Patent ID: 7315030
Filing Date: 2008-01-01
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A laser scanning microscope, which enables observation of a specimen, which is marked by a plurality of fluorescent probes, by emitting a laser beam onto the specimen and receiving fluorescent light, corresponding to the emission of the laser beam, back from the specimen, the laser scanning microscope comprising: at least one laser source for generating the laser beam in at least one excitation wavelength corresponding to the plurality of fluorescent probes; deflector means for scanning the generated laser beam over an observation plane of the specimen; dispersion means for dispersing the fluorescent light from the specimen to extract the dispersed fluorescent light by an arbitrary wavelength section; spectral data acquisition condition setting means for setting a spectral data acquisition condition for the dispersion means for acquiring spectral data based on spectrum characteristics of the plurality of fluorescent probes; dispersion control means for controlling the dispersion means based on the set spectral data acquisition condition; and photoelectric conversion means for receiving the extracted fluorescent light and converting the received light into an electrical signal; wherein the dispersion means comprises a diffraction mirror for dispersing the fluorescent light from the specimen and selecting a wavelength of the fluorescent light, and a slit which selects the arbitrary wavelength section of the dispersed fluorescent light to be received by the photoelectric conversion means in accordance with the selected wavelength; and wherein the spectral data acquisition condition setting means sets a wavelength incrementing amount corresponding to a rotation angle of the diffraction mirror and a spectral resolution corresponding to a width of the slit, which are applicable to carrying out a wavelength scanning for the specimen based on the spectrum characteristics of the plurality of fluorescent probes.