Multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides a multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus that efficiently generates a multiphoton-excitation effect, that makes the measurement head compact, and that can be easily adjusted when the measurement head is replaced. The multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus comprises a laser light source that oscillates ultrashort pulsed laser light; an optical fiber that transmits the ultrashort pulsed laser light from the laser light source; a support member; a measurement head supported on the support member so as to be movable upwards and downwards and at an angle, and having an optical system that irradiates a specimen with the ultrashort pulsed laser light transmitted by the optical fiber that measures fluorescence or reflected light coming from the specimen; and a dispersion-compensating member, in the measurement head, that compensates for group velocity dispersion of the ultrashort pulsed laser light irradiated onto the specimen.

1 . A laser-based multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus comprising: 
 a laser light source that oscillates ultrashort pulsed laser light;    an optical fiber that transmits the ultrashort pulsed laser light from the laser light source, the optical fiber having a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to the laser light source;    a measurement head connected to the second end of the optical fiber and incorporating an optical system that irradiates a specimen with the ultrashort pulsed laser light transmitted by the optical fiber and that measures fluorescence or reflected light coming from the specimen; and    a dispersion-compensating member, in the measurement head, that compensates for group velocity dispersion of the ultrashort pulsed laser light irradiated onto the specimen.    
   
   
       2 . The multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a support member,    wherein the measurement head is supported on the support member so as to be movable upwards and downwards.    
   
   
       3 . The multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a support member,    wherein the measurement head is supported on the support member so as to be movable at an angle.    
   
   
       4 . The multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the measurement head and the optical fiber are connected in a detachable manner.  
   
   
       5 . The multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an optical scanning unit, in the measurement head, that scans the ultrashort pulsed laser light transmitted by the optical fiber onto the specimen,    wherein the dispersion-compensating member is disposed between an end of the optical fiber and the optical scanning unit.    
   
   
       6 . The multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the dispersion-compensating member can be exchanged.  
   
   
       7 . The multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the amount of dispersion-compensation of the dispersion-compensating member.    
   
   
       8 . The multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the dispersion-compensating member is formed of a dispersion-compensating mirror that imparts negative group velocity dispersion.  
   
   
       9 . The multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a dispersion-imparting member, disposed between the laser light source and the optical fiber, that imparts positive group velocity dispersion to the light introduced into the optical fiber.    
   
   
       10 . The multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the dispersion-imparting member is an acousto-optical device.  
   
   
       11 . The multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a first dispersion-imparting member, disposed between the laser light source and the optical fiber, that imparts negative group velocity to the light introduced into the optical fiber;    wherein the dispersion-compensating member is formed of a second dispersion-imparting member that imparts positive group velocity dispersion.    
   
   
       12 . The multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the second dispersion-imparting member is formed of zinc selenide or tellurium oxide crystal.  
   
   
       13 . The multiphoton-excitation-type examination apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an objective unit, disposed opposite the specimen, that is detachable from and attachable to the measurement head; and    an objective dispersion-compensating unit, disposed in the objective unit, that compensates for the group velocity dispersion of the ultrashort pulsed laser light inside the objective unit.