a control signal processing circuit for automatically correcting the displacement of the light beam incident on the optical fiber based on the basic principle described with reference to FIG. 3 (mainly the reference numeral 25 in FIG. 1). It is an example of the detailed configuration of. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 26 denotes an oscillation circuit for generating a sine wave oscillation waveform, which includes a fundamental wave oscillation circuit and a multiplication wave circuit.
And a circuit configuration capable of outputting two types of signals of 120 Hz. The oscillation circuit 26 is conveniently generated in synchronization with a synchronization signal generated by the synchronization signal source 23, for example, a vertical synchronization signal corresponding to a field frequency of 60 Hz when an image is obtained by laser scanning.

The two output signals from the oscillation circuit 26 are input to the X-direction phase comparison circuit 29 and the Y-direction phase comparison circuit 30 via buffer circuits 27 and 28, respectively. The output signal from each phase comparison circuit is an amplification circuit 31,
32 drives the piezoelectric elements 5a and 5b after being amplified to a predetermined voltage level. In the amplifier circuits 31 and 32,
A high voltage power supply circuit 33 for supplying a high voltage capable of sufficiently controlling the piezoelectric element is connected.

On the other hand, the photodiode 10 and the light receiving circuit 1
The light intensity signal I detected by 1 is supplied to the X-direction filter circuit 34 and the Y-direction filter circuit 35 to separate the frequency components. These filter circuits have band-pass characteristics, and each center frequency corresponds to, for example, 60
Hz and 120 Hz. Output signals of the two filter circuits correspond to signal components separated in the X direction and the Y direction with respect to the center of the optical fiber core and the shift direction of the light beam incident thereon. Therefore, the output signals of the filter circuits 34 and 35 are supplied to the phase comparison circuits 29 and 30 to compare the phases between the output signals from the buffer circuits 27 and 28, thereby making the center of the optical fiber core and the light beam Are calculated separately for the X direction and the Y direction. By amplifying the voltage level obtained by the phase comparison and driving the piezoelectric elements 5a and 5b, feedback control is performed so as to cancel out the positional shift between the optical fiber and the incident light beam.

According to the circuit configuration shown in FIG. 4, the phase between the minute sine wave vibration caused with reference to the oscillation circuit 26 and the intensity signal I of the optical fiber emission light received by the photodiode 10 is always constant. Since the comparison is performed and the feedback control to the piezoelectric element is performed, it is possible to automatically and in real time correct the displacement between the optical fiber and the incident light beam.

That is, the piezoelectric element 5a (5b) for controlling the X (Y) direction is driven by the sine wave signal via the oscillation circuit 26, whereby the mirror 2 minutely vibrates, so that the laser beam spot 1c vibrates. Thus, the intensity signal I corresponding to the amount of displacement between the center of the optical fiber incident end face and the incident light beam is output from the light receiving circuit 11. For example, FIG.
As shown in (e), when the laser beam spot 1c is displaced upward in the Y direction with respect to the center of the core 4c of the optical fiber, the Y direction phase comparison circuit 30 returns to FIG.
The phase of (f) is compared to determine that the phase is shifted upward, and an error signal (a DC component of fluctuation) corresponding to the amount of the shift is output. With this error signal, the piezoelectric element 5b
Is driven, the tilt (posture) of the mirror 2 changes, and the laser beam spot 1c moves downward in the Y direction, thereby compensating for the error (deviation). In a state where this error is compensated, the intensity signal I has a waveform as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3 (g), when the laser beam spot 1c is shifted downward in the Y direction with respect to the center of the core 4c of the optical fiber, the phase comparison circuit 30 for the Y direction is turned off. By comparing the phases (b) and (h), it is determined that the phase is shifted downward, and an error signal corresponding to the shift amount is output. The piezoelectric element 5b is driven by this error signal, the tilt of the mirror 2 changes, and the laser beam spot 1c moves upward in the Y direction, thereby compensating for the deviation.

The shift in the X direction is determined by using the X direction phase comparison circuit 29 to determine the shift direction.
The piezoelectric element 5a for X-direction control is driven according to the amount of the shift, and the inclination of the mirror 2 is controlled, so that the shift can be corrected in the same manner as the shift in the Y-direction.

