Patent ID: 7223232

Claim:
An endoscope probe system including an endoscope probe to be inserted into a body cavity to observe in vivo tissues, comprising: a laser source that emits a plurality of laser beams; a light detector having a plurality of light receiving elements, each of said light receiving elements detecting intensity of light incident thereon; and a plurality of confocal optical systems arranged to converge the plurality of laser beams emitted by said laser source to small spots on the tissues and selectively transmit the plurality of laser beams reflected by the tissues to said light receiving elements of said light detector, respectively, wherein said plurality of confocal optical systems have a common objective lens system and a common light shielding member disposed between said objective lens system and said light detector, wherein said objective lens system converges the laser beams emitted from said laser source to the small spots on the tissues, wherein said light shielding member has a plurality of minute transparent portions located at positions conjugate to the spots to which the laser beams are focused by said objective lens system, wherein said light detector receives the laser beams reflected by the tissues through said minute transparent portions of said light shielding member, wherein said minute transparent portions are pin holes formed on said light shielding member, wherein said plurality of confocal optical systems includes a common beam splitter cube that supports said laser source, said light detector and said light shielding member directing the laser beams emitted by said laser source to said objective lens system while transmitting light reflected back from the tissues and passed through said light shielding member to said light detector, wherein a first lens array is interposed between said light shielding member and said beam splitter cube to collimate the laser beam reflected back by the target and passed through said minute transparent portions of said light shielding member, and wherein a second lens array is interposed between said light detector and said beam splitter cube to converge the laser beams traveling from said light shielding member toward said light detector on said light receiving elements of said light detector.