Patent ID: 8222615

Claim:
A data acquisition method using a laser scanner ( 1 ) for the pixel-precise imaging of samples, which are located on slides ( 8 ) and treated using fluorescent pigments, this laser scanner ( 1 ) comprising: (a) a sample table ( 2 ) having a receptacle ( 34 ) for slides ( 8 ) in a sample plane ( 49 ); (b) at least one laser ( 51 , 52 ) and a first optical system ( 53 ) for providing at least one laser beam ( 54 , 55 ) for exciting the fluorescent samples; (c) a motor-driven scanner head ( 50 ), which moves nonlinearly in space, having a first optical deflection element ( 56 ) for deflecting the laser beams ( 54 , 55 ) toward the sample and for scanning this sample in at least one movement direction ( 75 ); (d) a first objective ( 57 ) for focusing the laser beams ( 54 , 55 ) on the sample in the plane ( 49 ); (e) a second optical system ( 58 ) for relaying emission beam bundles ( 59 , 60 ), which are triggered by the laser beams ( 54 , 55 ) on the sample and are deflected by the first objective ( 57 ) and the deflection element ( 56 ), to at least one detector ( 61 ); (f) a position encoder ( 91 ), which emits position encoder signals ( 92 ), which indicate the instantaneous whereabouts of the scanner head ( 50 ) in relation to a zero point; (g) an electronic element for filtering detector signals ( 93 ) of the detector ( 61 ) using a defined time constant; and (h) an A/D converter for digitizing the filtered detector signals ( 93 ), wherein the scanner head ( 50 ) is displaced on a linear guide ( 68 ), which defines the movement direction ( 75 ) of the scanner head ( 50 ), wherein the filtered detector signals ( 93 ) of the A/D converter and the position encoder signals ( 92 ) are acquired chronologically in parallel and continuously but independently of one another by a computer unit and/or a controller ( 40 ) and related to a common timebase ( 94 ), the A/D conversion being performed with sufficient frequency that more than one data point of the A/D converter is always associated with each pixel ( 95 ) of an image, and wherein the detector signal ( 93 ) generated by a detector ( 61 ) is digitized by the A/D converter of this controller ( 40 ), the moment of the corresponding position encoder signal ( 92 ) being associated with each conversion point of the A/D converter via the timebase ( 94 ), and each digitization being triggered in continuous progression by the timebase ( 94 ) and being performed by the controller ( 40 ) at a constant and equal time for all data acquisition intervals (Δd).