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Abstract

This invention provides an angled-dual-axis confocal scanning microscope comprising a fiber-coupled, angled-dual-axis confocal head and a vertical scanning unit. The angled-dual-axis confocal head is configured such that an illumination beam and an observation beam intersect optimally at an angle .theta. within an object. The vertical scanning unit causes the angled-dual-axis confocal head to move towards or away from the object, thereby yielding a vertical scan that deepens into the object, while keeping the optical path lengths of the illumination and observation beams unchanged so to ensure the optimal intersection of the illumination and observation beams in the course of vertical scanning. The angled-dual-axis confocal scanning microscope may further comprises a transverse stage, causing the object to move relative to the angled-dual-axis confocal head along transverse directions perpendicular to the vertical direction, thereby producing a transverse scan. By assembling various transverse and/or vertical scans in a suitable manner, two-dimensional transverse and/or vertical cross-section images of the object can be obtained. A three-dimensional volume image of the object can be accordingly constructed. The angled-dual-axis confocal scanning microscope of the present invention provides a versatile and high resolution imaging tool, well suited for tissue and other biological imaging applications. Moreover, by employing relatively low numerical aperture focusing elements, fiber-optic components and a fiber-coupled laser, the present invention provides an assembly of fiber-based angled-dual-axis confocal systems that can be particularly powerful tools for performing low noise confocal scanning microscopy in a scattering medium.

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First Claim