Patent ID: 7312920

Claim:
A confocal microscope comprising: a first condenser optical system that condenses light from a light source onto a sample; a pinhole member having a pinhole; a second condenser optical system that condenses light from the sample into the pinhole; a polygon mirror having a plurality of mirror surfaces achieving angles relative to a rotational axis different from one another and formed so as to surround the rotational axis in a full circle, which is disposed between the first condenser optical system and the pinhole; and a first optical system that separates the light from the light source and the light from the sample and guides the light from the sample departing the polygon mirror to the pinhole; wherein: the polygon mirror rotates around the rotational axis at a constant speed, sequentially reflects the light from the light source at the plurality of mirror surfaces and guides the reflected light to the first condenser optical system, and two-dimensionally scans the sample with the light condensed onto the sample by the first condenser optical system; the first condenser optical system guides the light from the sample to the polygon mirror; and the polygon mirror reflects the light from the sample departing the first condenser optical system at a mirror surface matching a mirror surface at which the light from the light source has been reflected, and guides the reflected light to the second condenser optical system; and further comprising: a light detector that detects the light condensed at the pinhole; and a sample image generating device that generates a two-dimensional image of the sample based upon the light detected by the light detector and a rotational position of the polygon mirror; wherein: a plurality of condensed light spots are formed on the sample with the light from the light source; and the pinhole member includes a plurality of pinholes each used in correspondence to one of the plurality of condensed light spots; and wherein: the polygon mirror is structured so that when a scan achieved with the plurality of condensed light spots shifts by one stage as the polygon mirror rotates and light reflection switches from a mirror surface to an adjacent mirror surface, the plurality of condensed light spots shift by an extent represented by a distance smaller than a distance between adjacent condensed light spots.