Patent ID: 7223961

Claim:
A device for selectively detecting specific wavelength components of a light beam, the device comprising: an illumination light source configured to provide an excitation light beam including excitation light capable of producing fluorescence in a sample; microscope optics configured to direct the excitation light beam onto the sample so as to provide a detection light beam including light of the excitation light reflected by the sample and fluorescent light produced in the sample; a spectral spreading element configured to spectrally spread the detection light beam; and a detector array disposed downstream of the element, the detector array including a light-insensitive region and a light-sensitive region; wherein the spectral spreading element and the detector array are matched to each other so that, without use of a filter or blocking device, a selectable wavelength component of the detection light beam having a wavelength of the excitation light hits the light-insensitive region and a remaining wave length component of the detection light beam having a wavelength of the fluorescent light hits the light-sensitive region.