Patent ID: 7187494

Claim:
A laser microscope comprising: a laser light source; a deflecting device that deflects laser light emitted from the laser light source; an objective lens; an irradiating system that irradiates a sample with the laser light via the objective lens; and a detecting device that detects fluorescence emitted from the sample, wherein the laser microscope is provided with a collector lens insertably and removably arranged in a path of rays between the objective lens and the deflecting device, the collector lens causing the laser light to converge on a pupil position of the objective lens with chief rays thereof being substantially parallel with an optical axis, wherein in a situation where the collector lens is removed from the path of rays, the laser light converges on a sample surface, to scan the sample surface via the deflecting device, and wherein in a situation where the collector lens is inserted in the path of rays, a pupil position of an optical system composed of the irradiating system and the collector lens coincides with a position of the deflecting device and the laser light converging on the pupil position of the objective lens is decentered from a center of the pupil position of the objective lens by the deflecting device.