Optiscan’s Patent Portfolio

Title: Scanning Confocal Microscope

Inventors: Martin Harris and Timothy Dabbs

Patent Expiry Date: 13 July 2009

Countries in which patent granted: Australia, United States, Switzerland, France, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Japan.

Abstract

A scanning confocal epi-illumination microscope has a light source for supplying illumination and a light condenser for condensing light onto an object to illuminate a point observational field on or within the object, and for receiving light emanating from the point observational field on or within the object. A detector is provided for detecting object emanated light received by the light condenser, and a flexible optical fibre is provided to transmit light from the light source to the condenser and for transmitting the object emanated light received by the light condenser to the detector. A scanner is provided to cause relative movement between the object and the point observational field so that the point observational field traverses the object in a scanning pattern. This invention enables the light source and the detector to be located in any desired position without the need for a rigid mechanical connection between them in view of the optical fibre, which is used to transmit light between the condenser and the detector. Specific endoscope embodiments are also described.