Confocal scanning microscopes

Tony Wilson

doi:10.1117/12.34805

1 July 1990 Confocal scanning microscopes

Tony Wilson

Proceedings Volume 1319, Optics in Complex Systems; (1990) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.34805
Event: 15th International Optics in Complex Systems, 1990, Garmisch, Germany

Abstract

The key advantage of confocal scanning microscopy is that it allows a high resolution image to be obtained of a very thin slice of a thick object. This optical sectioning pmperty, which is completely absent in conventional microscopy, arises because we adopt a scanning approach. We use a point source and a point detector in order to image a single point of the object. An image of the whole field is then built up by scanning. It is the presence of the point detector which leads to the rejection of detail from portions of the object outside the focal region of the objective lenses. There are two main methods of achieving the scanning required to image the entire field and this paper will be concerned with the factors which affect the strength of the optical sectioning which may be achieved by these two methods.

Citation Download Citation

Tony Wilson "Confocal scanning microscopes", Proc. SPIE 1319, Optics in Complex Systems, (1 July 1990); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.34805

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