Patent ID: 6396053
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A scanning optical microscope apparatus including a laser scanning optical microscope apparatus comprising:a laser light source: an objective lens for condensing a laser beam emitted from said laser light source on a specimen; a scanning unit constructed and arranged to relatively scan said specimen with a condensed laser spot; an imaging optical system for imaging light emanating from said specimen; a confocal stop placed at a focal point of said imaging optical system; and a plurality of photodetectors for detecting the light emanating from said specimen, passing through said confocal stop, wherein said scanning optical microscope apparatus provided with spectrum decomposing means for spatially decomposing a light beam passing through said confocal stop into a wavelength spectrum, and an array of light-deflecting microelements arranged, at least, in a direction of spectral decomposition and receiving and deflecting a part of said light beam decomposed into the spectrum toward any of said plurality of photodetectors, each of said light-deflecting microelements having a plurality of deflection angles at which said light beam is selectively received by any of said plurality of photodetectors so that one of said plurality of deflection angles can be selected at will.