When the laser beam is slightly vibrated, the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit 26 is changed to the frame scanning frequency (for example, 30) in the laser scanning unit 14 (FIG. 1).
Hz) or the field scanning frequency (for example, 60H
By setting an integer multiple of z), it is possible to minimize flicker and fluctuation of the laser raster observed and perceived by the subject of the subject's eye 15 when using the scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Also, as described in the configuration of FIG.
Even if the intensity of the light emitted from the optical fiber fluctuates, the video signal of the subject (such as the fundus 15 b) obtained through the photodetector 17 is processed by the multiplication circuit 19 and the division circuit 22. Has no effect on the image displayed in.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 5, a laser light source 1 is a laser light source, such as a multi-line Ar laser, for simultaneously oscillating light of two or more wavelengths. The light beam 1a from the laser light source 1 is reflected by the mirror 2 provided with the direction control mechanism 5 already described, and condensed on the incident end face of the optical fiber 4 via the wavelength dispersion element 36 and the lens 3. The incident end of the optical fiber 4 is fixed by an optical connector 4a, and the light path of the light beam is collectively shielded by a dustproof mechanism 6, thereby preventing the influence of dust or a decrease in light amount due to dust.

The wavelength dispersing element 36 is constituted by a prism (or a diffraction grating or the like) and serves to slightly change the traveling directions of laser beams having different wavelengths.
Therefore, the wavelength of the light beam incident on the core at the center of the end face of the optical fiber 4 becomes a single wavelength, and the wavelength of the light beam emitted from the optical fiber 4 is selected by changing the reflection angle of the mirror 2 by the direction control mechanism 5. can do. That is, by changing the level of the DC voltage applied to one of the piezoelectric elements (for example, the X-direction control piezoelectric element 5a) in the direction control mechanism 5, a single laser wavelength can be efficiently selected. As described above, the displacement between the optical fiber and the incident light beam can be corrected by applying an AC voltage to each of the piezoelectric elements 5a and 5b and vibrating them.

FIG. 6 shows the dependence of the laser light intensity I on the ambient temperature as an example of the characteristics of the laser optical device according to the present invention. In FIG. 6, I ₁ represents the intensity of the light beam immediately after being emitted from the laser light source 1, I ₂
Indicates the intensity of the light beam after passing through the optical fiber. It is shown that the light beam intensity is kept constant irrespective of the environmental temperature by the correction technology using the piezoelectric element developed based on the present invention, which is the temperature characteristic according to the conventional technology already described in FIG. This shows that extremely stable performance can be realized as compared with.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, the light intensity of the laser beam emitted from the optical fiber can be reliably maintained at a constant level, and the laser beam from the laser light source can be used to change the temperature of the environment by using the optical fiber. It is possible to transmit the data without loss regardless of the aging of the device.

Further, it is easy to use a single-mode optical fiber having a small core diameter or a polarization-maintaining optical fiber which has been considered difficult to use in the past, and automatically without using an expensive precision mechanism for positioning. Since highly accurate optical axis adjustment is possible, it is possible to reduce the cost of the entire apparatus.

Further, when the object is illuminated with the laser beam transmitted through the optical fiber and an image signal of the object is obtained, even when the transmitted light intensity fluctuates due to shaking or bending of the optical fiber, the image signal is not changed. It is possible to always observe an image with little noise without being affected by the intensity fluctuation. In addition, when a multi-wavelength laser light source is used, it is also possible to select a single-wavelength light beam from a plurality of wavelengths via an optical fiber with a small loss of light amount.

As described above, according to the present invention, as a system using an optical fiber, the original characteristic that a laser light source having a large shape and a large calorific value can be installed separately and easily connected to a scanning optical system and utilized can be maximized. As a precise optical device that can be utilized, an excellent effect is obtained in that the performance can be stably maintained for a long period without adjustment.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a system using the apparatus of the present invention for a laser scanning ophthalmoscope.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration for guiding a laser beam to an incident end of an optical fiber.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a change in light intensity when a laser beam deviates from a center position of an optical fiber incident end;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration for compensating a deviation of a laser beam from a center position of an optical fiber incident end;

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing characteristics of light intensity emitted from an optical fiber in the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional configuration.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing characteristics of light intensity emitted from an optical fiber in a conventional device.

