Device for controlling light radiation

Abstract

Device for controlling light radiation, which is excited in a specimen and/or which is backscattered and/or reflected and which contains one or more wavelengths, at a plurality of light outlets, wherein a separation of the light radiation into differently polarized components is carried out; and the components of the excitation radiation and/or detection radiation are affected in their polarization by means of a preferably birefringent, preferably acousto-optic or electro-optic medium, which changes the ordinary and extraordinary refractive index.

1 . A device for controlling light radiation at a plurality of light outlets, the light radiation being at least one of excited in a specimen and backscattered and reflected and which contains one or more wavelengths, the device comprising: 
 first polarizing means for carrying out separation of the light radiation into differently polarized components; and    a birefringent, acousto-optic or electro-optic medium for affecting the polarization of the components by changing an ordinary and an extraordinary refractive index.    
   
   
       2 . The device, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the birefringent medium is an AOTF.  
   
   
       3 . The device, as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the AOTF exhibits a collinear course.  
   
   
       4 . The device, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the birefringent medium is an EOM.  
   
   
       5 . The device, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the birefringent medium is a lambda-phase plate.  
   
   
       6 . The device, as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising means for carrying out a spectral spatial separation of the light radiation.  
   
   
       7 . The device, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the light radiation is one or more of fluorescent light, luminescent light, phosphorescent light and diffusely scattered illumination light coming from the specimen, and the device further comprises means for detecting the light radiation.  
   
   
       8 . The device for controlling illumination light, as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the medium is downstream of the polarizing means for separating components of different polarization.  
   
   
       9 . The device for controlling light coming from the specimen, as claimed in  claim 1 , the device further comprising second polarizing means for combining the components, and wherein the medium as well as the second polarizing means are downstream of the first polarizing.  
   
   
       10 . The device for controlling light coming from the specimen, as claimed in  claim 8 , the device further comprising second polarizing means for combining the components, and wherein the medium as well as the second polarizing means are downstream of the first polarizing.  
   
   
       11 . The device, as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising means for carrying out a depth resolved detection of the specimen.  
   
   
       12 . The device, as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising means for housing the device in a laser scanning microscope.  
   
   
       13 . The device, as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising means for descanned detection.  
   
   
       14 . The device, as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising means for partial descanned detection in one direction.  
   
   
       15 . The device, as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising means for non-descanned detection.  
   
   
       16 . The device, as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising line detectors for spectrally resolved measurement.  
   
   
       17 . The device, as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising means for carrying out the at least one of scanning and the detection of selected specimen areas.  
   
   
       18 . The device, as claimed in  claim 7 , further comprising means for carrying out a spectrally resolved measurement of the polarization characteristics of the detection light radiation.