Scanning optical microscope

Abstract

A scanning optical microscope comprising a laser source, a scan optical system for scanning a sample with a laser beam from the laser source, a spectral resolving optical system for resolving spectra of fluorescent rays from the sample, a wavelength splitting optical system for splitting the fluorescent rays that have passed the spectral resolving optical system into rays of a plurality of different wavelengths and guiding the split rays to optical paths of the plurality of different wavelengths, a plurality of image forming optical systems, respectively provided in the optical paths of the plurality of different wavelengths, for forming images of the fluorescent rays from the sample, a plurality of confocal apertures respectively provided in the optical paths at focal points of the image forming optical systems, and a plurality of photosensors, respectively provided in the optical paths, for sensing the fluorescent rays from the sample that have passed the respective confocal apertures.

1. A scanning optical microscope comprising:
 a laser source;  
 a scan optical system for scanning a sample with a laser beam from said laser source;  
 a spectral resolving optical system for resolving spectra of fluorescent rays from said sample;  
 a wavelength splitting optical system for splitting said fluorescent rays that have passed said spectral resolving optical system into rays of a plurality of different wavelengths and guiding said split rays to optical paths of said plurality of different wavelengths;  
 a plurality of image forming optical systems, respectively provided in said optical paths of said plurality of different wavelengths, for forming images of said fluorescent rays from said sample;  
 a plurality of confocal apertures respectively provided in said optical paths at focal points of said image forming optical systems; and  
 a plurality of photosensors, respectively provided in said optical paths, for sensing said fluorescent rays from said sample that have passed the respective confocal apertures.  
 
     
     
       2. The scanning optical microscope according to  claim 1 , wherein said spectral resolving optical system includes:
 a first optical element for resolving said spectra of said fluorescent rays from said sample; and  
 a second optical element for transforming a bundle of rays resulting from spectral resolving by said first optical element back to a bundle of parallel rays.  
 
     
     
       3. The scanning optical microscope according to  claim 1 , further comprising a reducing optical system, provided closer to a sample side than said spectral resolving optical system, for reducing a bundle of rays incident to said spectral resolving optical system. 
     
     
       4. The scanning optical microscope according to  claim 1 , wherein the numbers of said image forming optical systems, said confocal apertures and said photosensors are equal to the number of fluorescent rays to be sensed; and
 said wavelength splitting optical system has wavelength splitting optical elements smaller in number by one than said number of said photosensors.  
 
     
     
       5. The scanning optical microscope according to  claim 4 , further comprising an optical-element positioning drive mechanism for positioning said wavelength splitting optical elements. 
     
     
       6. The scanning optical microscope according to  claim 5 , wherein said optical-element positioning drive mechanism positions said wavelength splitting optical elements in a direction perpendicular to an incident optical axis. 
     
     
       7. A scanning optical microscope which scans a sample with a laser beam from a laser source, said scanning optical microscope comprising:
   a spectral resolving unit which resolves fluorescent rays from the sample into successive spectral components;        a wavelength splitter which splits the successive spectral components resolved by the spectral resolving unit into rays of a plurality of different wavelengths; and        a plurality of side - on type photomultipliers, respectively provided in optical paths of the rays of different wavelengths split by the wavelength splitter, for sensing the rays,        wherein axial centers of the plurality of side - on type photomultipliers come approximately within planes to be spectrally - resolved by the spectral resolving unit.     
     
     
       8. A scanning optical microscope which scans a sample with a laser beam from a laser source, said scanning optical microscope comprising:
   a spectral resolving unit which resolves spectra of fluorescent rays from the sample;        a wavelength splitter which splits the fluorescent rays resolved by the spectral resolving unit into rays of a plurality of different wavelengths;        a plurality of side - on type photomultipliers, respectively provided in optical paths of the rays of different wavelengths split by the wavelength splitter, for sensing the rays, wherein axial centers of the plurality of side - on type photomultipliers come approximately within planes to be spectrally - resolved by the spectral resolving unit;        a plurality of image forming optical systems, respectively provided at fronts of the plurality of side - on type photomultipliers in each of the optical paths of the rays of different wavelengths split by the wavelength splitter, for forming images of the rays; and        a plurality of confocal apertures respectively provided at focal points of said plurality of image forming optical systems.     
     
     
       9. The scanning optical microscope of  claim 8 , wherein said spectral resolving unit comprises an optical unit which emits a resolved bundle of rays in parallel. 
     
     
       10. A scanning optical microscope which scans a sample with a laser beam from a laser source, said scanning optical microscope comprising:
   a spectral resolving unit which resolves spectra of fluorescent rays from the sample;        a wavelength splitter which splits the fluorescent rays resolved by the spectral resolving unit into rays of a plurality of different wavelengths;        a plurality of side - on type photomultipliers, respectively provided in optical paths of the rays of different wavelengths split by the wavelength splitter, for sensing the rays, wherein axial centers of the plurality of side - on type photomultipliers come approximately within planes to be spectrally - resolved by the spectral resolving unit;        a beam splitter for splitting the fluorescent rays from the sample and the laser beam; and        a reducing optical system, provided between the beam splitter and said spectral resolving unit, for reducing the flourescent rays.