Patent ID: 8530810

Claim:
A method for controlling a directly modulated laser diode of a laser scanning microscope, during a scanning process, wherein the light intensity of the laser diode has a rise delay that is dependent on the magnitude of an applied control variable, comprising the steps of: a) identifying that the light intensity to be achieved with the laser diode falls below a lower threshold value or that the light intensity already achieved with the laser diode is below the lower threshold value, b) after the light intensity to be achieved with the laser diode is identified as falling below a lower threshold value or after the light intensity already achieved with the laser diode is identified as being below the lower threshold value, de-energizing the laser diode by removing the flow of an intermediate current through the laser diode, c) identifying that the light intensity to be achieved when the intermediate electric current is flowed through the laser diode rises above an upper threshold value, d) restoring the flow of the intermediate current through the laser diode, and e) setting the diode current according to the light intensity to be achieved.