JPH0533111U - Confocal optical scan - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (Correction) [Purpose] To realize a compact confocal optical scanner that does not require a rotary sliding part. A confocal optical scanner that scans a pinhole substrate 11 having a plurality of pinholes and irradiates a sample with laser light that has passed through the pinhole substrate.
The board has a plurality of pinholes arranged in a square or hexagonal shape, and is provided with two-dimensional actuators 23 and 25 for operating the pinhole board in the X and Y directions. To do. Further, in the confocal optical scanner, a plurality of pinholes are formed so that the pinhole substrate is integrated at the focal position thereof and the pinhole substrate is formed in a square or hexagonal arrangement. It is characterized in that it is provided with a condenser substrate 21 having a plurality of microlenses arranged and formed so as to be at the same position with respect to the optical axis.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a confocal optical scanner scanning means for scanning a pinhole substrate used in a confocal microscope or the like.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional example of a confocal microscope using a confocal optical scanner. In FIG. 3, the light emitted from a light source (not shown) passes through the deflector 1a and the beam splitter 2 and reaches a pinhole substrate 3 in which a plurality of pinholes 3b are spirally formed on the substrate 3a. Is irradiated. Of this irradiation light, the light that has passed through some of the many pinholes 3b spirally arranged on the pinhole substrate 3 passes through the quarter-wave plate 5 and the objective lens 6 and is collected on the sample 7. Be illuminated. The reflected light from the sample 7 is focused on one of the pinholes 3b of the pinhole substrate 3 through the same optical path, passes through the pinhole 3b, the beam splitter 2 and the deflector 1b. After that, the image of the sample 7 can be caught by the eye through the eyepiece lens 8. In this apparatus, the pinhole substrate 3 is rotated by the motor 4 at a constant speed, and by moving the pinhole 3b as the pinhole substrate 3 rotates, the focused light spot on the sample 7 is scanned. is doing.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the confocal optical scanner shown in the above-mentioned prior art, the light scanning step is such that the pinhole substrate 3 having a plurality of pinholes 3b arranged in a spiral shape is rotated by the motor 4 at a constant speed. The sample 7 is scanned with the light that has passed through the pinhole substrate 3 by being rotated. Therefore, as the scanning means, the motor 4 is used to rotate the pinhole base plate 3, which is large in size and has a rotary sliding portion, so that durability is weak and vibration is large. was there.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a compact confocal optical scanner that does not require a rotary sliding portion.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The configuration of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a confocal method in which a pinhole substrate on which a plurality of pinholes are formed is scanned, and the sample is irradiated with laser light that has passed through this pinhole substrate. In the optical scanner for use, the pinhole substrate has a plurality of pinholes arranged in a square or hexagonal shape, and a two-dimensional actuator for operating the pinhole substrate in the X and Y directions. It is characterized by having a configuration provided with Further, in the confocal optical scanner, the pinhole substrates are integrated so as to be disposed at the focal position thereof, and the pinhole substrates are formed in a square or hexagonal arrangement on the pinhole substrate. The rule is that it has a condensing substrate having a plurality of microlenses arranged so as to be at the same position with respect to the optical axis.

[0006]

[Action]

 According to the present invention, the pinhole substrate having a plurality of pinholes arranged in a square or hexagonal direction is driven in the X and Y directions by the actuator to scan the irradiation light on the sample. Therefore, a two-dimensional actuator is used for scanning instead of a motor, and a small-sized device that does not require a rotary sliding portion can be provided.

