Patent ID: 8445865

Claim:
A scanning microscope device comprising: a light source that irradiates a sample with laser light; a scanner that scans the laser light from the light source on the sample; an objective lens that irradiates the sample with the laser light scanned by the scanner and collects fluorescence generated at an irradiated position of the laser light; a wavelength separator that is disposed between the scanner and the objective lens and separates the laser light and the fluorescence from each other; a fiber for epi-fluorescence that receives the fluorescence separated by the wavelength separator through an entrance end thereof, guides the fluorescence, and emits the fluorescence from an exit end thereof that is formed in a substantially linear shape; a dispersing element that disperses the fluorescence emitted from the exit end of the fiber for epi-fluorescence in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the exit end; a multi-anode photomultiplier tube having a plurality of detectors arrayed in the dispersing direction of the fluorescence dispersed by the dispersing element; a fluorescence returner that is disposed in a replaceable manner with the wavelength separator and that returns the fluorescence collected by the objective lens to an optical path of the laser light; switching means that switches between the fluorescence returner and the wavelength separator; a confocal pinhole that is disposed at a conjugate position with respect to a focal position of the objective lens and that allows part of the fluorescence returned to the optical path of the laser light by the fluorescence returner, switched by the switching means, and transmitted through the scanner to pass therethrough; and a descanned fluorescence entrance section that causes the fluorescence passing through the confocal pinhole to enter the optical path of the fluorescence emitted from the exit end of the fiber for epi-fluorescence.