Patent ID: 6219179
Filing Date: 2001-04-17
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A beam splitter device for a laser scanning microscope comprising a laser which produces a laser beam (1) and a partially reflecting mirror (2) for splitting said laser beam (1) into partial beams (5) which leave the device in a plane and are then directed to a sample under investigation, said partially reflecting mirror (2) having a constant transmission, and being placed between two high reflectivity mirrors (3,4), said splitter device comprising:means for transmitting said laser beam (1) to one of said high reflectivity mirrors (4) and means for reflecting said beam (1) to the other one of said high reflectivity mirrors (3) with basically equal attenuation,means for repeatedly transmitting said beam to one of said mirrors and means for repeatedly reflecting said beam to the other one of said mirrors (3,4),said partially reflecting mirror and said high reflectivity mirrors (3,4) being arranged relative to each other to cause beams (5) reflected by said partially reflecting mirror (2) not to coincide with beams reflected by said high-reflectivity mirrors (3,4);and said device, at the exit region of said device, having an edge of said partially reflecting mirror (2) shifted along an edge of one of said high-reflective mirrors (4) and being shifted aback an edge of the other said high-reflective mirror (3).