Patent ID: 7483131

Claim:
A laser-scanning microscope comprising: an observation-laser-beam light source configured to emit an observation laser beam; a manipulation-laser-beam light source configured to emit a manipulation laser beam for manipulating a specimen; a scanning unit configured to two-dimensionally scan the observation laser beam; a laser-beam position adjusting section configured to two-dimensionally adjust an irradiation position of the manipulation laser beam; a focal-position adjusting unit configured to move a focal position of the manipulation laser beam in an optical axis direction; a multiplexer configured to multiplex the observation laser beam scanned by the scanning unit and the manipulation laser beam adjusted by the laser-beam position adjusting section and the focal-position adjusting unit; an objective lens configured to focus the observation laser beam and the manipulation laser beam multiplexed by the multiplexer to irradiate the specimen, as well as to collect fluorescence generated in the specimen; a light detector configured to detect the fluorescence collected by the objective lens; a Z-axis driving unit configured to move, in the optical axis direction, the objective lens or a stage on which the specimen is mounted; a controller configured to control the focal-position adjusting unit and an amount of movement of the objective lens or the stage via the Z-axis driving unit; and a mode-switching unit configured to switch between a preparation mode in which the controller controls the focal-position adjusting unit so that the focal plane of the observation laser beam and the focal position of the manipulation laser beam are coincident, independent of the movement of the objective lens or the stage by the Z-axis driving unit, and an observation mode in which the controller controls the focal-position adjusting unit so as to cancel out a shift of the focal position of the manipulation laser beam with respect to the specimen according to the movement of the objective lens or the stage.