Patent ID: 6633381
Filing Date: 2003-10-14
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A fluorescence measuring device for scanning a specimen surface, comprising:a selection element having a first area and a second area, the second area being spatially separate from the first area; an excitation light source coupled to an excitation beam path by the first area of the selection element, excitation light of a wavelength range being guided from the light source to the specimen surface and causing fluorescent light to be emitted from the specimen surface crossing the excitation beam path and travel in a reverse direction of the excitation beam path toward the selection element; a first dispersive element in the excitation beam path for spectrally splitting the fluorescent light emitted from the specimen and allowing a portion of the spectrally split fluorescent light to strike the second area of the selection element, which is adapted to decouple the fluorescent light from the excitation beam path; a detector for recording fluorescent light decoupled by the second area of the selection element; and a second dispersive element which acts in reverse dispersion with respect to the first dispersive element and is in a path of the decoupled portion of the spectrally split fluorescent light; wherein boundaries of the second area are adapted to interact with the second dispersive element and act as a wavelength limitation for the florescent light in order to mask out at least the wavelength range of the excitation light; and wherein said excitation light source comprises at least one laser device for coherent excitation of separate laser spectral lines, excitation light of each spectral line being focused in a separate imaging area on the selection element, the position of each imaging area being determined by the wavelength of the associated spectral line, the positions of said imaging areas on the selection element being ordered with respect to the wavelength of the associated spectral line, whereby said imaging areas form the first area, and whereby an area between the imaging areas and an area which adjoins a last imaging area, which is associated with the spectral line having the greatest wavelength, in a direction of increasing wavelength of the associated spectral lines together form at least one part of the second area.