Claims
- 1. An optical arrangement in a confocal microscope, the arrangement comprising:means for spectrally fanning out an incoming light beam in a detection beam path of said confocal microscope; means for splitting said spectrally fanned out light beam out of a dispersion plane for said spectrally fanned out light beam; means for detecting a spectral range of said split, spectrally fanned out light beam; and, a pinhole occluder, located at a focus for said detection beam path, having a passageway with a polygonal configuration.
- 2. The optical arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for spectrally fanning out an incoming light beam further comprises a prism.
- 3. The optical arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for splitting said spectrally fanned out light beam further comprises a plurality of locations at which said spectrally fanned out light beam strikes said splitting means; and, wherein said means for splitting said spectrally fanned out light beam reflects all of said spectrally fanned out light beam at a first location selected from said plurality of locations and passes all of said spectrally fanned out light beam at a second location selected from said plurality of locations.
- 4. The optical arrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein said means for splitting said spectrally fanned out light beam further comprises a first detection gap element having a first gap; and, wherein said first gap is operatively arranged to pass a first range of said spectrally fanned out light.
- 5. The optical arrangement as recited in claim 4 wherein said means for detecting a spectral range of said split, spectrally fanned out light beam further comprises a first detector operatively arranged to detect at least a portion of said first range passing through said first gap.
- 6. The optical arrangement as recited in claim 4 wherein said first detection gap element further comprises a reflective surface operatively arranged to reflect a second range of said spectrally fanned out light beam; and, wherein said means for splitting said spectrally fanned out light beam further comprises a second detection gap element having a second gap operatively arranged to pass said reflected second range.
- 7. The optical arrangement as recited in claim 6 wherein said means for detecting a spectral range of said split, spectrally fanned out light beam further comprises a second detector operatively arranged to detect at least a portion of said second range passing through said second gap.
- 8. The optical arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein said passageway is symmetrically configured.
- 9. The optical arrangement as recited in claim 8 wherein said passageway has a triangular configuration.
- 10. The optical arrangement as recited in claim 8 wherein said passageway has a four-corner configuration.
- 11. The optical arrangement as recited in claim 8 wherein said passageway has a rectangular configuration.
- 12. The optical arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein said passageway has a triangular configuration.
- 13. The optical arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein said passageway has a four-corner configuration.
- 14. The optical arrangement as recited in claim 1 wherein said passageway has a rectangular configuration.
- 15. An optical arrangement in a confocal microscope, the arrangement comprising:means for spectrally fanning out an incoming light beam in a detection beam path of said confocal microscope; means for splitting said spectrally fanned out light beam out of a dispersion plane for said spectrally fanned out light beam; at least one detector operatively arranged to detect a range of said spectrally fanned out beam on a detection line in said dispersion plane, said detection line defined by diffraction minima of said fanned out beam on said dispersion plane; and, a pinhole occluder, located at a focus for said detection beam path, having a passageway with a polygonal configuration.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
198 03 442 |
Jan 1998 |
DE |
|
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is the U.S. national phase under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Application PCT/DE99/00211 filed Jan. 28, 1999 claiming priority of German Patent Application No. 198 03 442.3 filed Jan. 29, 1998.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/DE99/00211 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO99/39165 |
8/5/1999 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (9)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 565 069 |
Oct 1993 |
EP |