Patent ID: 7902523

Claim:
A fluorescence microscope apparatus comprising: an irradiation optical system which generates fluorescence by irradiating an image capture region of a sample with excitation light as a spotlight; a fluorescence image-capturing optical system for capturing fluorescence images of image capture region; a stimulus light-irradiation optical system which includes a scanner for applying only optical stimulation to an optional region in the sample by irradiating stimulus light, the optional region differing from the image capture region in size and/or shape; a control unit which acquires temporal observation data by repeatedly capturing images using the image-capturing optical system while applying optical stimulation using the stimulus light-irradiation optical system; an analysis unit which analyzes two-dimensional distribution of diffusion and/or binding behaviors of molecules through analysis of changes in fluorescence intensity caused by molecular fluctuations within a confocal volume of the sample by executing raster image correlation spectroscopy with use of the temporal observation data of the image capture region; and a display unit which displays an analysis result from the analysis unit, wherein said irradiation optical system includes an excitation scanner that two-dimensionally scans the irradiated excitation light on the image capture region of the sample, and said fluorescence image-capturing optical system has a confocal aperture for a confocal detection of fluorescence light under the conditions where one pixel size is smaller than the spotlight size of the excitation light, the fluorescence light emitted from a position where the excitation light is irradiated.