[0007]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a pinhole substrate portion used in a confocal optical scanner according to the present invention and a pinhole scanning diagram in the case of using the pinhole substrate portion. In FIG. 1A, 11 is a pinhole substrate, and this pinhole substrate 11 is formed with a plurality of pinholes arranged squarely. Reference numeral 12 is a support plate that supports the pinhole base plate 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes an X-direction actuator that drives the pinhole substrate 11 in the X direction via the support plate 12, and uses, for example, PZT. Reference numeral 14 is a support plate that supports the X-direction actuator 13. Reference numeral 15 is a Y-direction actuator that drives the pinhole substrate 11 in the Y-direction via the support plate 14. For example, PZT is used, and the other end is fixed to a fixed portion. The pinhole substrate 11 having such a structure is two-dimensionally driven by two actuators 13 and 15 which are orthogonal to the X and Y directions. At this time, each of the plurality of pinholes arranged squarely on the pinhole substrate 11 is raster-scanned as shown in FIG. The operation of the confocal optical scanner using this pinhole substrate portion is the same as that of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3, so the description thereof is omitted, but the confocal effect is obtained by this pinhole substrate portion. be able to. Therefore, since the optical scanning is performed using the two-dimensional actuator instead of the motor, the size can be reduced, and the durability can be improved because the rotary sliding portion is not required.

In the above embodiment, the arrangement of the plurality of pinholes formed on the pinhole substrate 11 is not limited to square, but may be hexagonal. Further, the actuator for moving the pinhole substrate 11 in the two-dimensional direction is not limited to PZT, but may be one using an electrostatic field.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the pinhole substrate portion used in the confocal optical scanner of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the same elements as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and overlapping description will be omitted. In FIGS. 2A and 2B, reference numeral 21 denotes a light collecting substrate formed by arranging a plurality of microlenses in a square or hexagonal shape. The plurality of microlenses formed on the light collecting substrate 6 are pinholes. -A plurality of pinholes formed on the substrate 11 and the optical axis are arranged at the same position. Further, the pinholes formed on the pinhole substrate 11 are respectively supported by the support plate 22 at the focal positions of the microlenses formed on the light collecting substrate 21. Reference numeral 23 is an X-direction actuator that drives the light collecting substrate 21 and the pinhole substrate 11 in the X direction via the support plate 22. Reference numeral 24 is a support plate that supports the X-direction actuator 23. Reference numeral 25 is a Y-direction actuator for driving the light collecting base plate 21 and the pinhole substrate 11 in the Y direction via the support plate 24, and the other end is fixed to the fixing portion. The light collecting substrate 21 and the pinhole substrate 11 having such a configuration are simultaneously driven two-dimensionally by two actuators 23 and 25 which are orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction, and the front face of the pinhole substrate 11 is controlled. The light condensing substrate 21 integrally arranged in the above-mentioned structure has an effect that the light utilization efficiency can be improved and the surface reflection from the pinhole substrate 11 can be reduced as compared with the device of FIG. Although not shown, in the confocal optical scanner using the pinhole substrate portion of FIG. 2, the confocal effect can be obtained by the pinhole substrate portion.

[0010]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above in detail with reference to the embodiments, according to the present invention, since the optical scanning is performed using the two-dimensional actuator instead of the motor, the area of the pinhole substrate is The size of the confocal optical scanner can be reduced because the actuator is small and the size of the actuator can be reduced. Moreover, since the rotary sliding portion is not required, the confocal optical scanner can be realized with improved durability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a pinhole substrate portion used in a confocal optical scanner of the present invention and a scanning diagram of the pinhole when the pinhole substrate portion is used.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing another embodiment of a pinhole substrate portion used in the confocal optical scanner of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a confocal microscope using a confocal optical scanner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 pinhole substrate 12, 14, 22, 24 support plate 13, 15, 23, 25 actuator 21 light collecting substrate

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A pinhole having a plurality of pinholes formed therein.
The board is scanned and the laser beam that has passed through this pinhole board is scanned.
In a confocal optical scanner for irradiating a sample with the light, the pinhole substrate has the plurality of pinholes arranged in a square or hexagonal shape.
And a confocal optical scanner having a configuration including a two-dimensional actuator for operating in the Y direction. 2. The confocal optical scanner according to claim 1, wherein the pinhole substrate is integrated so as to be disposed at its focal position, and the pinhole substrate is disposed in a square or hexagonal arrangement. A confocal optical scanner having a condensing substrate having a plurality of microlenses arranged at the same position with respect to the optical axis as the plurality of pinholes. ..