Patent ID: 6255646
Filing Date: 2001-07-03
Classification: G01J,G01N,G02B

Abstract:
A scanning optical microscope comprising:a laser source;a scan optical system for scanning a sample with a laser beam from said laser source;a spectral resolving optical system for resolving spectra of fluorescent rays from said sample;a wavelength splitting optical system for splitting said fluorescent rays that have passed said spectral resolving optical system into rays of a plurality of different wavelengths and guiding said split rays to optical paths of said plurality of different wavelengths;a plurality of image forming optical systems, respectively provided in said optical paths of said plurality of different wavelengths, for forming images of said fluorescent rays from said sample;a plurality of confocal apertures respectively provided in said optical paths at focal points of said image forming optical systems; anda plurality of photosensors, respectively provided in said optical paths, for sensing said fluorescent rays from said sample that have passed the respective confocal apertures.