[Description of Signs] 1 laser light source 2 mirror 4 optical fiber 5 direction control mechanism 5a, 5b piezoelectric element 15 eye to be examined

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A laser optical device for emitting a laser beam from a laser light source via an optical fiber, means for detecting a light intensity of the laser beam emitted from an emission end face of the optical fiber, wherein the detected light intensity is maximized. Means for controlling the position of the laser beam with respect to the optical fiber incident end face so that the laser optical device has: 2. A laser optical device for emitting a laser beam from a laser light source through an optical fiber, a means for detecting a shift amount of the laser beam with respect to the center of the incident end face of the optical fiber, wherein the detected shift amount is reduced. Means for controlling the relative position between the laser beam and the center of the incident end face of the optical fiber. 3. A laser optical apparatus for emitting a laser beam from a laser light source through an optical fiber, means for microvibrating the laser beam to guide the laser beam to an incident end face of the optical fiber, and light of the laser beam emitted from the emission end face of the optical fiber. Means for detecting the intensity and detecting a change in the light intensity based on the micro-vibration; means for detecting the direction of the shift of the laser beam with respect to the center of the incident end face of the optical fiber based on the change in the light intensity; and Means for changing the positional relationship between the laser beam and the center of the incident end face of the optical fiber based on the direction so as to increase the light intensity from the exit end face of the optical fiber. 4. A laser optical device for emitting a laser beam from a laser light source via an optical fiber, means for slightly vibrating the laser beam in first and second directions to guide the laser beam to an incident end face of the optical fiber, and emitting the optical fiber. Means for detecting the light intensity of the laser beam emitted from the end face and detecting a change in the light intensity based on the minute vibration in the first and second directions; and a center of the incident end face of the optical fiber of the laser beam based on the change in the light intensity. Means for detecting the direction of a two-dimensional shift with respect to the optical fiber; and determining the positional relationship between the laser beam and the center of the incident end face of the optical fiber based on the detected direction of the two-dimensional shift, the light intensity from the output end face of the optical fiber. Means for changing two-dimensionally so as to increase the laser optical device. 5. A laser optical device which emits a laser beam from a laser light source via an optical fiber and deflects and scans the emitted laser beam at a predetermined frequency, wherein the laser beam is emitted at an integral multiple of the predetermined frequency. Means for microvibrating in the first and second directions to guide the light beam to the incident end face of the optical fiber, and detecting the light intensity of the laser beam emitted from the emitting end face of the optical fiber and detecting the light intensity based on the minute vibration in the first and second directions Means for detecting a change in the light intensity; means for detecting the direction of a two-dimensional displacement of the laser beam with respect to the center of the incident end face of the optical fiber based on the change in the light intensity; Based on the positional relationship between the laser beam and the center of the input end face of the optical fiber, the light intensity from the output end face of the optical fiber increases Laser optical apparatus comprising: the means for changing the sea urchin two-dimensionally, the. 6. An optical scanning means for two-dimensionally scanning a laser beam emitted from an emission end face of the optical fiber, and the laser beam two-dimensionally scanned by the optical scanning means is guided to a subject. 6. A light-receiving element for receiving reflected light, transmitted light, or fluorescence from a subject via the light scanning means and outputting an image signal of the subject. The laser optical device according to the item. 7. An optical scanning means for two-dimensionally scanning a laser beam emitted from an emission end face of the optical fiber, and a laser beam two-dimensionally scanned by the optical scanning means to an object. A light receiving element that receives reflected light, transmitted light, or fluorescent light from the subject via the light scanning unit and outputs an image signal of the subject; and by controlling the image signal according to the detected light intensity. The laser optical device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising: a unit configured to remove, from the image signal, an influence of a laser beam intensity fluctuation due to the minute vibration. 8. The laser light source according to claim 1, wherein the laser light source generates laser beams of a plurality of wavelengths, and the laser beams of the plurality of wavelengths are incident on an optical fiber via a dispersion optical element. 2. The laser optical device according to claim 1. 9. The laser optical apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a laser beam of a single wavelength is incident on an optical fiber by controlling an incident direction of the laser beam. 10. The optical fiber has a core diameter of 5-1.
The laser optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the laser optical device is a single-mode optical fiber of about 0 µm or less or a polarization-maintaining optical fiber.