Introduction to the Types of Laser Confocal Microscopes
The main components of a laser confocal microscope include: microscope, laser light source, scanning device, detector, computer system (including data acquisition, processing, conversion, and application software), image output device, optical device, and confocal system.
The light collected by ordinary optical microscopes is a combination of non measuring light from above and below the focal plane, as well as reflected and diffracted light from the sample, resulting in low resolution. Confocal microscopy utilizes the principle of confocal microscopy to filter out stray light formed by non measuring light spots on the focal plane and reflected and diffracted light from different focal planes of the sample, allowing only the light from the focal plane to pass through the detection pinhole, greatly improving image quality.
There are two main types of laser confocal microscopes. One is fluorescence microscopy imaging, which is equipped with a laser scanning device and uses computer image processing to improve the resolution of optical imaging by 30% -40%. Fluorescence probes are excited by ultraviolet or visible light to obtain fluorescent images of the internal microstructure of cells or tissues. Physiological signals such as Ca2+, pH value, membrane potential, and changes in cell morphology are observed at the subcellular level, making it a powerful research tool in the fields of morphology, molecular biology, neuroscience, pharmacology, genetics, and more; The second is a detection instrument that uses confocal technology as a principle, combined with precision Z-direction scanning modules, 3D modeling algorithms, etc. to perform non-contact scanning of device surfaces and establish surface 3D images for micro nano level measurement of various precision devices and material surfaces.
