Patent ID: 7253947

Claim:
A portable confocal microscope, comprising: a portable microscope stand including a shaft having top and bottom ends, a platform connected to the shaft by a height adjustment mechanism so that the position of the platform along the shaft may be varied, a base member connected to the bottom end of the shaft and first and second elongated channel members slidably and rotatably connected to the base member, the first and second channel members extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to an axis of the shaft; an optical assembly including an objective lens including a first position adjustment mechanism for adjusting a position of the objective lens along a first axis; a confocal module transmitting light to and receiving light from a specimen to be imaged via the optical assembly; an image acquisition system recording images through the optical assembly; a specimen stage for supporting the specimen to be imaged including a second position adjustment mechanism for moving the stage along a second and third axis; and a computer controlling the first and second position adjusting mechanisms to generate a desired image for recording by the image acquisition system.